Trailblazers Wanted! – What Does Writing Successful Applications Mean?

Whilst at university, there will be many extra-curricular opportunities presented to you. Whether this is internships or programmes related to the career you want to pursue, applying for awards, opportunities to represent your fellow students at various university councils/boards, or even taking up the role of a society committee member. It goes without saying that writing applications are among the top skills you want to perfect during your degree. In this article, you will find some top tips for applications! Including the use of research to give your application strong foundations and how you should tailor each application closely to what you are applying for. There are some ways you can bring out the best of yourself to make the application feel more personal and unique. It is also key that you learn how to best use your first-generation student superpower to bolster your application and demonstrate your resilience and commitment to actualising your ambitions, no matter how big or small!

Research

The first key thing to do when it comes to application preparation is to know exactly what you are applying for and what is expected of you. Importantly, this differs from application to application. If you are applying for an internship or placement, you would be expected to demonstrate and emphasise different aspects of your achievements than if you were applying for an award. In order to make sure that you put your best foot forward and progress to the next stages, you will need to really dive into the specifications given to you. Especially if you are applying for an internship or placement, you may be hit with the daunting ‘Why are you applying to us?” question.[1] Here is the first hurdle that many fall at. You want to make yourself stand out by showing them that you know what the firm does and why the work they do is important, but especially why it interests you specifically, it needs to be personal rather than generic. Believe it or not, when firms are offering work experience, they are not trying to catch you out! There will be plentiful information on the firm's website or news articles you can find written about them. It helps to be up to date on current projects they are working on, important work they have done and how it may have influenced your decision to apply with them. You also generally want an awareness of what is going on in the world right now, so that you can talk about why current affairs may impact or bring additional work the firm's way. If you want them to be interested in you, you need to show them you are interested in them! Copy and pasting blanket paragraphs in each application is obvious and may lead to swift disappointment.

Structure is key

It may go without saying, but when approaching an application, you want to ensure that you are structuring it in an organised manner. In some cases, this may not be as easy, it is dependent on the kind of application form that you are filling out. For example, if you have a question like “give an example of a time you have demonstrated leadership skills (250 words)”, you might find the traditional ‘point, evidence, explain’ framework will help you coherently and efficiently use those 250 words best! See the framework below for an example:

Point: Start off by stating the scenario you used those skills in and the facts surrounding it, especially if you are using an example with chronological elements and challenges that came up later. You want to put the person reviewing your application in your shoes.

Evidence: Tell them what you did when presented with the situation and how your leadership skills were relevant.

Explain: Probably the largest chunk of your 250 words, explain to them why you chose to do what you did and why the thought process you had to use those skills was best in that scenario, including how your actions benefited the situation overall.

For application forms that do not give you separate sections but instead give you 1000 words to demonstrate a multitude of skills such as oral communication and initiative (this is common for awards), there will typically be a bullet point list of the things they want you to talk about. Here it is best to give your examples in the same order that the list asks for them, using the above advice, and splitting your word count evenly. Even if you are unsuccessful in an application, they are a win-win in this regard, as application practice makes perfect!

Put yourself in the frame

This is probably the most important part of application writing; you want to express your personality! Applications often approach you with open-ended questions on purpose, such as ‘why us?’ or ‘why are you applying?’. Use this opportunity to convey who you are as a person. This is where you can utilise the ‘as a first-generation student’ secret weapon. Talking about your circumstances helps put you and your application in context. Detail the issues you overcame at your state school, speak about having to navigate university as a first-generation student, and explain the time you had to make sacrifices for caring duties or how experiences such as estrangement may have made you resilient and determined. These are your hurdles, they make you who you are, and you should take great pride in the strides you have made to succeed.

When looking at an application form, you always have to keep the future in your frame of mind. Your future ambitions and where this opportunity will fit in that timeline are key to answering questions about your reasons and motivations for applying. It will reflect well if it is clear that you have already thought about your next steps and how success here will aid you in your plans further down the line. As stated previously, these application forms are not traps that are out to reject as many people as possible. There is nothing wrong with unashamedly talking about your life experiences and circumstances in respect of your application but make sure to explain why this experience would benefit you for the specific role and company. Time and effort in applications really show and help you stand out as much as possible!

Be relevant, concise, and engaging

Drawing on the previous point, the actual substance of your application can sometimes be a tough balance to strike, especially with short word counts. This is where the research part of the process will shine through. It is common to be asked to demonstrate a previous example of problem-solving skills. All of us at one point in our life have used these skills- be sure to keep examples relevant! Just remember that impressive does not always equal applicable, especially with a word limit. View your experiences with a critical eye, only the most relevant should make the cut. Remember that when presented with word limits, it is to see what you can do within such a short space and how you present your ideas logically, try to avoid rambling.

After you’ve used the relevant information, there is an opportunity for you to use your own unique layer to create an enjoyable read. Out of 10 applicants with similar examples, you may be the only one who was able to sculpt the way you demonstrated leadership due to the extra challenges you faced. Using the lessons learnt as a first-generation student will engage the reader. Make sure to dig deep and show your application reviewer who YOU are.

Quality control

 Check, check and check again! Go back over the whole application, screening for typos, and grammatical errors, and ensuring concepts make sense; it never hurts to triple-check before submitting. Leave enough time that you can finish the application and then come back to it the next day with a fresh pair of eyes to read back over it. You can try reading it aloud or to someone else as well to check that everything flows properly. Handing the application to a friend, family member or perhaps a professional connection you have kindly asked for is always a bonus. Lacking someone to check work or applications is a common issue for first gens, but try to use every corner of your available network. Even if that person does not completely understand the context of the application sometimes that might even be better to get an objective view of what you are writing. Another option is free online resources and tools for checking work for you, such as Grammarly.

Armed with the information above, you should now be equipped to take on application season and refine your art. Good luck trailblazers!

[1] https://www.chambersstudent.co.uk/where-to-start/newsletter/how-to-research-a-firm-properly