As of: March 6, 2024, 12:00 p.m
By: Laura Hindelang
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An informal application is shorter, but at least as important as a classic application.
What you should pay attention to.
If an informal application is required in a job advertisement, it is a short application.
This usually only consists of the cover letter and the CV, which should ideally only fill one page.
Despite the smaller scope, you should take an informal application seriously.
Companies require at least as much effort from job candidates as they would with a classic application.
You need to keep this in mind when submitting an informal application
As the
Career Academy
portal informs, the idea of short applications comes from application processes in large companies that once had to be very formal.
The informal application, on the other hand, was about applying “without a form”: without a predefined, page-long application form.
Today, the desire for informal applications is primarily due to the fact that the company expects a lot of applications and HR professionals want to get an overview of the candidates as quickly as possible.
HR managers don't want to spend a long time digging through thick application folders, they want to find the essentials straight away.
Informal applications are used for this purpose.
© Westend61/Imago
The leaner applications are a means of saving time on the company side and making a quick pre-selection.
The remaining candidates are then expected to submit more detailed applications or go straight to a personal interview.
If you apply informally, you should expect a lot of competition.
It is all the more important that you concentrate on the essentials in your cover letter and CV and convince the HR manager about yourself despite the lack of space.
To do this, you should follow a few basic application tips:
1. Get to the point quickly
The main focus of an informal application is its brevity.
If you're unlucky, your application will be rejected from the start if it's too long, warns the job portal
Indeed
.
You should try to keep both the cover letter and resume to one page.
In order to still leave a good impression, you should try to use appropriate and meaningful wording.
However, you should avoid filler words, long-winded paraphrases or meaningless phrases.
2. Tailor the application to the position
Even if the application is shorter, it should cover all essential topics.
According to
Indeed,
this includes your skills, qualifications, particular achievements and reasons why you are the best choice for the job.
If you have already been working for a long time, you can certainly list a few things on each point.
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However, try to limit yourself to the most relevant information.
To do this, you should read the job advertisement very carefully and work out which of your skills best fit the job profile.
This way you can tailor both the cover letter and the CV exactly to the position.
3. Emphasize your motivation
Your motivation for applying for the advertised job is one of the most important points in your application.
The
Career Bible
portal advises answering the following two questions: Why do you want this job?
Why do you want to work for this company?
You can then directly link your qualifications and skills.
Don't repeat what's already in your resume.
It's about the value you provide and what makes you unique and useful to that employer, emphasizes
Career Bible
.
4. Design the documents clearly
You shouldn't compensate for the reduced space by, for example, using a smaller font to accommodate more information.
Otherwise the documents will quickly appear confusing and may quickly be sorted out.
Indeed
recommends using strong keywords and bulleted lists to convey the most important points succinctly and succinctly in the document.
5. Don't underestimate the application
“Informal” should never be equated with sloppy or too casual, warns
career bible
.
After all, this is a serious application for a job that you really want.
You should create a short application just as professionally and carefully as any other application, emphasizes
Indeed.
They have
The short application is the chance to show the HR manager that you can express and sell yourself in just a few sentences.
Take advantage of this opportunity and find out all the important details of the job in advance.
Make sure you choose the correct form for your application and send the documents to the right contact person.
Career Bible
advises that if in doubt, you should ask the company directly.