Missing Something?

So you've gone through the grueling exercise of completing an application for employment and are about to click the "submit" button; before you do, ask yourself this question:  "

"What's missing?"

Often otherwise competent candidates will hurry through the application process in an effort to "throw their hat in the ring" only to discover later that they have left out a lot of important information.

The Complete Picture
Since the application is really the only picture of you that your prospective employer will see at this stage, it is a good idea for the application to reveal the most complete picture possible.

Providing all the details requested on the application may take more time and research, but it could mean the difference between landing an interview and sitting out the process.

Even if the fully completed application does not earn you a spot on the employment roles, the process itself can be very beneficial to you in helping you to determine your own strengths and weaknesses, and what your responses say about you.

Here are just a few examples of omissions:

• Gaps - if your recent employment history contains a gap of more than 60 days between jobs, you should account for that time and your information should - at best - be verifiable.  If you spent some time performing volunteer work, list that along with contact information for the volunteer organization

• Contact information - Sometimes applicants will be lax in completing contact information for former employers.  This can result in substantial delays in the hiring process, since recruiters will have to do research to find out who to contact to verify your employment.  Giving complete contact information shows that you have nothing to hide.  Additionally, you will want to be sure the application contains your own most current contact information.

• Credentials - Complete information on credentials earned is very important - especially in health care - it proves you are competent to do what you say you can do.  Your competency is vital to your patients, your co-workers and to your organization.  This is especially important if the certification, registry or licensure is part of the requirements for the job.

• Schedule availability - It is a good idea to list all the schedules and shifts that you are willing and able to work.  Sometimes schedule requirements change after a job is posted and you may not be considered if you didn't indicate that you were available for the new schedule.

 In short, your application should fully demonstrate that you are qualified for the position and meet every requirement.  It should provide as much information about you as possible in a neat and concise manner.

It should not leave a lot of unanswered questions.
When it comes to the job search, missing information could result in missed opportunities.

Missing Something?