My Job Application to Wired Canvas
There are two kinds of job applications in this world - the ones where you thoughtlessly wing off a CV and prefab cover letter, and the ones where you bring the big guns out.
This, as you may have surmised, is one of the latter. The job description was personable, and itself probably required a good deal of thought and effort, so it only seemed right to reply in kind. The requirements were specific, and there was a sense that a bit of out-the-box thinking would go a long way. Anyway, they asked that applicants included 'something else', whatever they felt was necessary, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to kill two birds with one stone - get a new review up on the blog, and add a little bit of je ne sais quoi to my application.
Before I go further, I should probably explain the Hello LP cover above with my head crudely inserted in place of Lionel Richie's. The subject line for the application is "Hello, is it me you're looking for?" so it seemed natural that I should include the picture above, for humour and to show off my obvious flair for design. So far I think things are going pretty good.
The application itself is almost an essay. I have crammed in as much to support my suitability and enthusiasm for this role as possible, with an individual answer to every skill or task required of me. I've also highlighted a little of my background, and tried to give an honest account of my character, as well as researched the company and its employees. If I was reviewing the application based solely on effort, I would certainly give it an A. It's as comprehensive as I feel I could make it without going mad and writing an entire biography, or coming across as deranged, Rupert Pupkin style in King of Comedy.
So I've definitely covered my skills and technical suitability for the role, the harder thing to judge is whether I got my character across. The application called for personality as much as it did for 'skillz'. After all, you have to actually work with people, and getting along with them is fundamental to job satisfaction.
I think I gave an accurate impression of myself, and I hope it's an impression that rubs the people over at Wired Canvas the right way. There's no objective right personality after all, so I can only hope mine is to their taste. This blog will certainly help colour me in further, which is good, I think.
I should also mention I'm very happy with my CV, which I've designed with lots of colours, nice examples of my work, pretty text and a clean layout. Go me.
Subjective Rating: 9/10. However much you think you've nailed something, there is always a niggling doubt.
Objective Rating: 8/10. It helped get me in the top 3.2% of applicants and secure an interview which is pretty dandy. I didn't get the job, but thanks to my review, at least I got the opportunity.