Tips for applying for jobs

At Patchwork Hub, we want to help you find work and strengthen your job applications. Sometimes job searching can be hard, so we’ve put together some tips to help you to succeed.

Looking for a new job

You might be searching for a new job because you want to change careers or are not currently in employment. Or you might be searching for a new job because of personal circumstances.

At Patchwork Hub we’re here to help, and we know that searching for a job can be difficult. The first step you should take is to think about what kind of job you want to apply for. You might want to continue in your previous career area, or, you might want to try something new. Knowing what kind of job you want to apply for will help you to focus your search.

Start your search

When using Patchwork Hub, you can tailor your search when looking for jobs. You can use filters to refine your search. These include:

• Searching by keywords
• Location 
• Categories or sector 
• Job type (e.g. full-time or part-time)
• Job location (e.g. remote or office-based)
• Date posted
• Salary

Get to know your employer

When applying for a job, it’s important to research the employer. It’s good to find out their beliefs, values and work culture, and to make sure that they’re a good fit for you.

Perhaps you like the employer but the listed job is not right for you. You can go to the employer’s page to see what other jobs they have posted.

Some questions you might ask yourself about the employer include:

• Am I a good fit for the employer?
• Is this employer a good fit for me?
• Do they have an accessible working environment?
• What kind of benefits does the employer offer?
• What kind of people work there?
• What is the organisation’s culture like?

Employers will share some of this information on the job post. However, it’s always a good idea to find out more about the employer by researching them further. You may want to do this by visiting an employer’s website or exploring their social media pages.

Sharing relevant information

Your cover letter or supporting statement is an opportunity to share information about your motivations and why you feel you’d be a good fit for the role you are applying for. 

Relevant information also includes your experience and skills. This may include relevant previous jobs and roles. If you don’t have as much professional experience, you might include voluntary positions or other skills you have.

One tip to stand out from the crowd is to Complete your Patchwork Hub profile as much as possible. Although not all employers will view this in the application process, for those recruiting on the platform itself it’s an easy way to learn more about an applicant. Once you have signed up, you can do this by going to your profile page on your dashboard.

Disabled candidates

If you have accessibility requirements and need any adjustments at any point in the process, you can share this with employers in your application. 

Although most vacancies should provide contact details for accessibility and general queries, if you have any issues or want further advice, please reach out to the team by emailing [email protected].

Tailor your application

It’s important to tailor your application for each job description and role. This is because employers are more likely to proceed with your application if your application is more relevant to the role they are hiring for.

If the employer requires a CV/resume for the job (and most do), you should not always use the same CV/resume every time. You should tailor the CV/resume to the role you are applying for. This might mean that you include different experience, or skills that you have that relate to the specific role.

You should also tailor your cover letter to the specific job. Use similar words and terms that the employer uses in the job posting. Be sure to review and edit your application. You should check for any spelling errors or mistakes before applying.

Tip: You can upload different CV/resume files onto your Patchwork Hub account so you can submit tailored applications more quickly. If an employer is using Patchwork Hub’s platform to manage candidates, when you’re logged in and click Apply Now on a job, these files will be available for you to quickly select the most appropriate or you can upload a new file. 

Note: you will not be able to use a CV uploaded to Patchwork Hub if an employer links the Apply Now button to their own website.

Getting your response

While you wait for a response from employers, it’s a good idea to continue searching for jobs. Every employer will take a different amount of time to get back to you. Unfortunately, although it’s our recommended practice to do so, some employers do not always contact unsuccessful candidates. Others may be more responsive and let you know the outcome of your application and why they made their decision.

At Patchwork Hub, we know from personal experience how frustrating the job process can be, particularly when you’re disabled or face additional barriers. We’re here to support you in any way we can, and have an article about how our users will know the outcome of your applications.

If you have further questions, you can visit our contact page.