Since our official company headquarters was moved from Viereck to Waren (Müritz), we have been receiving unsolicited applications every few weeks. This was also the initial impetus for us to design our own package of modern application templates. We noticed that even people "in the know" have their difficulties selling themselves properly. Agency heads will think to themselves, if applicants can't even sell themselves convincingly, how are they supposed to meet the goals of clients? For this reason, we have a few tips for anyone applying in the creative field. Of course, these also apply to other industries, where it is important to make the best possible first impression of yourself with your application.
Score points with a modern application - 6 tips
Tip 1: Find out what a standardized application should look like
There are pages on the Internet that are a dime a dozen. As a recommendation I would like to name the karrierebibel.de. I would also like to recommend our e-book, in which we also provide qualitative formulation aids for applications.
Tip 2: Break out
Sounds strange, but the first tip creates the basics to know in which directions a breakout from the standardized application design is possible at all. Because on karrierebibel.de and Co. you can find enough hints about what are no-go's in the application process. These are the guard rails. The problem is simply that if you leave it at that, every application has something uniform about it. It lacks the personal medals on the chest and lapel that make one stand out and stand out from the crowd. Every personnel manager knows these uniform applications. None of them catches the eye in a positive way, nothing is remembered. That's what I mean by breaking out. While heeding the tips on the career pages is simply a must, individualization is the free skate. So how can a job application design be individualized? We already provide examples with our templates: a pleasant full-color cover page, a modern basic layout that may sometimes deviate from DIN 5008, the use of icons, etc. The design must nevertheless remain unobtrusive and not be overly conspicuous. The design must nevertheless remain discreet and alone form the visually appealing framework - but not become the "work" itself. Optimally, everyone should also set accents with work samples in the creative sector. And this is the point where most of them are lacking. On the one hand, I see many examples that media designers have worked out in their vocational schools - always the same motifs! On the other hand, applicants seem to have no idea what an agency does to earn its money and what is in demand on the market.
Tip 3: Use your work samples consciously
I would always divide the work samples like this: Half I would include the preferred design style of the agency I'm applying to and base the type of work samples on that. Look, what you do, I can do too. I'm a great fit for your team and your client projects! The other half can highlight individual strengths. For example, in the case of a print-focused agency, I can also do 3D work or intros/trailers etc. I extend your services with my competences!
I would also not put too many work samples in. In no case more than six pages. For each category of work samples (flyers, websites, trailers ...) a link to the portfolio with further work samples is better. And if you don't have any really good work samples yet? He just creates them. You can't wait for the portfolio to fill up with customer projects. Instead of customer projects, concept designs are added to the work samples. Our Dennis also had some concept designs in his portfolio at the time. That was absolutely fine with us. And the nice thing about concept designs is that clients don't tell you what to do and everyone can fully live out their understanding of design. Which work samples would I leave out? Any that involve an already antiquated design trend. I would also tend to leave out political work samples.
Tip number 4: Pay attention to the fonts
Applications with Arial just don't work. I also saw a classic Army font in an application to us. Just doesn't fit the context! A font that is very good for headlines (e.g. Beba's Neue) is not suitable for body text because of that! Choose a nice font and if necessary an accent font for the headings, then you are on the right side. What is a nice font in an application? If you can't immediately come up with at least 4 fonts yourself, trust other designers' feelings about what is current and has always been "hot!" in serif and sans-serif fonts. For help: https://fonts.google.com/featured or www.fontsquirrel.com/fonts/list/hot
Another tip for the cover letter: Often the line spacing is also too small. Readability suffers.
Tip number 5: Set up an online portfolio
Of course, it's perfect if you can shine with an individual portfolio page on your own domain. Some people will say that they are designers who only use creative programs and that they know HTML, CSS or JavaScript as well as they know Chinese, i.e. not at all. That's not necessarily the problem either. A Tumblr portfolio is not really a hurdle even for non-developers. Alternatively, set up a portfolio at behance.net or dribbble.com. The important thing is that you give the impression of incorporating modern services into your work as a matter of course, and otherwise make a clean impression with your other work that isn't in the application. I wouldn't miss this opportunity!
Tip number 6: Email address, correct company name, contact person and co.
If you include links in your PDF application, make sure they work. Sounds silly now, but I have experienced it. With Copy & Paste the link worked, with the pure click unfortunately not. But copy & paste nobody does when the mouse pointer indicates a hyperlink and then click pops up a 404 page.
Correct spelling and grammar should be a matter of course, but occasionally the company address or the contact person is misspelled. In general, contact persons always do better than simply the usual honored ladies and gentlemen. Often, the application is also error-free, but the textual address via e-mail is error-ridden, i.e. uncorrected.
Your scans of certificates must be straight in any case. So please straighten the attachments. I also often see slight gray shading on the scans. I would always correct this digitally.
For the email address, it's best to choose a name form such as vorname.name@dein-mailanbieter.com. Also, choose a provider that doesn't automatically put a promotional signature in your email body. This brings us back to your own website. Optimal are emails with your website name in the mailing address.
If you are interested in our application templates, you will find many packages with different design templates in our store. They are suitable not only for the creative industry, but also for many other industries. Just have a look at them: Modern job application templates for download
These were some tips. If you want to change, then I hope that I could help you a little bit with the few remarks and that your chances for the invitation to the job interview will increase.
Do you want to know the 10 typical mistakes in the application process? There is another blog post for you.