How to Get Your Application Noticed

The Application Itself

• Direct the information you put on the application to the functions and qualifications listed on the job announcement.
• Make sure you gather and submit all materials requested on the announcement. If your file is incomplete on the date of closing, your application will not be considered.
• Print or type your application. Make sure it's neat and legible.
• Use the blank section on page three of the application to explain your knowledge and experience to the job for which you are applying or to refer the reader to your résumé.

Other Application Materials (résumé, cover letter, etc.)

• The screening committee uses the job announcement as the basis for scoring your application materials. Therefore, specifically address each function and qualification listed in the job announcement. Do not expect the reader to guess about how your experience relates to this specific position. Make it easy for the reader to understand how your background and experience relates to each function or qualification.
• List the most important items first. If you have a strong background and experience that is relevant to the position, list your work experience first. If education is your strongest asset, list your educational background first. Be sure to list your most recent job or volunteer experiences first and work backward from there.
• Do not include personal information that is not job-related; for example, don't mention your age, marital status, family members, etc., but do include hobbies, experiences, or other things that are directly relevant to the job functions.
• Do not include a photograph.

Letters of Reference

• Letters of reference are most effective if they are less than three years old.
• Make sure that you have at least the minimum number of reference letters requested.
• A good reference is someone who is familiar with your experience and abilities in the recent past.
• Letters of reference are often where readers look for evidence of interpersonal skills, attitudes, and other "soft" skills.
• Share the job announcement with the writer, so that comments can be directed to the job qualifications and essential functions.

Transcripts

If transcripts are required, unofficial copies are sufficient for the application process. (Official copies may be required upon hire.) Contact the colleges you attended as soon as possible, however, in order to receive your transcripts in a timely manner.

Reactivating Your Application File

If you have applied before and wish to apply for a new position:

• Revise your materials to show how your skills relate to the new position.
• Make sure your application and résumé have the most current information, and that your letters of reference relate to the new position.
• Note that applications for part-time work and full-time work are separate processes. Contact the Personnel Department to find out how you can apply for the position you are interested in.

General Hints

• It may help you to take some time to learn something about the college and department to which you are applying.
• Information about the college is available at our web site.

You may reach the Human Resources Department by e-mail at humanresources@chemeketa.edu, or you may call us at 503.399.5009. Our office is located in Bldg. 2, Rm. 214, on the Salem Campus.

Chemeketa Community College is an equal opportunity institution, values diversity in its workforce, and is committed to affirmative action. We encourage minorities, women, and persons with disabilities to apply. Chemeketa Community College is a smoke-free/drug-free work environment.

Updated October 2006 by the College Advancement Department.