Services for Job Seekers

Applying

Contacting the Company

Always proceed according to the instructions the advertiser provides, but calling may prove to be beneficial if that option is provided. The purpose is to ask questions that may help you figure out what to include in your application, and leave the person at the other end with a positive personal impression of you.

When calling:

Introduce yourself clearly and quickly.
Mention the job you're applying for and where you found it.
Ask if now is a good time to talk, and offer to call again.
Pose relevant and intelligent questions (think of them in advance), and especially not about anything you should've seen on the website.
Be prepared to discuss yourself too. Prepare a list of strengths you think may help get you an interview.
Remember that it's a conversation, not a monologue. Don't interrupt the representative.
Finally, write down a summary about the conversation, and make sure you include the name of the person you talked to.

Writing an Application

The application's primary purpose is to convince the employer that you are a valuable candidate that should be interviewed. Writing an excellent one can be challenging, but the most important thing is to keep in mind that nobody cares about why you need a job – just focus on why you could benefit the company.

Things to remember:

Tailor each application to the spirit of the ad and the style of the position. Think about how the reader will want information presented.
Show you're motivated.
Highlight the specific strengths that you think would be appropriate for the job. Include examples too, since empty words mean nothing, but leave more general items for the CV.
Write clearly and concisely. Total length shouldn't exceed one A4 if printed.
Mention what job you're applying for and where you heard about it.
No cliches (you are not “dynamic”).
Make it stand out somehow, but not excessively. Choose a nice font if you're sending a PDF, for example, but don't make it green. Well thought out use of color and photographs may help, though.
Send it on time, and to the right person/email account. In some situations it might not even be read if you don't address it to someone specific.
And don't forget your phone number and email address!
If you're sending it on paper instead of as an email, use the business letter format, where contact and recipient info is top left, and the type of document ("APPLICATION") and date are top right.

If you're applying through a web form:

Answer as many fields as possible, if not all.
Make full use of all free text fields. It's the best way to set yourself apart.

The CV

Your CV describes you as a person, listing your past achievements and education in reverse chronological order (in most countries). For a young person, it should be no longer than 2 pages.

You need to include at least the following:

Contact information
Personal information (day of birth, gender, etc.)
Education (include info on majors, minors, etc.)
Work experience (duration, main tasks...)
Language skills
Computer skills
Non-work positions of responsibility
Hobbies

You may additionally wish to include:

Military service
Publications
Extra skills

Notes:

Keep the dates in a separate column, left of the entries. The layout in general should be as logical as possible.
Don't be excessively verbose, and especially not unclear.
Don't duplicate sentences in your application letters.
While writing, think about what you've done with your life, where you want it to be in the future, and from where you could get good references.
Have a friend review your CV before using it.
In addition to the CV, you may also be asked to include official copies of school diplomas, government transcripts, etc.
A Finnish CV is more humble than in many other countries. Don't list every single achievement in your life or ramble on about your values. Only include relevant information.