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Career Services at the University of Zurich

Applications

After all your efforts, you have found the job you want. Now it’s time to apply. And that means selling yourself. Thanks to your initial analysis, you know where your competencies lie so now it's a question of putting together an application that communicates them effectively.

Remember that your application is like a business card: it’s the key to making the famous first impression. As most HR officers spend only 30-60 seconds looking through an application portfolio for the first time, it has to be faultless and all relevant information must be visible at first glance.

Every application is individual and should reflect you as a person as well as the job you are applying for. But, however diverse they may be, it is still worth observing a few basic rules on documents and methods, which we have summarized for you on the following pages:

Additional Information

Application

Well Begun is Half Done

Begin applying for jobs in plenty of time, use a range of different methods, and develop your own strategy.

Don’t Wait Too Long!

Don’t wait too long once you have seen a job that appeals to you. In order to secure interesting applicants quickly, HR managers may shorten the application period.

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Application: AI Hacks

Competency-Based Recruiting

Upload various documents/information, for example:

- Module descriptions (under “Education”)

- Employment references (under “Work Experience”)

Upload the above documents/information to an AI and ask it to present your competencies in impact-based bullet points. A possible prompt could be:

“Please present the following tasks from my last job as impact-based competencies in bullet points: managing accounts payable, preparing payment runs, acting as the main contact for customers regarding invoicing issues, processing and monitoring incoming and outgoing payments.”

- Optimized liquidity management and payment processes through efficient handling of accounts payable and timely preparation of payment runs

- Ensured smooth cash flow by processing and monitoring all incoming and outgoing payments

- Acted as the central point of contact for customers regarding invoicing matters, thereby contributing to customer satisfaction

This allows a recruiter to quickly gain an overview of which competencies you have acquired during your studies and part-time jobs, and what added value you have delivered for the company.