This is How I Would Knock Out a Solid Job Application in 2 Hours

First Half-Hour: Parse the Job Description 

1. Copy-paste everything from the job description that could describe what they’re looking for into a bulleted list- this is the requirements, the responsibilities, and anything else that gives you a clue about the candidate they’re looking for. 

2. Underneath that make some headings titled “cover letter,” “skills,” and then one for every job on your resume.  

3. Paste each of those bullet points under the appropriate heading- i.e. if part of the job description is “train other employees,” put it with the job where you trained other employees. If you can’t fit one in one of your jobs/experiences, put it with your cover letter for now.

Second Half-Hour: Research the Employer

1. Research the heck out of the employer. If you’re not super pumped to be applying for this job yet, find some things that make you pumped to be applying for this job. 

2. Add those to the bullets under your cover letter.

Third Half-Hour: Rewrite your Resume

1. Take each of those bullet points you put in the resume sections and re-write them about your actual experience. 

2. Copy them into a duplicate file of your beautifully-formatted resume. Edit so they make sense in context. 

3. Throw the skills they mention in your skills list. 

4. Check and double-check. 

5. Give it a file name HR will appreciate like [Your last name]_Resume_[Job Title]_[Job Number]. 

6. Export responsibly. Resume, done.

Fourth half-hour: Cover letter

1. You’re almost there. You’re going to use all of those bullet points you put with your cover letter plus any you didn’t fit into your resume as your guide.

2. Write the darn thing. You only got 25 minutes. 

3. Check and double-check spelling and grammar. Maybe ask your mom and/or an AI to look it over. 

4. Give it a filename that says they won’t have to train you on file-naming conventions. 

5. Export responsibly.

6. Submit it all. Congratulate yourself.