The search for a part-time job is over, and now comes the application to your preferred employer. The application has to make clear why this employer is exactly the right one for the part-time work. Applicants for the job are a dime a dozen. With an application that stands out without being over the top, the invitation to a phone interview is within reach. At the start of the application, overused phrases like "I read the job posting with great interest" should not appear, otherwise the hiring manager will tune out, bored. Sentences that make the person in HR curious to keep reading are ideal. Applicants who want the part-time job stress right at the start why that is. At first glance, the person handling the application can tell whether there is compatibility with the applicant. The industry you're applying to has to fit. Someone who applies as a vegetarian at a meat plant, for example, has poor odds. Contacts with acquaintances can be used to ask around about who is looking for a part-timer. Unsolicited applications are often valued more highly than applications to a job posting, because there is more time to review the materials.

How Does a Part-Time Job Application Score Points?

There should be no typos in the application under any circumstances, otherwise the cover letters end up in the pile with the rejections. Every word is chosen carefully, and a well-sounding application stands out from the crowd thanks to its tone. The résumé lists the current job first, followed in reverse chronological order by earlier jobs. This has the advantage that what the applicant is doing right now is visible, and everything else moves to the background. Periods of job searching must not be wasted. Completing language courses is a plus for any job and fills gaps without employment. Lifelong learning is a motto, and such applicants are a showcase. Even in difficult times, it's possible to find a part-time job in essential sectors. Being physically active is a plus, as it shows that you look after your health through exercise. Cooking as a hobby is creative but shouldn't be mentioned in the application, otherwise it's all too easy to suspect weight problems in kitchen gourmets.

What Else Should a Part-Time Job Application Keep in Mind?

  • send the application with cover letter, résumé and references in good time
  • follow up by phone if nobody at the company responds
  • use a suitable speaking pace in the phone interview
  • look neat on interview day
  • leave for the interview in good time
  • present your own skills without exaggeration in the interview
  • don't badmouth previous employers when applying to the new employer, but describe them factually