Writing Applications
1.13 Research the organisation
Employers expect you to know about their business. And this needs to come across in your application and
your interview. So to find out about an employer, search their website, their annual reports, and all of the
literature that they produce. If you know someone that works there - even better - talk to them. You
should also search the web, relevant journals, newspaper archives, and other media to find out as much as
you can about the employment sector that you hope to work in and the current issues that might face the
organisation.
You can find out a lot about a potential employer through social media. Follow or like key organisations or
people and join groups relevant to your subject or industry to find out what's going on. Look at the
organisation name and find out what they're doing online. How do they present themselves? What have
they been sharing?
Social media pages can give you up-to-date information that just might not be on their website yet. But
don't rely on social media alone.
In the UK, students applying for university or college as undergraduates will normally apply through UCAS
and can list up to five courses. If you're applying through UCAS, you still need to research the universities
or colleges that you're interested in, but don't go into detail on the application form. Instead, you need to
be able to state what you like about your subject.
Applying directly to a university or college, which is often the case with post-grad study, does give you the
opportunity to detail the things that you like about the institution, as well as the course. Whatever the
method of application, search the university or college's website, in particular, research the department
that you're interested in and really do take the opportunity to visit them on open days, so that you can talk
to current students and course tutors. Check out the facilities that you're likely to use as well, such as the
library, students' union, sports clubs and societies.
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