Welcome from Katie

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© The University of Sheffield 
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HOW TO SUCCEED AT: WRITING
APPLICATIONS 
THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD
 
WEEK 1: PREPARING TO APPLY 
WELCOME FROM KATIE 
Katie Casserly, The University of Sheffield: Hello, welcome to the 
course. I'm Katie and work at the Careers Service at The University of Sheffield. 
Together with colleagues here at the Careers Service, we have many years 
experience of helping people enhance their chances of success in getting the 
job they want or securing a place on their chosen course.
Over the next three weeks, we are going to share with you some of the best 
practices you can use when applying for jobs, apprenticeships, placements and 
university courses. Each week, we'll look at a different element of the 
application process, from preparing to apply, to writing CVs and completing 
application forms.
We'll also learn how to understand more about a recruiter and what they are 
looking for. For example, by analysing their job advert, as well as helping you 
think in more detail about what you have to offer them. We'll see how to 
create an identity that looks impressive to a recruiter, whether that's an 
employer or admissions tutor.
Each week, the course is made up of videos, as well as articles for you to read 
that give more information about that week's theme. You will also be 
encouraged to participate in activities and quizzes that will help you better 
understand the topic and gain practical tips to improve your own applications. 
Please also join in with the online discussions, both to ask questions and 
provide comments to help your fellow learners. We estimate that it should take 

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you about two to three hours each week to complete the learning activities 
suggested.
We welcome learners from around the world to participate in this course, 
particularly those who are thinking of applying for courses or jobs with 
institutions or organisations based in the UK. Approaches to writing an 
application vary from country to country, and the advice we give throughout 
this course is tailored to the UK market.
Of course, there will still be lots of relevant tips and advice about applying that 
will be useful in any country. You might just need to check about the content 
and style expected in applications for your country of choice. Why not share 
your international experiences with us in the discussion?
We hope that with the help of this course, you'll be able to identify your own 
strengths and skills, and tackle applying for your dream job or course with 
confidence. It's best to work through the course week-by-week, particularly as 
Week 1 gives you the basics you need to follow in order to produce an 
effective CV or application form. You might also want to check out our other 
course, which is all about succeeding at interviews.
This week, we're looking at the preparation we need to do before we apply. 
This includes developing a better understanding of our own strengths and what 
we have to offer a recruiter, as well as learning how to research employers or 
institutions to find out how to adapt our offer to suit their requirements. We'll 
also look at how we can promote ourselves more effectively through positive 
writing and a strong personal brand.
I hope you enjoy the week.