Book excerpt: Getting hired just got easier You are about to discover everything you need to know about job applications and how to make them work. Starting on Sunday and going through to Saturday, you will learn the stages of a job application step by step so you build up a picture of what it takes to be successful. For many job applicants, what goes on behind employers' closed doors remains a hidden world but, by Saturday, you will have taught yourself how job applications are processed, what employers look for when they make up interview lists, and then, from the candidates they interview, who to shortlist and who to offer the job to. After considering what employers want and how you could meet their needs you will be able to formulate a plan for what needs to go into your CV, what you need to put in your cover letters and what you need to say about yourself on application forms. You will discover how to measure up the competition and how to make sure your name, and not someone else's, is on the interview list. You will also discover the importance of getting the right messages across in interviews - and what the right messages are. You will learn how to dictate the interview agenda to keep it on familiar territory where the best parts of your application will come out. You will learn to handle tough interview questions and to see what's behind them and what answers will impress the interviewer most. Once you've been shortlisted, you'll discover how to steer your application over the last hurdle and get the job offer you want. - Sunday: Defining the task - Monday: You and the image you present - Tuesday: Selection criteria - Wednesday: Getting interviews - Thursday: Going for interviews - Friday: Handling questions - Saturday: Getting shortlisted