Writing an application: focus on skills

Who’s the best candidate for the advertised job? To find out, employers are increasingly taking an approach that prioritizes applicants’ skills over other factors such as qualifications, a seamless CV or professional experience. This is called skills-based recruitment. The focus is no longer on asking “What training does the applicant have and what activities, tasks and roles have they carried out in the past?”, but rather “Does the applicant have the skills to do the job successfully?”. This approach to job applications is also becoming increasingly important at PostFinance. We asked Angelo Ciaramella, Lead for People Attraction Solution & Development at PostFinance, what this entails and what it means for applicants. 

Focus on skills – the priorities for PostFinance

Interview with Angelo Ciaramella

How does PostFinance deal specifically with the issue of “skills before career”?

We are already focusing less on applicants’ CVs and their past experience during the selection process. We want to fill vacancies with a view to the present and the future and focus on the applicant’s entire portfolio of skills. In other words, we emphasize the importance of matching a profile with an open vacancy in a way that is oriented towards the current reality. Where and how applicants acquired their skills is of secondary importance. We are also increasingly taking into account skills that are not necessarily evident from a traditional CV. For example, if an applicant with no management experience has a part-time job as a football coach, that person has leadership skills in their portfolio that can also be useful in their professional life.

What criteria does PostFinance use to match candidates with a job profile?

We are grateful when candidates show us what they can do today – the full range of their skills. We focus specifically on the sum of all skills available today and less on activities performed in previous positions. These only show us “yesterday’s version” of the person, without necessarily telling us what they can do today and why they would be a good fit for us.

Are these arguments in favour of the much-debated cover letter in which an applicant can talk about who they are and what they can do?

You might think so, and a cover letter that clearly demonstrates a match between the vacancy and the person is still helpful for us. Applicants can describe projects and successes in more detail and show us what interests and skills they bring to the table – even beyond what is required. But a cover letter is voluntary at PostFinance. However, we also have other ways of identifying invisible skills. One example is automated skill parsing. An AI-supported database containing a huge number of skills compares a profile with a vacancy and its requirements and provides an assessment of the match.

What does this mean for candidates applying for a job at PostFinance?

It’s worth considering the particular strengths you have today as a result of your life and professional experience to date. It helps us a lot when a person demonstrates this in relation to the position they are applying for. A person is not their career, but the sum of their life up to now. In concrete terms, this could mean that you add a section to your CV where you formulate this message and present yourself as a person with your individual strengths and characteristics. These can be skills or even non-professional skills that you have not necessarily acquired in a professional context, but which may be relevant for a position. 

Any examples?

A candidate might not work in the banking sector, but is intensively involved with cryptocurrencies in their private life. So a combination of hobby and profession could still be interesting when applying for a position with us. If we just looked at the professional CV, we wouldn’t learn about the applicant’s other competences that might be relevant for us when choosing personnel.

More on the subject

How to present your skills in your application

Find out which of your skills are relevant for the job

Read the job advert carefully. Try to familiarize yourself with the position and its environment and get an idea of what the role requires in practice and what you can contribute as an applicant. What do you have in your skills portfolio? Above all, think about skills that are not immediately visible and that may be important for the role. It is best to start by writing down all relevant skills and expertise. 

Back up your skills with concrete examples

Now it’s time to include those skills in your application – either in your CV or in your cover letter, if you wish to include one. The more precisely and vividly you describe how you have successfully used your skills in past situations, the more credible you will be. Also demonstrate the added value you have created for your team or company. For example, if communication skills are required, you might include a description such as: “As a project manager, I have coordinated teams of up to 40 people, moderated meetings and explained complex plans in clear terms to ensure that all stakeholders are included and that we achieve our shared goals.” Always be authentic and honest. 

List the most important skills first

Structure your documents so that you list the skills most relevant to the job first and the less important ones later. 

Writing an application with AI

Lifelong learning is becoming increasingly important for training your skills. By the way, have you tried using ChatGPT to write an application? We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions and answers.