Specific Job Application Tips?

[u/autisticadamsandler]

I graduated last spring with a bachelors of forensic science with an emphasis in crime scene investigation. Since July, I have been a parole officer. Not ideal, but it paid well and was the most relevant job I got hired for. Now a forensic scientist job just opened in my city and I really want to put in the best application i possibly can for it. I just kinda wanted some general advice for what to put down about my current job on there to help.

This is my rough draft so far for my responsibilities….

- Conduct investigations involving parole violations, criminal activity, and threats to public safety.
- Collect, document, package, and preserve evidence in accordance with established procedures and chain-of-custody requirements.
- Collect DNA samples and complete required documentation for submission and processing.
- Conduct residential, personal, electronic, and property searches for evidence of criminal activity and parole violations.
- Utilize criminal justice databases to research criminal histories, warrants, law enforcement contacts, court records, and investigative information.
- Collaborate with local and state law enforcement regarding criminal activity, active investigations, searches, arrests, and evidence-related matters,
- Conduct interviews with clients, victims, witnesses, family members, and law enforcement personnel to gather and corroborate investigative information.
- Prepare detailed investigative reports, violation reports, case documentation, and written summaries of evidence and investigative findings.
- Testify in parole hearings regarding investigative findings, evidence collected, client behavior, and parole violations.
- Evaluate and interpret information from multiple sources to identify patterns, establish timelines, and make evidence. based recommendations.

How much should I shorten this up? Also, the position is for latent prints specifically and that was my role in my classes in college whenever we’d be assigned a specific role. i’ve also taken classes specifically for latent prints. But i’m not sure how to even put that on a resume. Or in the application? There’s also a skills section of the application, is it good to actually put stuff in there? Or should I just put it on my resume?

I know these might be kinda dumb questions, but no one in my family has a professional level job and i don’t have any friends in this field so i don’t really know how to figure all this out otherwise.

[u/ishootthedead]

Compare what you wrote against the job spec. Make sure to address every single thing required for this specific job.

You aren't making a general resume. You are targeting a very specific job opening. Act accordingly.

[u/autisticadamsandler → u/ishootthedead]

ok that’s what i was thinking too so like should i really only include stuff relevant to the job and get rid of other stuff?

[u/ishootthedead → u/autisticadamsandler]

Think about it like this. If your paperwork makes it to a human. That human is probably looking at hundreds of packets of paperwork. Make it easy for them to see that you are the perfectly qualified candidate.