The First Application

Well I've managed it. The first application is in & I imagine a few of us may be looking at the same position. So no giving away where it is! Anyway, the experience was only a little less nerve-wracking than I thought. Actually there always seems to be a long lead-in time for many of these positions so deadlines are fairly generous.

What tied me up in knots was the purpleness of my prose! One of my friends who looked over my letter reproached me for using to much "treacle". "You floury poof" were his exact words!!! Another, looking at the same letter, thought it seemed, with some tweaking, pretty strong! Both, by the way, are Heads...So what do I do? Stay up late pouring over the minutiae with my wife the night before the deadline is what! Gosh, I married a patient woman!

So what about you? What advice have you had as far as purple-shaded prose is concerned? Have you been advised to be concise & business-like? Or has it been suggested that you write in an authoratative manner, outling your experience & philosophy as if your life depended on it?!?

I know, that by the time I finished the application that night, each time I tried to re-read it the thing sounded less & less convincing! It just had to go into the post & from there into the lap of the gods (or rather governors!).

Let us know your dilemmas (post to "Dear Aunty IAPS"!)