Why most students fail at applications
It is unfortunate that the primary reason that ambitious students miss out on apprenticeship and graduate offers is a lack of structure when making their applications.
Students quickly lose their motivation when faced with back-to-back online assesments or virtual interviews and lose track of where they are in the larger scheme of things. They forget to follow up, miss deadlines and do not have the opportunity to practice assesments before hand.
The DAPS Methodology exists to fix this problem, and we have made the technology to do so.
The four pillars
1. Centralise everything
The first step is pulling every application into a single place. One tracker. One source of truth.
Most students have applications spread across:
- A spreadsheet not backed up
- Saved tabs in Chrome
- Emails they haven't replied to
- A notes app on their old phone
The moment everything is in one place, you gain clarity. And clarity leads to action and discipline.
2. Build a weekly rhythm
The students who convert roles don't apply in bursts. They apply consistently. Every week, they:
- Review active applications and move each to the right stage and complete tasks required of them
- Apply to 3-5 new roles
- Prepare for any upcoming assessments or interviews, by checking their dates in the DAPS application tracker.
- Ask for feedback for their rejections.
Consistency really compounds here.
3. Prepare specifically, not generally
Generic CV advice and generic interview prep produce generic results. The DAPS Methodology demands specificity:
- Your CV should be tailored to each role, not sent as a template
- Your interview preparation should reference the company's values, recent news, and the specific team you're applying to
- Your online assessment practice should mirror the exact platform the company uses
DAPS provides an Arctic Shores mock assessment because Amazon, PwC, and dozens of other employers use Arctic Shores. Practice something very close to the real thing to help gain confidence.
What changes when you use a system
Students who move from everything around the place to a system reported that:
- They feel less anxious because they have a clear picture of where they stand
- They actually enjoy the process more because they can see progress
- They (on average) get more offers
The DAPS Methodology is just the discipline to treat your career search the same way a professional would treat any serious project, with a plan, a technological tool and consitency.
Getting started
Open DAPS. Add your your applications. Set a reminder for next Monday.