Q. You’re applying for a high-powered job and you want to impress the hiring manager. What can you do to make your application stand out from the stack?

A.Be succinct and, above all, truthful. As tempting as it may be to embellish your materials, Karen Suarez, director of career services at Pitzer College in Claremont, California, says the most successful applications were those that convey a frank and concise image of who you are. “An application should stand out because of skill and experience,” Suarez says. “If it stands out for any other reason, it probably needs to be toned down.”

Q.What are the standard components of a job application?

A.Job applications typically consist of a one-page cover letter and a résumé. Anna Ivey, a career counsellor in Orlando, Florida, says cover letters should not exceed one page and should convey some familiarity with the job being sought. Résumés should list previous jobs in chronological order, Ivey says, and should enumerate skills so that hiring managers don’t have to guess about the applicant’s experience.

Jo Bennett, partner at Battalia Winston International, an executive search firm in New York, added that applicants should proof-read both documents carefully. It’s also wise to eliminate jargon, Bennett says.

“If you want to say you’re a ‘short-sleeved executive’ with ‘team-building skills,’ just say you’re a good leader,” she says. “The easier it is to read, the more people will read it.”

Q.Is it possible to provide prospective employers with too much information?

A.Absolutely. Ivey says that personal details about hobbies, marital status, political affiliation and religion has no place on a job application. Employers are not legally allowed to ask for some details, including age, health status and religious affiliation. If they want other specific personal information or materials like work samples, they’ll ask. In those cases, says Paul Endress, chief executive of Maximum Advantage, a human resources consulting firm in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, it is acceptable to send four or five relevant items; anything more is overkill.

“The more superfluous information you give them, the more risk you’re introducing into the process.”

The job-hunting saga of Aleksey Vayner, a junior at Yale, illustrates the problem. Vayner, 23, filmed a seven-minute video autobiography and submitted it as part of his application packet for positions at a number of investment banking firms. The video depicted Vayner lifting weights, serving tennis balls and ballroom dancing. He offered inspirational messages throughout the presentation. The video circulated widely on Wall Street and was posted to the Internet last month, making Vayner the subject of mockery worldwide. As of last week, he had not yet landed a job.

Q.To what extent must a prospective employer keep applications confidential?

A.Sheila Engelmeier, partner at the Minneapolis law firm Rider Bennett, says prospective employers were under no legal obligation to keep your material under wraps.

“You might address your cover letter to one person, but you can’t expect it to be private,” says Engelmeier, who noted that hiring managers often shared application materials with others involved in the process. “The nature of the application process is collaborative.”

If your job search is a secret or you want confidentiality, speak up. Diana Scott, partner at the Miami law firm Greenberg Traurig, says that while most prospective employers would not circulate materials or call your current employer without permission, a note indicating that your application is confidential might help you avoid embarrassments.

Q.If the employer offers the option of applying electronically, should you do so?

A.It can’t hurt. With the growth of online job boards such as HotJobs at Yahoo and Monster.com, electronic applications are becoming more prevalent. Many employers review electronic submissions with software programmes that search for certain keywords, says Daniel Solomons, president and chief executive of Hyrian, a recruitment outsourcing company in Los Angeles.

“People don’t understand the significance of populating the application with the types of words or phrases that are most commonly used in their profession,” he says. “If there is an absence of appropriate words or phrases, electronic screening of that document may gloss over a worthwhile candidate.”

Q.How should you follow up on a job application?

A.Cautiously. Some companies acknowledge receipt of application materials and clearly ask applicants to wait to hear from hiring managers. Other companies may never contact you.

Julie Kampf, president of JBK Associates, an executive search firm in Englewood, New Jersey, says that it is acceptable to follow up an application with an e-mail message, letter or phone call if you have not received a response in a few months. But show restraint, she said.

“You should use targeted and strategic follow-up to make sure you connect with someone,” she said. “When you do connect, ask when it’s appropriate to follow up again.”