Brief application process

We have recently launched some new visual components to help you understand how your application is progressing, and what the current state of a brief is.

This is the initial stage of the application process, and indicates that we have received your application.

All brief applications are reviewed by the YJ Talent team. This review process starts with your cover note, and will also include checking out your profile, work history, and your portfolio (if you have one). If there is anything amiss with your application, our team may contact you for further information. If you do not include a cover note, your application may not be reviewed.

All applications should be reviewed within 24 hours. This may be extended over the weekend or public holidays.

Yes - clients can see all applications, reviewed or otherwise. Please bear in mind, however, that many clients will choose to wait until applications have been reviewed, as many briefs receive a lot of applications - more than a client can review themselves.

Some clients request that we (YJ) go the extra mile and recommend a "long list" of applicants to reduce the burden on their hiring team. If the client has requested such assistance, and your application is a really good match for the brief and the client, then we may Recommend you. In this case you will appear at the top of the list of applications for the client's attention, and will be tagged as such.

You will see this reflected in the status bar as the “Reviewed” icon changes up to “Recommended”.

Yes - there is nothing to prevent the client from shortlisting and then booking you if they prefer your application over any other. The Recommended label is just an indication that we think an application is particularly well-suited to the brief.

At this stage the client will review candidates and promote the applications they like to their shortlist.

The shortlisting process itself is down to the hirer^. They have full access to your application, cover note, profile, etc., and they are then responsible for Shortlisting those candidates they wish to engage with.

^ NB In some situations you may be shortlisted by "YJ Staff" on behalf of the client, in which case this will be clearly indicated.

If you are shortlisted you will receive an email notification, and the client will get in touch, either online or over the phone (if you have chosen to share your contact details as part of the application). This is where you get a chance to speak directly to the client, to discuss the project in more detail, the team, the timeline, and their expectations. At the end of this process they will Offer the brief to one candidate.

The number of candidates shortlisted is entirely dependent on the client themselves. Hiring managers will typically get in touch with all shortlisted candidates to discuss the brief in person, so inevitably they will only shortlist a small number of candidates. The majority of shortlists have less than ten candidates on them.

If you are not shortlisted, we will not contact you until the brief is "closed" - which will happen when the brief is offered to a candidate, or the client closes the brief without offering it.

If, after shortlisting (and discussing the brief in more detail), the client wants to book you, they will offer you a contract. There will be some additional compliance-related checks at this point, but as far as the brief is concerned this is the final step. Once you accept the offer you can consider yourself Booked 🎉.

If the tracker shows that your application has been 'Reviewed' but the 'Shortlisted' stage is highlighted in a different colour, this means that the client is currently shortlisting candidates. This feature is designed to show you how far the brief has progressed across all candidates, not just yourself.