Last week, I shared a vulnerable piece of my journey, how grief paused my life and how I had to learn to ShowUp again, not just with presence, but with intention.
As I reflect on that, I realize that many scholars and professionals fall into a similar trap when chasing opportunities. We spend months dreaming about a scholarship, a master’s program, or a dream job, yet when it comes time to apply, we often just “tick the box.”
This is what I call The Application Gap.
What is the Application Gap?
The Application Gap is the distance between submitting an application and submitting a profile of excellence.
Many applicants approach the Erasmus Mundus or any professional fellowship as a chore to be completed. They gather the documents, rush the essay, and hit “submit” just minutes before the deadline. They have “appeared,” but they haven’t truly shown up.
In my recent Business Structure class with Awesomeness Esuabana, she noted that a business cannot rise above its owner. In the same vein, an application cannot rise above the level of intentionality the applicant puts into it.
Shifting from Passive to Intentional.
To close this gap, you must change your approach from a checklist to a craft. Here is how:
1. Stop Rushing the Story: Your Statement of Purpose (SOP) isn’t just a requirement; it is your voice. When you rush it, you are effectively whispering when you should be speaking clearly.
2. Quality Over Quantity: It is better to show up excellently for two strategic opportunities than to appear casually for ten.
3. The “Pre-Work” Discipline: True excellence happens before you ever open the application portal. It’s in the research, networking, and soul-searching required to understand why you are the best fit.
Excellence as a Habit
As I learned in my business, consistency is the system that produces results. If you are inconsistent in your preparation, your application will reflect that inconsistency.
When you sit down to work on your next opportunity, ask yourself: “Am I just trying to get this over with, or am I trying to show the best version of my potential?”
The winners aren’t just those who meet the eligibility criteria. The winners are those who bridge the gap with intention.
The #ShowUp Challenge:
This week, take one document, whether it’s your CV or an SOP draft and review it with a “lens of excellence.”
Delete one generic sentence and replace it with something that truly reflects your unique value and intentionality.
Don’t just tick the box. #ShowUp.
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