Message 6906 of 39188 in General Discussion

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This is going to sound very stupid, but I always choke on applications.

I never know the 'right' thing to say to interest potential employers into 
hiring me.

On Sunday night I went and applied at Polly Esthers 
( http://www.pollyesthers.com ) and I put really dumb answers on the 
application.
The two main parts I always screw up on are the parts about previous employers 
and my 'skills, etc'...

I used to work for a staffing company which was basically a VERY VERY 
temporary job because they hardly ever needed anyone to come work for them, so 
I stopped 'working' for them.  On the application, it says to list the reason 
why I left that job, and I always write that "it wasn't stable enough work" or 
"temp service only".  The times that I've been interviewed, I'm always asked 
to elaborate on that or they just say what I wrote down out loud and then say, 
"Hmmm" and then it seems like the interview is over within seconds.

So, what can I do about that?  Any suggestions on how I can make that sound 
"more interesting" or should I just not even bother writing that down anymore? 
 I always feel like that ruins my interview.  I know it sounds stupid, but the 
interviewers always stop and ask me several questions about it.

The other part I always feel that I mess up on is the part that asks about my 
'special skills/training/etc'.  I graduated from bartending school not too 
long ago and I'm TABC certified.  I know all the basic drink recipes, 
garnishes, several variations of basic drinks, I'm a very fast learner, very 
motivated and I interact well with people.  I basically put all of that down 
on the application, but I know that the management is laughing at it when (or 
IF) they read it.  I just wish that 'special skills/training' part was a "show 
me" instead of a "write it down for me" kind of thing.  

How can I re-word those parts to make them stand out to potential employers?

One last thing - how long should I wait until I do a follow-up with Polly 
Esthers?  Should I wait a few days and see if the managers call me or should I 
follow up myself?  

Many thanks in advance,