Learn Hardcore Turkish: Özgeçmişimi sisteme yükleyip ilana başvurdum. - I uploaded my résumé to the system and applied to the posting.

The suffix -ip links verbs with the same subject and hands over tense, person, and polarity to the final verb. It often implies sequence (“did X and then did Y”), but sometimes it’s simply “and.”

You can change the tense/person on the final verb and -ip will follow: “yükleyip başvuracağım / başvuruyorum / başvurdum.”
It doesn’t introduce a new subject; it assumes the same subject as the main verb.

Why is “özgeçmişimi” in the accusative?

Because it’s a specific direct object of “yüklemek.” The pattern is generally “bir şeyi bir yere yüklemek” (to upload/load something to somewhere), where “şey” takes accusative if it’s specific/definite. Here, “özgeçmişim” (my résumé) is definite, so it gets -(y)i: “özgeçmişimi.”

Why do both “sisteme” and “ilana” take -e/-a (dative)?

Two verb requirements:

“yüklemek” takes the destination in dative: “bir şeyi bir yere yüklemek” → “özgeçmişimi sistemE.”
“başvurmak” governs the dative: “bir yerE/ilanA başvurmak.”

Could I just use “ve” instead of -ip? For example, “yükledim ve başvurdum”?

Yes: “Özgeçmişimi sisteme yükledim ve ilana başvurdum” is fine. -ip is more compact and usually suggests a natural sequence; “ve” is a neutral “and” that doesn’t inherently encode order.

What’s the difference between “yükleyip” and “yükleyerek”?

“yükleyip” = and (then) upload(ing), a neutral connector for same-subject actions.
“yükleyerek” = by uploading/as a means of uploading, emphasizes manner or means.
In many contexts both work, but “-erek” highlights how you did the next action.

Why isn’t “Ben” written? How do we know it’s “I”?

Turkish marks person on the verb. “başvur-du-m” ends with -m, which is first-person singular, so “Ben” is optional and used only for emphasis or contrast.

How is “özgeçmişimi” built? And is the -mi here the yes/no question particle?

It’s “özgeçmiş + -(i)m (my) + -(y)i (accusative)” → “özgeçmişim-i” → “özgeçmişimi.” The -mi you see is part of the possessive + case suffix chain, not the separate question particle. The question particle is written separately and follows vowel harmony (mi/mı/mu/mü), e.g., “Özgeçmişimi sisteme yükleyip ilana başvurdum mu?”

What’s the breakdown of “başvurdum,” and why is it -dum (not -düm/-dım/-dün)?

“başvur-” (apply) + “-du” (past, harmonized with the last vowel u) + “-m” (1sg) → “başvurdum.”
The past suffix -di has 4-way harmony (dı/di/du/dü). Because “başvur” ends in the back rounded vowel u, it takes -du. The consonant stays “d” (not “t”) because the stem ends in a voiced consonant (r).

Can I flip the order of the two actions?

Yes, but you’ll usually mirror the order of events with -ip.

Original: “yükleyip … başvurdum” suggests upload first, then apply.
“İlana başvurup özgeçmişimi sisteme yükledim” suggests the reverse order.
If you don’t want to imply sequence, use “ve.”

Does “ilana” mean a specific ad or just any ad?

Without a determiner, it can be either, depending on context. To signal “an ad,” use “bir ilana”; to make it specific, use a demonstrative: “o ilana/şu ilana.”

Where is the stress in this sentence?

Default Turkish word stress is usually on the final syllable. You’ll typically hear “özgeçmişiMİ,” “sisteME,” “ilaNA,” “yükleYİP,” “başvurDUM.” In running speech, focus can shift the stress for emphasis.

Why not “sistemde” instead of “sisteme”?

“sistemde” is locative (in/at the system). “yüklemek” expresses motion toward a target, so you need the dative “-e/-a” (to/into): “sisteme.”

Is -ip allowed when the subjects differ between the two actions?

No. -ip presumes the same subject. If the subjects differ, use separate clauses with “ve,” or use a subordinator: “Ben özgeçmişimi yükledim ve (o) ilana başvurdu,” not “yükleyip.”

Could I use the evidential past (-miş) instead of -di? What would change?

Yes: “başvurmuşum” would mean “apparently/I gather I applied” or “I’ve (apparently) applied,” conveying reported/inferential nuance. “başvurdum” is the direct/definite past (“I applied”).

What about buffer letters here? I see “yükleYİP” with a y.

Correct. The converb is -Ip, but after a vowel-final stem like “yükle-” you insert buffer “y”: “yükle-yip.”
For nouns, buffer letters can appear too: “CV’yi” (accusative), “oda-yı,” etc. In “özgeçmişimi,” no buffer is needed because the possessive form ends in a consonant (m).

Are there common alternatives to “başvurmak”?

Yes:

“başvuru yapmak” (colloquial, light verb construction)
“başvuruda bulunmak” (more formal)
“müracaat etmek” (formal/old-fashioned)
All can fit the same slot that takes dative: “bir ilana/kuruma/okula …”