募集 and 応募: calling for entries and responding
Compare recruiting festival helpers or collecting works with entering a photograph or applying for a job. Read the direction of the action across people and creative submissions.
Recruiting people and collecting works
募集 (ぼしゅう) means recruitment or a call for submissions. 「市は祭りを手伝う人を募集している。」 identifies the city as the recruiting party and festival helpers as the people being recruited.
「作品の募集は今月末で締め切ります。」 states that the call for works closes at the end of this month. 募集 can concern collecting creative works as well as recruiting people.
Entering a photograph and applying
応募 (おうぼ) means an application or entry. 「海辺で撮った写真をコンテストに応募した。」 reports entering a seaside photograph in a contest. This is the action of the submitting party, rather than the party inviting entries.
「経験を生かせる仕事を見つけ、すぐに応募した。」 states that a suitable job was found and an application was made immediately. The application is completed, but hiring is not stated.
Read the direction of the action
募集 emphasizes inviting or collecting people and works; 応募 emphasizes responding to that call. The examples do not restrict recruitment to jobs or applications to creative competitions.
Read the relationship between the party announcing a closing date and the party submitting a work. Responding to a call does not itself establish that a work was selected or a person hired.
Which action belongs to the party closing a call for works, and which to the person entering a photograph?
Show the answer and why
The party collecting works conducts 募集; the person submitting the photograph makes an 応募. They describe the inviting and responding directions within the same call.