Making Brilliant applications – standard and online

1. Making Brilliant applications – standard and online Kath Houston

2. What do you feel like when faced with any kind of application form? Bored? Scared? Get it over with? Don’t want to do it Put off doing it and miss the deadline Over-confident Can’t be bothered Something else?

3. The Plan

4. Types of graduate level application forms (AF) • Regular – data/info sections then Personal Statement– eg Lancashire Country Council – information boxes, personal statement section and references • Specific graduate AF – similar to regular but with additional boxes for situational or competency based questions • OnLine AF as above but may include timed tests eg BBC. Let’s take a look at one.

6. Application forms • Job applications The principles are crucial – get this right. General pointers/best advice • Doing what they ask you to do • The factual bits • The Personal Statement section – a trap for the unwary. • The desirable and essential criteria.

7. Applications for jobs Online torture The need to be painstaking in attention, meticulous, showcase skills, experience and ability Get inside the mind of the recruiter Making the shortlist – how you do this.

8. Competency or Situational Questions on application forms and at interviews

9. STAR Approach SITUATION – When, where, with whom (contextualise) TASK – Describe the situation or task you want to offer as evidence ACTION – What did you do? What was your contribution? How did you make things happen? RESULT – What was the result/outcome? (preferably positive) What did you learn?

10. Application Form essentials

11. On Line applications • Jobs at Google http://www.google.com/about/jobs/locations/#region=europe See a job, like a job, APPLY button The job cart experience – deceptively simple What will you have to show to make a brilliant application? Customised cover letter and CV, perfectly matching the job

12. Typical online procedures • Not based on handwriting • Fast response from employer • May start with a questionnaire (about yourself, degree, UCAS points) – may be first sift • No spell check – you have to be vigilant or if it is not timed you can copy and paste it into Word to be absolutely sure • No text speak – use quality literacy

13. Typical online procedures (continued) • Register with a password at the beginning • They may incorporate a selection test (aptitude, personality or video clip situations to decide on) • Good on line forms allow you to view the whole and print it off (good idea) and save as you go along • Bad forms expect you to do it at one hit and may ‘crash’ when you submit them • SO – what approach should you take? Practise selection tests available – get in training http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/psychotests.htm

14. Online Application Form essentials

15. Final reminders