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Why ask me that?! Top Tips for Foundation School Applications

Learn about the potential pitfalls of applications and competency-based questions, and get hints and tips for writing a strong application form. Additional resources are also provided.

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Why ask me that?! Top Tips for Foundation School Applications

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  1. Why ask me that?! Top Tips for Foundation School Applications Gill Frigerio Manager of Careers Education and Guidance

  2. I hope to cover: • Potential pitfalls of applications • Competency based questions • A framework for providing evidence • Hints and tips • Further resources

  3. Principles of Application Form Writing • Think about why they are asking the question • Read the person specification carefully • Make sure you cover all essential criteria, and hopefully the desirable too! • Give a wide variety of examples, avoid repetition • Avoid descriptive narrative, be specific • Stay within the word limit (some assessors may stop reading after 75 words) • Demonstrate evidence of knowledge, understanding, experience, and application

  4. Applications: potential pitfalls • Failure to identify what the reader is really looking for • Underselling yourself • Failing to provide the right evidence to support your statements • Not tailoring your application to the role • Silly mistakes – spelling etc

  5. Good news! • You are in an excellent position to understand what the reader is looking for • The form is very explicit on what they are looking for

  6. Give Yourself The Best Chance • Give yourself plenty of time to research, draft and fill in the form • Treat it as you would a paper based form • Make full use of the word count available

  7. The sections • Areas of achievement and what has been gained: • Academic and non academic • non-medical & undergraduate medical • GMC “Good Medical Practice” principles • Identify your educational and personal reasons for applying for this Foundation School • Teamwork/Leadership

  8. Why THESE questions? • These questions have been devised nationally, carefully and precisely… these aren’t random and all are very important! • In general, they are checking that you: CAN - do the job (skills) WANT - the job (motivation) FIT - within the programme (values)

  9. Achievements: Medical Non-Medical GMC ‘Good Practice’ Reasons Teamwork/Leadership Do they fit? CAN, WANT CAN, FIT CAN, WANT, FIT WANT, FIT CAN, FIT

  10. Competency Based Questions • Describe a particular situation • Think about Working, Learning, Playing and Giving • Explain what you achieved and how you did it • Talk about any barriers overcome • Give a positive outcome

  11. Societies Clubs Part time, summer, & voluntary work Sports Academic Achievement Hobbies & Interests Staff/Student Committee ACTIVITIES Log Book Fundraising Prizes & Awards Publishing & Conferences Elective Family Responsibility Audits Clinical Experience Intercalating

  12. Intercalating Personal Experience Interdisciplinary Teams Audit Possible evidence of team working Elective Staff/Student Committee Research Groups Clinical Work Sports/Clubs Voluntary work Work Experience

  13. Societies Clubs Part time, summer, & voluntary work Sports Academic Achievement Hobbies & Interests ACTIVITIES (Medical/Non-Medical Achievements) Staff/Student Committee Log Book Fundraising Prizes & Awards Publishing & Conferences Elective Family Responsibility Audits Clinical Experience Intercalating

  14. STAR Framework Use the STAR approach for competency questions: • S ituation • T ask • A ction • R esult

  15. Coping with a difficult person • Acting as a relief supervisor at Pizza Express, a customer began to complain loudly about the service being slow. • My task was satisfy the person without upsetting other customers who were also waiting for their food and had arrived earlier.

  16. Coping with a difficult person cont. • I listened carefully, used moderate language, a quiet voice and carefully explained about staff shortages due to illness. I reassured him that his order was being dealt with and offered complimentary drinks whilst waiting. • The customer calmed down and decided to wait quietly, with free drinks.

  17. Hints & Tips Use formal language & check spelling etc Read instructions & questions carefully Allow ample time to complete Keep a copy Think about presentation Complete a draft copy

  18. Strong Words! • Strong verbs to describe what you have done: devised planned initiated analysed organised demonstrated evaluated achieved implemented co-ordinated contributed investigated

  19. Strong Words! • Adjectives to describe yourself: resourceful responsible Accurate calm sensitive conscientious resilient impartial reliable methodical logical persuasive

  20. Editting hints and tips • Keep sentences short (12-15 words) • Delete unnecessary adjectives • Use gerunds instead of longer clauses (ing!) • Avoid unnecessary articles • Ask someone else to read it for sense

  21. Further Resources & Help • www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/careers/ • www.prospects.ac.uk • Application Advice or Quick Careers Advice Book day before- on line reception in UH or x77508 • Careers Hub – (Video ‘Looking good on paper’ and ‘Your Job’s Online’)

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