APPLICATION FORM MINI GUIDE

CAREER PLANNING MINI-GUIDE

Application Forms LJMU CAREERS TEAM 0151 231 2048/3719 ❚ careers@ljmu.ac.uk

www2.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

Career Mini-Guide

Application forms – Be a STAR applicant Many employers, especially large graduate recruiters and public sector organisations like the NHS or local councils, require candidates to complete an application form as the first stage of the recruitment process. Using application forms allows recruiters to collect information that is specific to the job requirements and that helps them assess how your education, paid or voluntary work experience, skills and extracurricular activities relate to the vacancy. Asking standard questions also makes it easier for them to compare candidates on a like-for-like basis.

What information do I need to provide on an application form?

A standard application form usually requires you to complete sections on your personal details, education and qualifications, work history, supporting information and references. Apart from the supporting information, these sections should be relatively straightforward for you to complete and you can copy relevant details from your CV (although you should ensure that these details are tailored to the job role, e.g. highlight most relevant responsibilities in work history). The supporting information section is hugely important and needs to be tailored to the individual role, because this is where you need to convince the employer that you are the right candidate for the job and discuss why you would like to work for their organisation.

Instead of the supporting information section, some application forms use a list of specific questions (usually competency-based questions) to assess your suitability for the role. These could include questions like:

2  Application Forms

Career Mini-Guide

❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙ ❙❙

Please provide an example from your extracurricular activities of when you have worked with others to achieve a common goal Tell us about a time when you needed to organise time and resources to complete a project Please give an example of a challenge that you have set yourself and describe how you have gone about achieving it Describe a situation of when you made a mistake when dealing with a patient/representative which could have or did affect patient safety. What actions did you take and what have you learnt as a result?

Preparation is essential If possible, read through the whole form before you start working on your application, so you know what information the employer requires you to provide in the various sections of the form. For online applications, always make a note of your username and password, as you may be completing the form in several stages, and save your work as you go along. If the employer has provided any guidance notes for completing the form, ensure you read these thoroughly.

Gather together the relevant information, including dates of any work experience (paid and unpaid), details and dates of any qualifications (including marks where required) and training courses, as well as memberships of professional bodies or societies. Ensure that you have collected plenty of information about the role and the employer:

Application Forms 3

Career Mini-Guide

❙❙ Have you read the person specification and any graduate careers pages on the organisation’s website thoroughly? ❙❙ Have you attended an employer presentation at university or a recruitment fair that illustrates your interest in this company further? ❙❙ Have you looked at their website to research any current issues for the company, their organisational culture or their main business activities?

This information will allow you to tailor your answers on the application form and demonstrate your motivation to work for this organisation, which is crucial for your application to stand out.

The best applications are those that help you come across as a motivated and driven candidate who can draw on a variety of experiences, including education, part-time work, placements, volunteering as well as interests and activities. Try to use evidence from a range of contexts or situations and think about examples that make your application different and more interesting to read. A sponsored sky dive for charity is both a more interesting and unusual achievement than getting a 2:1 in your degree. Bear in mind that employers will have to read through hundreds, sometimes thousands, of applications so anything that can make yours more memorable will help you to differentiate yourself from other candidates.

“

An employer says ...

A structured application form which addresses the person specification and the job description makes it easy for the shortlisting panel to identify and score your evidence for each criterion. Due to the volume of applications employers receive for graduate and entrylevel roles, candidates whose personal statements do not clearly and systematically address all the essential criteria from the person specification are very unlikely to make it to the interview stage.

4 Application Forms

Career Mini-Guide

Competency-based questions Many application forms ask a series of competencybased questions that will allow the employer to test your ability to do the job by asking you to demonstrate skills in relevant areas like communication, teamwork or problem-solving as well as relevant characteristics like motivation, enthusiasm, patience or adaptability. Past performance is the best predictor of future performance, so the employer is asking these questions to seek evidence that you have developed the necessary competencies for the role.

The best approach to answer these questions is using the STAR structure. STAR is a simple strategy that will help you focus your answer and stands for: ❙❙ Situation: briefly describe the context for your example. When was this? Where was this? ❙❙ Task: describe what you had to do. What were you hoping to achieve? ❙❙ Action: describe what you did to achieve the task, how you did it and what skills you used. ❙❙ Result: briefly describe the outcome. What did you learn? Would you do anything differently in hindsight?

NB: Sometimes STAR is also referred to as BAR or CAR, where the ST is replaced by B for Background or C for Context, and this works just as well.

Application Forms 5

Career Mini-Guide

Example Please describe a time where you have demonstrated excellent organisation skills to deliver work to tight deadlines.

Situation: Before starting my postgraduate degree in Construction Project Management, I recently organised and managed a home renovation project for my parents.

Task: As I was aiming to complete the project before starting university, I had three months to deliver the project to the specified budget.

Action: First of all, I drafted a project plan on which I recorded individual tasks and stages and set deadlines for their completion. I also built extra time into the project plan to allow for any unforeseen delays. In order to spend the budget wisely, I researched material costs through the internet and by making phone calls to DIY wholesalers and then collected several quotes from various builders. I was not always able to choose the cheapest materials, as these often had longer delivery times, so to avoid any delays to my project plan, I often had to find a compromise between affordability and availability of materials. To check the progress of the project, I scheduled in regular catch-up meetings with the builder where we could discuss any developments and problems.

As I was working full-time during this period, I often had to organise time off from work, which involved negotiating with my manager and colleagues to cover my absence from work.

Result: Thanks to my excellent planning and organisation skills, I managed to complete the home renovation on time and budget. It was a really useful experience which I feel will benefit my future career in the construction sector, as it gave me my first insight into managing a small construction project independently. If I were to carry out this project again, I would undertake certain tasks in a different order as I realised halfway through the project that I could have planned the individual tasks in a more efficient way. However, as I had built in extra time into my project plan, these slight delays did not affect the successful delivery of the project.

6  Application Forms

Career Mini-Guide

Many online application forms have a strict word limit for each question, so a concise writing style is important. Although you may find this difficult at first and need to go through several drafts for each answer before you get it right, this is a skill you will develop over time.

Apart from checking that you possess the skills and characteristics required for the role, many forms also explore your motivation to work for the organisation in more detail. ❙❙ What has motivated you to apply for the Network Rail Graduate Scheme and why have you chosen this particular role? ❙❙ Why are you interested in working in a commercial property consultancy, and becoming a chartered surveyor with Capita Symonds?

Your answer should provide evidence that you have researched the company and reflected on how your skills, experience, interests and motivation match the job role and organisational culture. If relevant, you could mention having met company representatives at a recruitment fair or employer presentation which allowed you to get an insight into the company. If you read relevant industry journals/publications, you may be aware of any recent developments, e.g. expansion plans, or new projects the company is currently working on. It may be useful to check if the organisation has any trainee profiles on their website, as these should give you a better idea of the type of support and training that is offered for graduate trainees and the projects they get involved in.

Application Forms 7

Career Mini-Guide

Supporting information Application forms that do not use competency-based questions will have a section for supporting information instead. This is also sometimes referred to as “personal statement” or “reasons for applying” on the form.

Many students find this section a bit intimidating and do not know where to start. Instructions for this part are usually limited and along the lines of: “Please use this section to explain why you are applying for this job. Concentrate on how your experience, training and personal qualities match the requirements of the job description. Continue on a separate sheet if necessary.”

A good personal statement should address the job requirements outlined on the person specification one by one providing convincing evidence for your suitability and including key words from the job advert.

You can use subheadings to structure your statement and ideally address the requirements in the same order as they are listed on the job advert. This will make it easier for the short listing panel to identify and score your examples for the individual criteria.

Most person specifications will distinguish between essential and desirable criteria. Essential criteria are the “must haves”, i.e. the skills, experience and knowledge you need to be able to do the job. Only candidates that meet all the essential criteria will usually be invited for interview, so ensure that you always address all of these. Desirable criteria are the “nice to haves”, i.e. skills, experience and knowledge that enhance a candidate’s ability to carry out the responsibilities of the role.

8 Application Forms

Career Mini-Guide

However, these can easily be gained through further training once a candidate is in post. If you meet any of the desirable criteria, make sure that you address these on the personal statement, as this can give you an advantage over other candidates.

NB: If you do not fully meet an essential criterion, do not just ignore it, but include it in your personal statement and outline what you are hoping to do in order to develop this area. For example, a job you are applying for requires knowledge of Microsoft Access, but you are not familiar with this software. To still address this criterion, you could highlight on your personal statement that you have started reading up on basic Access skills and are keen to further develop your skills in this area. You could also emphasise that you are a quick learner and give a short example of a time when you learnt a new skill quickly, e.g. you learnt to work with the reservation system during your part-time role as a hotel receptionist and were able to use it effectively in your daily work after a short training period.

Please see the appendix at the end of this mini guide for an example personal statement for a Graduate Trainee position for a charity.

Application Forms 9 

Career Mini-Guide

Top tips for completing application forms: ❙❙ Good preparation is essential! Where possible, read through the whole form before you start filling it in, so you can collect any relevant information you need to complete the form and decide on your most suitable evidence for each section. Research the organisation thoroughly and analyse the person specification so you are familiar with the job requirements and can show employers that you have done your homework. ❙❙ Avoid spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and text-speak. Some graduate recruiters reject more than half of all applications because of the poor standard of English on the application forms. For online applications, draft your answers in Word, and spellcheck them before copying and pasting onto the form. Ask a friend or family member to proofread your work. ❙❙ Answer the questions! It can be tempting to use answers from previous application forms, but these might not cover all aspects required for a similar question. Read each question carefully and check that your response provides all the necessary details.

Keep within any given word limits. ❙❙ Sell yourself! The application form might only be the first stage of the recruitment process, but if you are too modest or too unspecific in your answers, you are unlikely to make it to the next stage. Ensure your evidence is recent, relevant and tailored to reflect the skills and knowledge required for the role. ❙❙ And finally, keep a copy of the completed application form. As you are likely to apply for a number of positions at the same time, it will be useful to have a record of each application to prepare for a potential interview or assessment centre.

10 Application Forms

Career Mini-Guide

Help and support available from the Careers Team ❙❙ ONE TO ONE SUPPORT IN THE CAREERS ZONE Our Employability Advisers can give you tailored feedback and advice on draft application forms to help you sell yourself effectively to potential employers.

Call into a Careers Zone or phone us on 0151 231 2048/3719 to arrange an appointment. ❙❙ WORKSHOPS/WEBINARS Our ‘Effective Applications’ workshop and webinar will help you understand what employers are looking for in application forms, so you give yourself the best possible chance of getting to that all-important interview. For dates of upcoming sessions, check our events website https://worldofwork.ljmu.ac.uk/events/

“

A student says ...

The advice I have had from the Employability Advisers at the Careers Zone on my application forms has been really useful.

They are friendly and professional, and the information I was given was hugely relevant.

I got specific and tailored feedback on which areas I needed to work on further, and this really helped me to improve my application.

Application Forms 11

Career Mini-Guide

Appendix: Sample personal statement Person specification Education and Training To hold / have been awarded in the last 2 years or to expect a 2:2 degree or

Essential

higher (in any subject) Willingness to undertake training and continuing professional development Experience, Abilities and Competencies

Desirable

Experience of using industry standard IT systems (e.g. Microsoft Office,

Essential

Email, Internet, etc) Practical experience of volunteering, supporting or working with a not for

Essential

profit organisation Ability to manage a wide range of different assignments and to prioritise

Desirable

tasks to meet deadlines Ability to work as part of a team and with others across the Association Other Requirements

Essential

Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal

Essential

Excellent interpersonal and people skills

Essential

To have an understanding of stroke

Desirable

Disclaimer: Please note that this sample statement is for guidance only. It is intended to demonstrate how you can effectively address all the criteria on a person specification by using examples from a variety of contexts. Please ensure that you always use your own evidence in your personal statements as you will be required to expand on the examples you provided on your application form during a potential interview.

12  Application Forms

Career Mini-Guide

An example for a good personal statement addressing the criteria for this role could look like this: I am confident that my skills, knowledge and experience gained from education, work and volunteering make me an excellent candidate for your Graduate Trainee position.

Education and training I have recently completed a BSc (Hons) in Applied Psychology and have been awarded a 2:1 classification. Through studying a range of core and option modules, I have developed a good understanding of biological, cognitive and developmental psychology, which are all relevant to form a better understanding of stroke.

I am keen to undertake any relevant training and continuing professional development and appreciate the importance of lifelong learning. Throughout my work and volunteering history, I have always participated in both on-the-job and formal training and have been able to use the acquired knowledge and skills effectively in my daily work. In my current role as a Bakery Assistant at Asda, I regularly attend both individual and team training days and have recently completed my annual refresher training courses in customer service and diversity.

Experience, Abilities and Competencies I am an experienced user of Microsoft Office applications, email and the internet. My Microsoft Office skills have greatly improved at university, as I regularly used Word, Excel and PowerPoint to complete essays and presentations. During my summer placement as a Research Assistant at the Faculty of Science, I compiled a participant questionnaire for a departmental study using Microsoft Word and analysed responses of this quantitative study in Excel. Finally, I designed and delivered a PowerPoint presentation to feed back results to the working group. I received very positive feedback from my placement supervisor and this experience also helped me develop confidence in using features like pivot tables and formulas in Excel. I am also a confident user of Microsoft Outlook and the internet, which I use both for research purposes and to contact academics or stay in touch with fellow students.

cont’d ...

Application Forms 13 

Career Mini-Guide

Experience, Abilities and Competencies cont’d ...

Since completing my Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award at school, I have had a keen interest in volunteering. Apart from taking part in several fun runs to raise money for Claire House Children’s Hospice in Liverpool, I also regularly volunteer as a Clinical Helper for The Open Door Centre (a mental health service for young people with anxiety or depression) and as a Volunteer Visitor at Woodlands Manor Care Home in Southport. The positions give me an opportunity to meet people I would not otherwise come in contact with and I find the work with both young and elderly people incredibly rewarding.

Throughout my degree studies at LJMU, I have demonstrated my ability to manage a wide range of different assignments and to prioritise tasks to meet deadlines. Especially during my final year, my excellent organisation skills were essential to manage various deadlines for written assignments alongside my dissertation research and revision for exams. As I also continued to work part-time at Asda and to volunteer two days a week atThe Open Door Centre and the care home, I also had to balance my work and study commitments effectively. I used a wall planner to record exam dates, meetings with my dissertation supervisor and important deadlines for assignments and a diary to plan my weekly work and study schedule. For the last two weeks of both my dissertation and my exam revision, I also arranged to cut down my hours at work. My effective planning paid off as I submitted all my assignments and dissertation in time for the deadlines achieving a 2:1 degree classification whilst ensuring that my attendance in work and commitment to my volunteering were unaffected.

I have experience of working as part of a team in a wide range of contexts, including university, paid work and volunteering. Having worked as a part-time Bakery Assistant at Asda for 5 years, I have worked with colleagues from a wide range of backgrounds and I have established a good working relationship with all of them.

At the start of each shift, we discuss and allocate the tasks that need to be completed. We take it in turns to carry out the less popular tasks like cleaning the ovens, which contributes to a good atmosphere within the team. As excellent customer service is our priority, we always ensure that we support each other during busy times to minimise waiting time for our customers. As a result, we have achieved a 100% score on a recent mystery shopping assessment.

14 Application Forms

Career Mini-Guide

Other requirements My degree studies and varied work experience have helped me to develop strong oral and written communication skills. I achieved an average of 64% in all my written assignments and demonstrated my ability to write in a clear and concise manner, confidently using scientific terminology where appropriate. A range of group assignments and presentations has allowed me to practice my oral communication skills, and my confidence in delivering presentations to large groups has constantly improved during the last three years. I have developed the ability to adapt my style of communication to suit my audience, e.g. using informal language to establish rapport with the young people I work with at The Open Door Centre, or talking slowly and more loudly to residents I meet at Woodlands Manor.

I possess excellent interpersonal and people skills, which both my paid and voluntary work have allowed me to develop to a high level. At Asda, I deal with customers from a wide variety of backgrounds answering queries and complaints in a confident and timely manner. For both of my volunteering roles, strong interpersonal skills are essential to establish rapport and trust.

At The Open Door Centre, I show empathy and understanding to the young people using our services to put them at ease and offer them support for completing our Beating the Blues course.

At Woodlands Manor, I adapt my visits to suit the individual resident’s needs and interests, e.g. by using different activities like chess, reading aloud or singing to keep them active, but also by adapting my style of communication to their needs.

My voluntary work at the care home has helped me to develop an understanding of stroke, as several of the residents there are recovering from a stroke. As a result, I gained an insight into both the practical and psychological elements of stroke rehab.

To further my interest in this field, I have started reading relevant articles in the British Medical Journal and have also arranged to work shadow a clinical psychologist on the outpatient stroke rehab team.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my application and I look forward to hearing from you.

Application Forms 15 

Looking for out of hours careers support?

Access our suite of online careers tools at any time, from anywhere ...

CAREERS ZONE

24/7

CV builder Interview simulator Job search websites Careers Newsroom Psychometric testing and assessment centre practice portal ❙ GoinGlobal international jobs database ❙ ❙ ❙ ❙ ❙

Access Careers Zone 24/7 from the Careers website:

www2.ljmu.ac.uk/careers LJMU CAREERS WORLD OF WORK CAREERSTEAM CENTRE 0151 231 2048/3719 ❚ careers@ljmu.ac.uk || worldofwork@ljmu.ac.uk 0151 231 2048/3719

www2.ljmu.ac.uk/careers www2.ljmu.ac.uk/worldofwork