Step 7 – Make your examples relevant

MAKE THE EXAMPLES RELEVANT

Competency style selection is designed to allow candidates to demonstrate experience and skills that are transferable i.e., if you have not done the job before, you could still be suitable having gained your experience in another environment. However, to give yourself the best chance, it is a good idea to make your examples as relevant to the job as possible (this goes for interviews too). For example, if you are trying to demonstrate teamwork in an application for a Marketing Graduate job and you have an example of working in a team within a voluntary position within a marketing department then use that instead of an example of working in a team on a University project. There are a few reasons for this: F You will be in competition with multiple other candidates, some of whom may have done the same job or very similar before. F Being able to demonstrate experience of working in a similar environment may just give you the edge and put you into the “Yes, to interview” pile. F Having experience in the relevant environment is a big win for employers, as it means there is more evidence that you work well in that environment and you understand what it is like (and you are more likely to enjoy the job and stay if you know what to expect). F If you are applying for a job in an office environment for example, and you can demonstrate experience of working in an office team rather than a team in a retail environment, this will suggest many subtle points such as that you understand how to behave in an office and know how to handle office politics.