Application Forms Joss Moffatt Careers Consultant

Agenda

Application process

What employers look for

Typical questions

Competency–based questions Skills Tree STAR technique

The Recruitment Process for graduate schemes / placements

Recruitment Process Statistics for a large graduate recruiter

Assessment Centre

2 1 50%

Telephone Interview 14 3 21%

Online Testing 19 15 79%

Online Application or CV 77 22 29%

Why did employer reject 71% of application forms?

Failure to meet basic entry requirements

Poor spelling and grammar

Failure to answer the questions directly – irrelevant waffle Lack of focus on why they have chosen the company

answers often too vague some refer to another company!

Not completing form … saying they will 'answer at interview‘

Lack of detail in answers (use your Word Count Allowance)

Lack of focus on why suitable for the chosen business area

Lack of detail on what they can bring to the company

The purpose of applications

Inform an employer of your skills and experience

Emphasise your key selling points and suitability for the job

Persuade an employer that you are worth interviewing

Remember - Companies state their requirements on the job description. Applicants have to simply prove, with good evidence, that they have acquired/applied these competencies successfully in the past.

What the employer needs to know is….

Can you do the job?

What value will you add?

Do you want to do the job?

Will you fit in?

Skills

Attitude

Behaviour

The basics…

Read and follow instructions carefully

Check if you can save and return to the form

Do you meet the minimum requirements?

Don’t leave any question unanswered

Be aware of word limits (short and long!)

Consider preparing longer answers in Word

Typical questions (1)

Motives What factors have influenced your choice of career and why do you wish to join this company?

Skills What key skills do you believe are required for this job? When and how have you demonstrated these?

Typical questions (2)

Activities Describe briefly your main leisure and vacation activities. Give details of any positions of responsibility held, now or previously, including active membership of clubs and societies.

Achievements Which of your achievements or activities, not necessarily connected with your studies, has given you most satisfaction, and why?

Typical questions (3)

SPECIFIC QUESTIONS What do you consider to be the three main business challenges facing Rolls-Royce over the next five years? As you will be working closely with our customers what experiences can you draw upon to help you?

Eg Anglian Water Application Form Questions What does the Love Every Drop brand mean to you? (Max. 200 words) What 2 main qualities do you think we’re looking for in our Graduate Management Trainees? Please provide evidence of times you’ve displayed these qualities. (Max. 400 words) “A water supply company should provide a ‘silent service’; if no one is talking about Anglian Water it means we’re doing a good job.” To what extend do you agree or disagree with this statement? (Max. 400 words)

Typical questions (4)

COMPETENCY BASED Tell us about a time you have successfully worked as part of a team. Provide an example of where you have analysed a large amount of complex data, how did you achieve this? Describe a time when you have demonstrated your time management skills. We are looking for problem-solvers. How do you solve problems?

Why skills / competencies? Skills are the best way of measuring:

Knowledge, motivations associated with success

Your ability to succeed in a new environment

Your future potential

Employers need to gather evidence that you have the skills alongside appropriate behaviours and attributes necessary to achieve an effective performance level in the job.

Skills employers seek Analytical ability Commercial awareness Computer literacy Decision making Influencing Initiative Leadership Negotiating Networking Oral communication

Planning Presentations Problem Solving Self Awareness Self Confidence Self Management Team Working Time Management Willingness to learn Written Communication

Do I have the necessary skills? Consider what you will be doing in the job and the skills you’d need to do this. Identify examples from your own personal experiences to demonstrate that you have each specific skill. The examples could be from specific experiences gained from a variety of sources, including part-time jobs, hobbies, travelling, social situations and projects/pieces of work from your studies.

The Skills Tree

This helps you to: Identify activities and events which developed your skills Describe what these skills are Highlight evidence to demonstrate these skills

Get someone else to help you with it Add to it over time Keep it up to date

Skills Tree Example

Providing good answers

Work out what the question is really asking What are the key issues? Are there multiple parts to the question?

Consider how you are going to demonstrate the required skill(s)

Consider order of your answer – flow and logic are important!

Use the STAR technique

The STAR technique

Situation Provide a context - describe the background, giving

relevant information

Task Describe the challenge or what needed to be done.

Action Describe your thought process; the decisions you made and the action you took.

Result Explain the results and achievements. What might you do differently in the future?

STAR technique example: “Give an example of how you implemented a change”

Situation: Whilst employed at Weaver Bros. last summer

Task: I was given the task of rationalising the stock control system

Action: I looked at factors such as when the stock was last ordered, what it was used for and how often it was used. After considering various options I worked out a method of streamlining the paperwork involved in this process and redesigned the relevant forms, which I then submitted to my manager.

Result: My ideas were accepted and implemented and a 15% reduction in stock levels was achieved Based on a Kent University Careers example

Exercise

Use the STAR technique to answer ONE of the following application form questions

Describe a time when you have demonstrated your time management skills. Provide an example of where you have analysed a large amount of complex data. How did you achieve this?

Resources

CEC Website > Advice and Guidance > Applying for Jobs

CEC Website > Resources > Leaflet shop hardcopy available in CEC

TargetJobs > Careers Advice > Applications

specific information in each subject guide Prospects Website > Careers Advice > Applying for Jobs Employability Skills - thinking of examples (from pwc)

Get your applications checked… Quick Advice

15 minute appointment Can check all your documents i.e. application forms, covering letters, CVs **please print out in advance

Monday - Friday 9:30am – 4.30pm

Book on the day Online from 8.30am In person: at the CEC in Bridgeman Building Phone: from 8.30am

Quick Advice is popular, so booking online first thing in the morning is advisable.

It’s not complicated Research Prepare Ensure you answer the right question(s) Ask someone else to check your answer Submit

LOUGHBOROUGH EMPLOYABILITY AWARD Involvement in volunteering, work experience and other extra-curricular activities enhances your employability The Award scheme helps you to record and reflect on your experience to support you as you apply for placements and graduate employment. Successful completion is formally recognised by the University

For more information please visit Loughborough Employability Award

Book onto an induction session to get you started on the scheme.

Select and book via Careers Online

Any Questions?

Careers and Employability Centre

www.careers.lboro.ac.uk

www.facebook.com/LboroCEC

www.twitter.com/lborocareers

careers@lboro.ac.uk 01509 222039