COMPLETING YOUR

APPLICATION FORM

How to make sure you are shortlisted for interview

Your application form represents the College’s first impression of you and will be the only information used to determine whether or not you are invited to interview. All applicants for jobs at the College, internal and external, are assessed against the criteria set out in the Person Specification for the job. It is therefore important that you take your time and complete the application form as fully and as accurately as possible.

You should not submit a CV as a substitute for completing the application form, as it will not be read. The application form has been designed to give all the necessary information in the most practical format and to put all candidates on an equal footing.

All applications aretreated equally, and if the selection panel feel you meet all the essential requirements stated in the person specification for the job, you will be shortlisted and invited to an interview, and possibly a skill test or presentation.

It is in your interest to provide as much information as possible on the application form. Do not assume that we know what qualifications, experiences and capabilities you have; you need to prove to us that you have the required qualities. Simply stating that you have experience of doing the duties in the Job Description is not evidence. The facts you offer can be taken from relevant situations in your job or transferred from situations outside the formal workplace, e.g. committee work, Territorial Army, family business, or a gap year job.

If you send a paper application, remember to write your name on any extra sheets of paper that you include and place them inside your application form, rather than stapling them.

Don’t forget to keep a copy of your completed form. You may be asked questions about it in an interview. It can also be used to help you fill in other application forms.

Personal statement – experience, skills and knowledge

Before completing this section, read through the Job Description, which gives details of the duties and standards of performance of the job, and think carefully about why you are suitable for the post.

It is important that you address all the points in the Person Specification, and it is helpful to the shortlisting panel if the points are addressed in the order they appear. Imagine this being used as a checklist by the person doing the shortlisting. This section is the most important part of your application and if it is not filled in adequately it may affect your chances of being invited to an interview, so it is vital that you provide strong evidence of your ability to fulfilleach of the points.

  • Give thought and time to producing good evidence of how you satisfy each one of the desirablecriteria, as well as the essential criteria. If there are a lot of candidates who satisfy the essential criteria, the shortlisting panel will use the desirable skills as their second level of screening to select applicants.
  • Provide examples of how you have demonstrated each skill in the past. The examples you give should outline what you have done to demonstrate that skill, rather than what you would do if a particular situation arose.
  • Be specific. For example, if one of the skills in the Person Specification is ‘effective communication’ it is not enough simply to say ‘I am an effective communicator’. You need to provide an example of how you have shown effective communication skills in the past. How have you communicated key messages? Did you receive any feedback?
  • Avoid simply repeating the words used in the Person Specification (e.g. ‘I am committed to Equal Opportunities’). Make a personal interpretation of the criteria to show your understanding.
  • Give examples and evidence to show why you think you have the right qualities for the job. Don’t say ‘I have many years of experience in….’ Give details of what you did and how you did it. Use positive statements about what you did.It is important not to undersell yourself, but you must support what you say with examples of what you have done or what you understand about aspects in the Job Description.Not all of your skills and experience will match, but they may be transferable to the duties of the job.Explain how your skills may be relevant.
  • It is important that you identify what you have to offer. In your work you use knowledge, skills and experience to produce results. In order for you to give evidence of these in your application form and at interview, you need to know what they are, when you use them, how you use them, and the resultsof your actions.

You may find it helpful to use the STAR technique in order to give a concise example of each skill. STARworks for times when you were in direct control of the situation.

Situation: describe the situation you were in, give the context

Target: give the specific aspect(s) you focused on and why

Action: say what you did, how you did it, when you did it,and the thinking behind your choice of action

Result: give the outcome, and the difference it made.

Personal Details

The information in the Personal Details section will not be used as part of the shortlisting process. It will be used if you are invited for interview and it will form part of your personnel file if you are appointed to the post.

Equality and Diversity

The College is committed to an Equality and Diversity Policy. The aim of the policy is to ensure that our workforce reflects the diverse communities we serve and that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of sex, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, religious belief, marital status, sexuality, age or disability and they are not disadvantaged because of job conditions or requirements that cannot be justified.

The College maintains records of gender, race, ethnic origin, disability and age, and regular monitoring of these records provides the basis for appropriate action to eliminate unlawful direct and indirect discrimination and provide equality of opportunity. To help us ensure the compliance of this policy, we ask that you complete the Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form. This information is NOT used as part of the shortlisting process and is detached from your application form as soon as it is received in the Human Resources Department.

Disability

The College has been accredited with the 2 Tick Disability Scheme Award, which recognises our commitment to good practice in employing people with disabilities. The Award aims to make sure that people with disabilities feel confident that their employer will be positive about their abilities. The College is committed to interviewing all applicants with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for a job vacancy and to consider them on their abilities.

Criminal Background

It is likely that all staff at the College will come into contact with children under 18 or vulnerable adults. Prospective employees are required under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 to agree to a Disclosure & Barring Service Check. Failure to disclose a criminal conviction would be a disciplinary matter, which may lead to dismissal. If you have a conviction, you can attach further details in a sealed envelope.

What happens to your application form?

All completed application forms are reviewed by the members of the shortlisting panel, who match the evidence and information given on the forms against the list in the person specification of what is required for the job.

The appointment of applicants will be subject to:

  • evidence of medical fitness,
  • satisfactory references,
  • proof of qualifications,
  • aDisclosure & Barring Service Check.
  • a probationary period.

Any offer of employment will be subject to you providing evidence that you have the right to work in the UK. A work permit will usually be required for citizens of countries outside the European Union who do not have UK residency.

If you have not heard from the College within three weeks after the closing date you can assume that you have not been selected for interview. Unsuccessful candidates can contact HR for feedback from the shortlisting panel.

Application forms are treated as confidential documents and will be shredded six months after the interview date for all non-shortlisted applicants, and nine months after the interview date for all shortlisted applicants.