MAKING BRILLIANT
APPLICATIONS – STANDARD
AND ONLINE
Kath Houston
What do you feel like when faced
with any kind of application form?
Bored?
Scared?
Get it over with?
Don’t want to do it
Put off doing it and miss the
deadline
Over-confident
Can’t be bothered
Something else?
The Plan
Overview of the typical recruitment process
Application forms
The fiendish ones
Questions on application forms and at interviews
Competency based questions
General/usual questions
The great white space – personal statement sections
Match the criteria paragraph by
paragraph
Perfect punctuation, spelling and
grammar
Types of graduate level application
forms (AF)
Regular – data/info sections then Personal
Statement– eg Lancashire Country Council –
information boxes, personal statement section and
references
 Specific graduate AF – similar to regular but with
additional boxes for situational or competency
based questions
 OnLine AF as above but may include timed tests eg
BBC.
Let’s take a look at one.

Application forms
Job applications
The principles are crucial – get this right.
General pointers/best advice
 Doing what they ask you to do
 The factual bits
 The Personal Statement section – a trap for the
unwary.
 The desirable and essential criteria.

Applications for jobs
7
Online torture
The need to be painstaking in attention, meticulous,
showcase skills, experience and ability
Get inside the mind of the recruiter
Making the shortlist – how you do this.
Competency or Situational Questions on
application forms and at interviews
Describe a situation when you led a team/worked in a
team
Give me an example of a time when you dealt with
confrontation
Describe a situation when you influenced or motivated
others
Describe a situation when you used initiative
Tell me about a time when you took responsibility
Give an example of when you solved a problem
STAR Approach
9
SITUATION – When, where, with whom (contextualise)
TASK – Describe the situation or task you want to
offer as evidence
ACTION – What did you do? What was your
contribution? How did you make things happen?
RESULT – What was the result/outcome? (preferably
positive) What did you learn?
Application Form essentials
Follow the instructions!
Find the Job Description/Person Specification – analyse the key points
Photocopy the form and have a trial run or copy the form and paste it into Word
Do the factual bits first
Personal Statement – match each and every point in the Specification, one paragraph at a
time
Proof read – get someone else to check it.
Be vigilant for typos, mis-spellings, grammar (apostrophes)
Leave it 24 hours and read through it again (ideally)
On Line applications
Jobs at Google
http://www.google.com/about/jobs/locations/#regio
n=europe
See a job, like a job, APPLY button
The job cart experience – deceptively simple
What will you have to show to make a brilliant
application?
Customised cover letter and CV, perfectly matching
the job

Typical online procedures





Not based on handwriting
Fast response from employer
May start with a questionnaire (about yourself,
degree, UCAS points) – may be first sift
No spell check – you have to be vigilant or if it is
not timed you can copy and paste it into Word to
be absolutely sure
No text speak – use quality literacy
Typical online procedures (continued)



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Register with a password at the beginning
They may incorporate a selection test (aptitude,
personality or video clip situations to decide on)
Good on line forms allow you to view the whole and
print it off (good idea) and save as you go along
Bad forms expect you to do it at one hit and may
‘crash’ when you submit them
SO – what approach should you take?
Practise selection tests available – get in training
http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/psychotests.htm

Online Application Form
essentials
Follow the instructions! Have your brilliant CV ready to upload if they want that as well or
so you can copy and paste skill examples from CV to AF.
Have the Job Description/Person Specification to hand– analyse the key points ahead of
starting your application session. What do you need to put across that will interest the
employer?
Prepare your self by doing some calming breathing and reminding yourself of your strong
points regarding the job
Be painstaking and focused – have a pencil and blank paper to hand nearby in case you
need to make notes
Have a drink (non alcoholic) by you and choose a time when you will not be disturbed or
distracted
Proof read for minor errors/typos as you go along ideally.
Be vigilant for typos, mis-spellings, grammar (apostrophes)
Press the submit button when you are absolutely happy with what you have written.
Final reminders
Overview of the typical recruitment process
Application forms
The fiendish ones
Questions on application forms and at interviews
Competency based questions
General/usual questions
The great white space – personal statement sections
Match the criteria paragraph by
paragraph
Perfect punctuation, spelling and
grammar