Researching & understanding the job role
One of the most common mistakes made by students applying to campus work
is assuming that it is ok to treat the process less seriously than they would an
external vacancy outside of the university. To stand a stronger chance at reaching the
interview stage, consider the following.
Research the school/office
Understand the role
So you’ve viewed the campus vacancies, and you think
you have found one you want to apply for. What do
you do next? Ask yourself:
The second part of your preparation is to understand
the job role. Job titles often say very little about the
actual work involved in a given position. So it is
important to know what the work will entail.
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Do I know where this work will be based
within the university?
How much do I know about this school or
office?
What or how do they contribute to the wider
university?
What are the current aims, objectives,
projects, initiatives or development areas for
the school/office?
A good starting point is to look at the university
website, and start your research there. Most
schools/offices will have some form of web
presence on the university site, so you will be able
to have a minimal understanding of what the
recruiting school/office does.
 www.gre.ac.uk
Why is this important?
Imagine you are the recruiter, and receive over a
hundred applications for only 2 available positions.
An application which shows an understanding and
appreciation of where the school/office sits within
the university will demonstrate more of a
commitment to the role than one where the
candidate has focused solely on the job itself.
The same approach should be used when
applying for work outside of the university,
i.e. researching the recruiter is an essential
element of a strong application.
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Does the job description use
language/terminology you understand?
Do you know what any/all of the abbreviations
or acronyms mean?
Are there parts of the job description you
would like to know more about to fully
understand what it means?
Can you identify the essential and desirable
requirements in the person specification?
Do you understand what these requirements
are or are they too technical?
If you find yourself reading a job description and
saying ‘I think I’d like to this apply to this job but
I’m not sure what … means’ – contact the JobShop
immediately for further support.
For campus-based work, we are the intermediary
point, i.e. we can often ask the recruiting school/office
for further information if something is unclear on the
job description.
Contact us
For more information and advice on working during
study and employability, contact JobShop:
Email:
Telephone:
On-Campus:
jobshop@gre.ac.uk
020 8331 8810
Greenwich
Queen Mary Court, 036
Medway
Blake Building, 014
Please note: the JobShop is constantly working to improve its information for students and Schools/Offices. Although the information provided above is correct at the time
of upload to Moodle, changes may occur during the academic session. Document last updated on: 14 February 2014 by L.Campbell