Find the jobs you actually want and make a hit list of a few you really want to go for and make an action plan with dates. Applications, when done properly are time consuming to say the least, it will take a good few hours on one decent high quality graduate application.\u00a0 Do yourself a favour and avoid spending time filling out applications for jobs you don’t really want or for companies you know nothing about. Instead, invest more time in those you do want. Employers can spot who is genuinely interested in the job they are offering. Research shows graduates tend to make the mistake of applying to many jobs as they think the more they apply to, the greater their luck is instead of actually thinking about their suitability for the role and whether they are the right fit for that company culture and values.\u00a0 It really is about quality over quantity when it comes to applications.<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udca1 2: Plan and prepare<\/strong><\/h5>\nGather together all the information that you’ll need, including details of your academic achievements, employment history, your skills and competencies and contact information for your referees.<\/p>\n
Find out what the recruitment requirements are for the employer alongside the aims of the company you’re applying for, the sector they operate in and who their main competitors are. Company websites and their social media is a must and for detailed company information – contact your college\/school Librarian, since the university has access to specialist information databases and subscriptions giving you information you won\u2019t find on google.<\/p>\n
Lastly and very importantly, study the job description\/person specification so that you can refer back to the specific skills and qualities that the employer is looking for as you complete the form and match yourself to those skills when giving evidence of your capabilities.\u00a0 Remember they have outlined clearly their requirements, so its time to show them what you\u2019ve got.<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udca1 3. Filling in the form<\/strong><\/h5>\nWith most forms they don\u2019t expect you to fill it out in one go, so you can sign up start, save and come back to it. The personal details, education and employment history sections are straight forward and self explanatory.\u00a0 The tricky and time consuming part is almost always when they ask for your reasons for applying and suitability for the job.<\/p>\n
Many graduate recruiters use a\u00a0standard application forms (SAF) or other competence based forms in their recruitment process. These forms ask specific questions in relation to skills the recruiter expects you to have.\u00a0 Some forms do not make the criteria explicit, but instead leave a long, blank space for you to fill, to impress them!\u00a0Other forms may have complex questions so the trick is to answer each part of the question.<\/p>\n
The employer application form (EAF) or the\u00a0company application form (CAF) is designed by individual employers and relevant only to their organisation.\u00a0 It is widely used, particularly by larger organisations, many of which are now encouraging online application forms.<\/p>\n
Either way, application forms are designed to test whether your skills and experience match the competencies required in the job, along with why you\u2019re applying to them in particular and why this job.<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udca1 4. What exactly do I write? <\/strong><\/h5>\nDon’t be afraid to sell yourself. Demonstrate your passion for the company or job and any past achievements you can relate to the role. When writing your answers, always consider\u00a0what skills employers want\u00a0and how you can show that you have them.\u00a0 write a well-structured, well-argued case that you are the right person for the job, again referring to the person specification set out in the advert.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t underestimate the importance of articulating your answers concisely, impressively and really highlighting how you meet each competency through your education and past work experience\/voluntary and extracurricular activities.\u00a0 Evidence is key!\u00a0 You must clearly be able to demonstrate through examples how you have demonstrated that skill in the past.\u00a0 The STAR approach (links below) is great in answering competency questions and even for writing convincing statements.<\/p>\n
Remember also to use buzz words since many systems scan electronically for the right words before you proceed any further.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2020\/10\/giphy-8.gif\")
<\/p>\n
Typical questions:<\/p>\n
\n- “Please use this space to tell us what you have achieved that makes you stand out.”<\/li>\n
- “Tell us about a time when you have had to overcome significant difficulties to achieve something. Tell us how you approached the issue and managed to overcome any obstacles.”<\/li>\n
- “Describe a situation when as a leader of a group you directed its efforts and how you gained commitment to achieve results.”<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Some employer application forms are designed to be difficult and off-putting, they use this as an initial filter to test your commitment and interest in them.<\/p>\n
For more examples click here: https:\/\/www.prospects.ac.uk\/careers-advice\/applying-for-jobs\/example-questions-and-answers<\/a><\/p>\n\ud83d\udca1 5. Read through, check, check again and submit early<\/strong><\/h5>\nOnce you complete your form, spell check it, read it a few times and keep a copy. Ask a friend or family member to also read through it and remember you can get help from the Careers Consultants throughout any stage of your application form.\u00a0 Keep a copy of the form or copy and paste the answers for yourself to refer to should you get an interview offer.\u00a0 Aim to send in your application ahead of any deadline. 80% of candidates try to submit their application forms during the last few days and some roles close early \u2013 Therefore don\u2019t leave it to the last minute or you may end up disappointed!<\/p>\n
:star: Final tips: <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n- use power verbs such as transformed, delivered, achieved and inspired<\/li>\n
- choose descriptive words like effective, consistent, determined and adaptable<\/li>\n
- focus on answering the questions and avoid waffling or being too vague<\/li>\n
- select appropriate examples of your achievements from past experience<\/li>\n
- demonstrate enthusiasm for the role<\/li>\n
- ensure your spelling and grammar is correct.<\/li>\n
- don\u2019t copy and paste across several application forms \u2013 start fresh<\/li>\n
- glassdoor is a good website to find reviews and tips from others who have gone through recruitment procedures and also worked at those companies<\/li>\n
- You can always book a 20 min short consultation with a careers consultant to go through your application form before you submit<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Good luck!<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udca1 For more information about tackling application forms, refer to the following excellent websites:<\/p>\n
\u27a1 https:\/\/targetjobs.co.uk\/careers-advice\/applications-and-cvs\/271309-the-graduates-guide-to-job-application-forms<\/a><\/p>\n\u27a1 https:\/\/www.grb.uk.com\/careers-advice\/graduate-job-applications#<\/a><\/p>\n\u27a1 https:\/\/www.e4s.co.uk\/graduate-jobs\/free-application-form-tips.htm<\/a><\/p>\n\u27a1 https:\/\/www.prospects.ac.uk\/careers-advice\/applying-for-jobs\/write-a-successful-job-application<\/a><\/p>\n\u27a1 https:\/\/ofqual.blog.gov.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2017\/12\/How-to-use-STAR-in-your-application.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\u27a1 https:\/\/nationalcareers.service.gov.uk\/careers-advice\/interview-advice\/the-star-method<\/a><\/p>\n\u27a1 https:\/\/www.prospects.ac.uk\/careers-advice\/applying-for-jobs\/example-questions-and-answers<\/a><\/p>\n\u27a1 https:\/\/www.wikijob.co.uk\/interview-advice\/interview-questions\/nhs-interview-questions<\/a><\/p>\n————————————————————————————————————<\/p>\n
\u261e\u00a0Big thanks to Iram Sial, one of our Careers Consultants, for writing this blog post. We hope you find it useful when applying to jobs.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nPlease be reminder that if you need careers support, your Careers Team is only an email \/ a message away!<\/p>\n
E:<\/strong>\u00a0careers@westminster.ac.uk<\/a>|\u00a0Website<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|Careers Blog<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Found the ideal job to apply to? Great! But it comes with an online application form to fill in \u2013 so how do you go about filling this to such an excellent standard that they shortlist you?\u00a0 Well that is…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":287,"featured_media":10398,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10396","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10396","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/287"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10396"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10396\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13127,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10396\/revisions\/13127"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10398"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10396"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10396"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10396"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
With most forms they don\u2019t expect you to fill it out in one go, so you can sign up start, save and come back to it. The personal details, education and employment history sections are straight forward and self explanatory.\u00a0 The tricky and time consuming part is almost always when they ask for your reasons for applying and suitability for the job.<\/p>\n
Many graduate recruiters use a\u00a0standard application forms (SAF) or other competence based forms in their recruitment process. These forms ask specific questions in relation to skills the recruiter expects you to have.\u00a0 Some forms do not make the criteria explicit, but instead leave a long, blank space for you to fill, to impress them!\u00a0Other forms may have complex questions so the trick is to answer each part of the question.<\/p>\n
The employer application form (EAF) or the\u00a0company application form (CAF) is designed by individual employers and relevant only to their organisation.\u00a0 It is widely used, particularly by larger organisations, many of which are now encouraging online application forms.<\/p>\n
Either way, application forms are designed to test whether your skills and experience match the competencies required in the job, along with why you\u2019re applying to them in particular and why this job.<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udca1 4. What exactly do I write? <\/strong><\/h5>\nDon’t be afraid to sell yourself. Demonstrate your passion for the company or job and any past achievements you can relate to the role. When writing your answers, always consider\u00a0what skills employers want\u00a0and how you can show that you have them.\u00a0 write a well-structured, well-argued case that you are the right person for the job, again referring to the person specification set out in the advert.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t underestimate the importance of articulating your answers concisely, impressively and really highlighting how you meet each competency through your education and past work experience\/voluntary and extracurricular activities.\u00a0 Evidence is key!\u00a0 You must clearly be able to demonstrate through examples how you have demonstrated that skill in the past.\u00a0 The STAR approach (links below) is great in answering competency questions and even for writing convincing statements.<\/p>\n
Remember also to use buzz words since many systems scan electronically for the right words before you proceed any further.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Typical questions:<\/p>\n
\n- “Please use this space to tell us what you have achieved that makes you stand out.”<\/li>\n
- “Tell us about a time when you have had to overcome significant difficulties to achieve something. Tell us how you approached the issue and managed to overcome any obstacles.”<\/li>\n
- “Describe a situation when as a leader of a group you directed its efforts and how you gained commitment to achieve results.”<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Some employer application forms are designed to be difficult and off-putting, they use this as an initial filter to test your commitment and interest in them.<\/p>\n
For more examples click here: https:\/\/www.prospects.ac.uk\/careers-advice\/applying-for-jobs\/example-questions-and-answers<\/a><\/p>\n\ud83d\udca1 5. Read through, check, check again and submit early<\/strong><\/h5>\nOnce you complete your form, spell check it, read it a few times and keep a copy. Ask a friend or family member to also read through it and remember you can get help from the Careers Consultants throughout any stage of your application form.\u00a0 Keep a copy of the form or copy and paste the answers for yourself to refer to should you get an interview offer.\u00a0 Aim to send in your application ahead of any deadline. 80% of candidates try to submit their application forms during the last few days and some roles close early \u2013 Therefore don\u2019t leave it to the last minute or you may end up disappointed!<\/p>\n
:star: Final tips: <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n- use power verbs such as transformed, delivered, achieved and inspired<\/li>\n
- choose descriptive words like effective, consistent, determined and adaptable<\/li>\n
- focus on answering the questions and avoid waffling or being too vague<\/li>\n
- select appropriate examples of your achievements from past experience<\/li>\n
- demonstrate enthusiasm for the role<\/li>\n
- ensure your spelling and grammar is correct.<\/li>\n
- don\u2019t copy and paste across several application forms \u2013 start fresh<\/li>\n
- glassdoor is a good website to find reviews and tips from others who have gone through recruitment procedures and also worked at those companies<\/li>\n
- You can always book a 20 min short consultation with a careers consultant to go through your application form before you submit<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Good luck!<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udca1 For more information about tackling application forms, refer to the following excellent websites:<\/p>\n
\u27a1 https:\/\/targetjobs.co.uk\/careers-advice\/applications-and-cvs\/271309-the-graduates-guide-to-job-application-forms<\/a><\/p>\n\u27a1 https:\/\/www.grb.uk.com\/careers-advice\/graduate-job-applications#<\/a><\/p>\n\u27a1 https:\/\/www.e4s.co.uk\/graduate-jobs\/free-application-form-tips.htm<\/a><\/p>\n\u27a1 https:\/\/www.prospects.ac.uk\/careers-advice\/applying-for-jobs\/write-a-successful-job-application<\/a><\/p>\n\u27a1 https:\/\/ofqual.blog.gov.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2017\/12\/How-to-use-STAR-in-your-application.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\u27a1 https:\/\/nationalcareers.service.gov.uk\/careers-advice\/interview-advice\/the-star-method<\/a><\/p>\n\u27a1 https:\/\/www.prospects.ac.uk\/careers-advice\/applying-for-jobs\/example-questions-and-answers<\/a><\/p>\n\u27a1 https:\/\/www.wikijob.co.uk\/interview-advice\/interview-questions\/nhs-interview-questions<\/a><\/p>\n————————————————————————————————————<\/p>\n
\u261e\u00a0Big thanks to Iram Sial, one of our Careers Consultants, for writing this blog post. We hope you find it useful when applying to jobs.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nPlease be reminder that if you need careers support, your Careers Team is only an email \/ a message away!<\/p>\n
E:<\/strong>\u00a0careers@westminster.ac.uk<\/a>|\u00a0Website<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|Careers Blog<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Found the ideal job to apply to? Great! But it comes with an online application form to fill in \u2013 so how do you go about filling this to such an excellent standard that they shortlist you?\u00a0 Well that is…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":287,"featured_media":10398,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10396","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10396","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/287"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10396"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10396\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13127,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10396\/revisions\/13127"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10398"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10396"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10396"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10396"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/p>\nSome employer application forms are designed to be difficult and off-putting, they use this as an initial filter to test your commitment and interest in them.<\/p>\n
For more examples click here: https:\/\/www.prospects.ac.uk\/careers-advice\/applying-for-jobs\/example-questions-and-answers<\/a><\/p>\n Once you complete your form, spell check it, read it a few times and keep a copy. Ask a friend or family member to also read through it and remember you can get help from the Careers Consultants throughout any stage of your application form.\u00a0 Keep a copy of the form or copy and paste the answers for yourself to refer to should you get an interview offer.\u00a0 Aim to send in your application ahead of any deadline. 80% of candidates try to submit their application forms during the last few days and some roles close early \u2013 Therefore don\u2019t leave it to the last minute or you may end up disappointed!<\/p>\n Good luck!<\/p>\n \ud83d\udca1 For more information about tackling application forms, refer to the following excellent websites:<\/p>\n \u27a1 https:\/\/targetjobs.co.uk\/careers-advice\/applications-and-cvs\/271309-the-graduates-guide-to-job-application-forms<\/a><\/p>\n \u27a1 https:\/\/www.grb.uk.com\/careers-advice\/graduate-job-applications#<\/a><\/p>\n \u27a1 https:\/\/www.e4s.co.uk\/graduate-jobs\/free-application-form-tips.htm<\/a><\/p>\n \u27a1 https:\/\/www.prospects.ac.uk\/careers-advice\/applying-for-jobs\/write-a-successful-job-application<\/a><\/p>\n \u27a1 https:\/\/ofqual.blog.gov.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2017\/12\/How-to-use-STAR-in-your-application.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n \u27a1 https:\/\/nationalcareers.service.gov.uk\/careers-advice\/interview-advice\/the-star-method<\/a><\/p>\n \u27a1 https:\/\/www.prospects.ac.uk\/careers-advice\/applying-for-jobs\/example-questions-and-answers<\/a><\/p>\n \u27a1 https:\/\/www.wikijob.co.uk\/interview-advice\/interview-questions\/nhs-interview-questions<\/a><\/p>\n ————————————————————————————————————<\/p>\n \u261e\u00a0Big thanks to Iram Sial, one of our Careers Consultants, for writing this blog post. We hope you find it useful when applying to jobs.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Please be reminder that if you need careers support, your Careers Team is only an email \/ a message away!<\/p>\n E:<\/strong>\u00a0careers@westminster.ac.uk<\/a>|\u00a0Website<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|Careers Blog<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Found the ideal job to apply to? Great! But it comes with an online application form to fill in \u2013 so how do you go about filling this to such an excellent standard that they shortlist you?\u00a0 Well that is…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":287,"featured_media":10398,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10396","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10396","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/287"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10396"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10396\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13127,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10396\/revisions\/13127"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10398"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10396"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10396"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10396"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\ud83d\udca1 5. Read through, check, check again and submit early<\/strong><\/h5>\n
:star: Final tips: <\/strong><\/h5>\n
\n