Guidance on completing the job application form

Read through the job description and person specification. Think about how and where you gained your knowledge, skills and experiences:

• Work
• School projects
• Volunteering
• Hobbies
• Community work
• Home life
• College
• Training courses

Copy and paste the criteria outlined in the person specification into a word processing document first and use these points as headings to your answers. Try to keep your statement under 3000 words (or four A4 pages).

If there are points of the person specification that you feel you can't demonstrate then write about how you would try to meet it. For example 'I don't have experience of working in a team, however in this situation I would ....'

When addressing the criteria, please do not only repeat what the person specification states, but give clear examples of how your skills, knowledge or experiences are relevant to the criteria. 

Examples

Administrative Assistant

Criteria: Experience of communicating with staff at all levels.

Wrong answer: I am a good communicator or I have good communication skills and relate well with others.

Right answer: I have worked in my current job for 2 years and deal with written and telephone enquiries from managers, finance assistants (working in other departments) and suppliers. I also deal with petty cash and process claims for staff within my section. I therefore deal with a range of people on a daily basis. Previously I worked for 3 years in a small solicitors practice and dealt with written and telephone enquiries from clients and other solicitors.

Gardener

Criteria: Able to use hand tools and equipment, and powered hand tools.

Wrong answer: I enjoy gardening and am used to using gardening tools.

Right answer: Although I have no work experience in a horticulture role, I am a keen gardener and have an allotment where I grow vegetables, as well as maintaining my garden at home. I have a good knowledge of a variety of flowers and plants.  I use hand tools such as trowels, shovels, hoes, forks and use an electric lawn mower. I also enjoy DIY and have used power tools such as electric drills, sanders and so on for at least 6 years.