Application Forms

Joss Moffatt
Careers Consultant

Agenda
Application process
What employers look for
Typical questions
Competencybased questions
Skills Tree
STAR technique

The Recruitment Process for

graduate schemes / placements

Recruitment Process Statistics for a

large graduate recruiter
Online Application or CV

77

22

29%

Online Testing

19

15

79%

Telephone Interview

14

21%

Assessment Centre

50%

Why did employer reject 71% of application forms?

Failure to meet basic entry requirements
Poor spelling and grammar
Failure to answer the questions directly irrelevant waffle
Lack of focus on why they have chosen the company
answers often too vague
some refer to another company!
Not completing form saying they will 'answer at interview
Lack of detail in answers (use your Word Count Allowance)
Lack of focus on why suitable for the chosen business area
Lack of detail on what they can bring to the company

The purpose of applications

Inform an employer of your skills and experience
Emphasise your key selling points and suitability for
the job
Persuade an employer that you are worth interviewing
Remember - Companies state their requirements on the
job description. Applicants have to simply prove, with
good evidence, that they have acquired/applied these
competencies successfully in the past.

What the employer needs to know is.

Can you do the job?

Skills

What value will you add?

Do you want to do the job?

Attitude

Will you fit in?

Behaviour

The basics
Read and follow instructions carefully
Check if you can save and return to the form
Do you meet the minimum requirements?
Dont leave any question unanswered
Be aware of word limits (short and long!)
Consider preparing longer answers in Word

Typical questions (1)

Motives
What factors have influenced your choice of
career and why do you wish to join this company?

Skills
What key skills do you believe are required for
this job? When and how have you demonstrated these?

Typical questions (2)

Activities
Describe briefly your main leisure and vacation
activities. Give details of any positions of
responsibility held, now or previously, including
active membership of clubs and societies.

Achievements
Which of your achievements or activities, not
necessarily connected with your studies, has
given you most satisfaction, and why?

Typical questions (3)

SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
What do you consider to be the three main business challenges facing
Rolls-Royce over the next five years?
As you will be working closely with our customers what experiences can
you draw upon to help you?
Eg Anglian Water Application Form Questions
What does the Love Every Drop brand mean to you? (Max. 200 words)
What 2 main qualities do you think were looking for in our Graduate
Management Trainees? Please provide evidence of times youve
displayed these qualities. (Max. 400 words)
A water supply company should provide a silent service; if no one is
talking about Anglian Water it means were doing a good job. To what
extend do you agree or disagree with this statement? (Max. 400 words)

Typical questions (4)

COMPETENCY BASED
Tell us about a time you have successfully worked as part of a team.
Provide an example of where you have analysed a large amount of
complex data, how did you achieve this?
Describe a time when you have demonstrated your time management
skills.
We are looking for problem-solvers. How do you solve problems?

Why skills / competencies?

Skills are the best way of measuring:
Knowledge, motivations associated with success
Your ability to succeed in a new environment
Your future potential
Employers need to gather evidence that you have the
skills alongside appropriate behaviours and attributes
necessary to achieve an effective performance level in
the job.

Skills employers seek

Analytical ability
Commercial awareness
Computer literacy
Decision making
Influencing
Initiative
Leadership
Negotiating
Networking
Oral communication

Planning
Presentations
Problem Solving
Self Awareness
Self Confidence
Self Management
Team Working
Time Management
Willingness to learn
Written Communication

Do I have the necessary skills?

Consider what you will be doing in the job and the skills youd
need to do this. Identify examples from your own personal
experiences to demonstrate that you have each specific skill.
The examples could be from specific experiences gained from
a variety of sources, including part-time jobs, hobbies,
travelling, social situations and projects/pieces of work from
your studies.

The Skills Tree

This helps you to:
Identify activities and events which developed your skills
Describe what these skills are
Highlight evidence to demonstrate these skills
Get someone else to help you with it
Add to it over time
Keep it up to date

Skills Tree Example

Providing good answers

Work out what the question is really asking
What are the key issues?
Are there multiple parts to the question?
Consider how you are going to demonstrate the
required skill(s)
Consider order of your answer flow and logic are
important!
Use the STAR technique

The STAR technique

Situation

Provide a context - describe the background, giving

relevant information

Task

Describe the challenge or what needed to be done.

Action

Describe your thought process; the decisions you

made and the action you took.

Result

Explain the results and achievements. What might

you do differently in the future?

STAR technique example:

Give an example of how you implemented a change
Situation:
Whilst employed at Weaver Bros. last summer
Task:
I was given the task of rationalising the stock control system
Action:
I looked at factors such as when the stock was last ordered, what it was used
for and how often it was used. After considering various options I worked out a
method of streamlining the paperwork involved in this process and redesigned
the relevant forms, which I then submitted to my manager.
Result:
My ideas were accepted and implemented and a 15% reduction in stock
Based on a Kent University Careers example
levels was achieved

Exercise
Use the STAR technique to answer ONE of the
following application form questions

Describe a time when you have

demonstrated your time management
skills.
Provide an example of where you have
analysed a large amount of complex
data. How did you achieve this?

Resources
CEC Website > Advice and Guidance > Applying for Jobs
CEC Website > Resources > Leaflet shop
hardcopy available in CEC
TargetJobs > Careers Advice > Applications
specific information in each subject guide
Prospects Website > Careers Advice > Applying for Jobs
Employability Skills - thinking of examples (from pwc)

Get your applications checked

Quick Advice
15 minute appointment
Can check all your documents i.e. application forms, covering letters, CVs
**please print out in advance

Monday - Friday

9:30am 4.30pm

Book on the day

Online
from 8.30am
In person: at the CEC in Bridgeman Building
Phone:
from 8.30am
Quick Advice is popular, so booking online first thing in the morning is advisable.

Its not complicated

Research
Prepare
Ensure you answer the right question(s)
Ask someone else to check your answer
Submit

LOUGHBOROUGH EMPLOYABILITY AWARD

Involvement in volunteering, work experience and other extra-curricular
activities enhances your employability
The Award scheme helps you to record and reflect on your experience to
support you as you apply for placements and graduate employment.
Successful completion is formally recognised by the University
For more information please visit Loughborough Employability Award
Book onto an induction session to get you started on the scheme.
Select and book via Careers Online

Any Questions?

Careers and Employability Centre

www.careers.lboro.ac.uk
www.facebook.com/LboroCEC
www.twitter.com/lborocareers
careers@lboro.ac.uk
01509 222039