Education

[Edit]  

You will be expected to list the names and addresses of schools or colleges attended and may be required to give your academic grades for qualifications gained from secondary school through to and including university. First year grades may also be taken into consideration, even though these will not necessarily count towards your final degree classification.

It is very important that you meet or exceed the minimum academic requirements required for the job you are applying for. Some employers, particularly those using automated recruiting systems, will simply disregard applications that fall short of minimum academic requirements.

If you have a very serious reason why your grades do not meet the minimum requirements of the job you are applying for, you must call HR to discuss you application. Be prepared to include documentation to substantiate the reasons you are giving for your poor grades, e.g. a doctor's letter.

Employment History

[Edit]  

Before you start answering this section, read any guidelines carefully to make sure you are filling it out exactly as the employer requests. You will be asked to give details of employment including vacation work and internships, usually most recent first. Include details of holiday or part-time jobs, temporary work, and unpaid or voluntary work experience.

Ideally you need at least three examples of work for your application form. If you have had many jobs, the examples you use should be the most recent and/or relevant to the job you are applying for.

Gap Years

It is important to account for every period of your life on your application form, even if there are periods when you were travelling, or not in formal education or employment. Do not leave dates unaccounted for.

For Gap Years, be sure to state: exactly what you did, where this took place, how you organised/funded your trip, and what skills you gained as a result of the experience. Try to show your employers that your Gap Year is an asset to your employability.

Activities and Interests

[Edit]  

Make sure you include skills, activities and interests you have that are relevant to the job you are applying for. Be sure to include highly regarded skills (such as second languages) above hobbies such as cars or music.

References

[Edit]  

You will normally be asked for the names of at least two referees on your application form. Try to use one referee from a period of employment and one academic referee.

Make sure you get their permission before using their details on yourapplication form. A job offer is usually subject to positive references, so it is a good idea to let your referees know they might need to give their opinions of you in the near future.

Reasons for Applying

[Edit]  

This section may also be called Personal Statement. In this section you must prove to your employer why you are suitable for the job you are applying for. Try to sell yourself and match your skills, competencies and experiences to those you believe the employer is looking for.

Let your employer know:

• What originally attracted you to this job.

• How your qualifications, competencies and experience are relevant ot the job/company.

• What you are willing to do to upgrade your skills or qualifications.

• How your personality would make you a good company fit (use examples of experiences to demonstrate your personality).

• Why this job is a logical move forward for you and how it fits in with your longer term career goals.

You can include details on times when you may have met with employees from the company you are applying to, e.g. at careers fair, company presentations, work experience, internships, etc. Talk about the impression you have of the firm from these meetings. You may also talk about any independent research you have conducted on the firm's position in its industry, its culture, structure, training, technology, staff retention, history or anything similar.