Application & Preparation guidance

• Read over the job application – know what you are applying for and be relevant – look at the criteria and make sure you relate with at least some (not necessarily all the skills and attributes they may be asking for – 100% is not necessary).
   
• Make sure your LinkedIn profile aligns with your CV and is up to date. 
   
• Ensure each application expresses your motivation to applying for that role and company.  If there is an opportunity for a Cover Letter, use it.  Where there is no opportunity to add a cover letter, you still need to tell the employer you are applying to what you want to do and why, so make sure this information available in the body of your CV within your Personal Statement.
   
• If you have specific job / company motivational references in your cover letter or Personal Statement, make sure they are updated to every application you make.
   
• Review before submitting – check everything and check everything again!  
   
• Track and know which jobs you have applied for.

• Ensure clear name, location and contact details.
   
• Personal Statement – explaining who you are, what you are offering, what you are looking for and why you’re suitable for the role and company (use same adjectives as those used in advertisement where possible)
   
• Summary of your key skills 
   
• Document your work history with most recent first and explain any gaps in Employment / history.
   
• List and quantify your achievements in role as opposed to a less interesting list of duties – use short examples where relevant.
   
• Education, types of qualifications and other relevant courses / certificates should be listed – different career stages will determine how much detail you include here.
   
• Hobbies and Interests – include in brief especially if they are relevant and add value to your application.  (These can be relevant to early career applications where employment history will be limited)
   
• Use key words that recruiters will use to find you – know your target market and use words to attract them. 
   
• Minimise over complicated CV formats and styling and avoid using acronyms or specific terminology that might not be understood.

• Bring your whole self to the interview, be honest, open and prepared.  
   
• Most important aspect of your interview will be your preparation.  Ensure you equip yourself with as much information as possible on the company and position you are applying for.  Where possible, connect with people, colleagues, friends, social media groups etc to get a level of understanding of the organisation.  Investigate products, services, culture, ethics, news, the people, the history….
   
• Think about your future development within this organisation – these are questions you may be asked about.
   
• Prepare smart questions for your interviewers – interviews are not just for employers to assess you.  This role / company needs to be right for you too – check on anything you need more clarity on. It’s fine to take notes in an interview or take a notebook with your questions written in advance.  
   
• Make a great first impressions by dressing appropriately and ensuring you’re on time – just to arrive 10 minutes before your interview. If unavoidably running late – call ahead to advise and explain the problem.
   
• When answering questions be concise.
   
• When the interview is finished, ask about next steps if your interviewers do not offer this information.

• Describe a situation where you helped a team you were working rearrange their priorities in order to meet their goals.
   
• Tell me about a time you needed to learn new skills to complete a task or assignment and how you went about the learning.
   
• Tell me about a time you received constructive/negative feedback and what you did with it.
   
• Think about a great leader you have met and the traits which they exhibit. Describe those leadership traits that you have and how you exhibit them.  (doesn’t have to be someone in the workplace – could just be someone you admire or respect from family, friends, teacher or someone in the public eye). Think about their qualities, what you really admire and how that helps your personal growth.
   
• Describe a time when you needed to gain the confidence of and build trust with a peer or colleague.
   
• Describe one of your best achievements and how you use that experience to drive you forward in other tasks – what were your key learnings?

When answering interview questions, the STAR methodology is a useful framework to use whilst structuring your answers and conversation with your interviewer. Click here to find out more.

• Where you can use GenAI for your next career move
   
• Leverage AI Job-Matching
   
• Consider AI CV-Writing Assistance
   
• Use AI for Cover Letter Support
   
• Use AI for Interview Preparation

• Any preparation using AI should be truly reflective of you and your skills.
   
• Remember, AI will not always generate the right answer and does not know you - please use for insights and guidance only.
   
• Use prompts to match your current skillset to current companies recruiting to help find roles suitable for you.
   
• AI can help you prepare, but you will have to demonstrate all you know and claim at interview, so use wisely.

• What does your profile say about you?  
   
• Do you have anything that could work in conflict with a potential employer?
   
• Does your conduct look good on social media?
   
• Do you use favourable language?
   
• You can still have fun with social media, but always be conscious of how you want people to see you.
   
• Are you connected to people you can trust or even know? 
   
• Your digital footprint can be around for a long time, so make sure it presents you well for your future.

• LinkedIn is the world’s biggest professional networking site and is a very useful tool when looking for a job and getting noticed by employers.
   
• Using LinkedIn is an excellent way of raising your profile and showcasing your story as a professional – opportunity to show your “personal brand.”
   
• Follow employers, get notifications and groups within your area of interest.
   
• Employers will find candidates with the skills they are looking for and those with common goals and interests.
   
• You can add videos, presentations, website links – add media where relevant that will bring your professional self / work to life.
   
• Add bullet points to your current role, including key results, metrics and impacts and include a simple company description with logos and key words. These will get you noticed by more employers searching for new talent
   
• Endorsements and recommendations get you noticed.
   
• Follow groups, organisations and influencers and like, share and comment - this will get you noticed in your area of interest which will give context to your profile, help build your brand and demonstrate your passion to potential new employers.