Royal Marines Officer

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• Publisher: How2become
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN:
  9781907558719
• eBook ISBN:
  9781909229372
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Careers

Chapter 1
The purpose of an application form

THE PURPOSE OF AN APPLICATION FORM

Before I start to explain the most effective way to complete your job application form, it is probably best that explain the purpose of them. If you have an understanding why they are used then your chances of success will no doubt increase.

During my career I scored literally hundreds of application forms. The vast majority, I have to say, were very poor. Too many people spend too little time on their application form. Here are just a few examples of why people fail to pass the application form stage:

1. Failure to follow instructions

With your application form you should receive some form a ‘guidance’ notes. These will provide clear instructions on how you should complete the form. I would estimate that over 75% of people either are not aware of their existence, or they cannot be bothered to read them. For example, a form may give guidance on the colour pen that you should use. If you fail to complete the form in the designated colour, your form will most probably get rejected. If you cannot follow instructions on an application form then there is little chance that you will follow instructions in the job.

2. Poor grammar and spelling

Whatever you do, make sure you get a third party to read through your application form for errors before you submit it. In fact, if you are really serious about the job you are applying for, you may decide to pay a proof-reader to check over the form for you. An application form that is riddled with errors will be rejected.

3. Failure to meet the ‘essential’ criteria

Within the guidance notes or person specification for the role you are applying for, there will sometimes be a list of ‘essential’ and ‘desirable’ criteria. Make sure you match the essentials and also try to add as many desirables as possible.

4. Failure to provide suitable evidence

You will notice that, as you progress through this guide, I will encourage you to provide ‘evidence’ of where you meet the requirements of the job you are applying for at every opportunity. Let us assume that one of the skills required to carry out the job you are applying for is that of ‘customer service’. If this is the case it is imperative that you provide some form of previous experience or qualifications in this area. This will demonstrate to the assessor that you already have some essential skills to carry out the job competently.

“The purpose of an application form is to initially assess whether or not you have the skills, qualities and attributes to perform the role. If you do, then you will be invited to attend either an assessment or an interview.”

Many application forms will be ‘scored’ against a number of set skills, qualities and attributes and you can usually find these in the person specification or guidance notes. Take a look at the following sample person specification and in particular note the essential desirable criteria. The position is for a customer service assistant.

SAMPLE PERSON SPECIFICATION

POST: Customer Services Assistant

ATTRIBUTES	ESSENTIAL	DESIRABLE
Qualifications/Experience	3 GCSE/’O’ levels, including Maths and English or Equivalent vocational qualification (Level 2 NVQ) or 3 years experience in customer service role and Experience of using Windows-based computer packages	Experience of working within a customer service contact centre or telephone environment Previous money handling experience
Knowledge/Skills	Ability to communicate clearly and effectively by telephone, in person and in writing Quick and accurate keyboard skills Ability to make effective decisions and work unsupervised A methodical and accurate approach to work activities Capable of following procedures and policies Excellent customer service skills Evidence of delivering a first class service to a diverse range of customers from initial point of contact	Experience of using a database including sage Handling and resolution of customer complaints from initial point of contact through to resolution

Just by reading and studying this sample person specification it is possible to predict the type of questions you could get asked both on the application form and also at the interview. Here they are:

1. Provide an example of where you have provided excellent customer service?

2. Provide an example of where you have dealt with a customer’s complaint from the initial handling of the call through to resolution?

3. What knowledge or experience do you have of database systems?

4. Provide an example of when you have communicated a difficult message to a person or a group of people?

5. How do you organise your day?

6. Provide an example of where you have work effectively with a diverse range of people?

7. Provide an example of where you have solved a difficult problem whilst following procedures of policies.

Hopefully you are now starting to understand how important the person specification is when completing your application form. Whenever I have completed forms in the past I will always have at my side a copy of this important document. I will also get hold of a highlighter pen and highlight the important areas that I need to match when responding to the questions on the form. Once I match a specific requirement, I will tick i...

Table of contents

• INTRODUCTION
• PREFACE BY AUTHOR RICHARD MCMUNN
• Chapter 1 The purpose of an application form
• Chapter 2 The use of keywords in your responses
• Chapter 3 Sample questions and responses
• Chapter 4 Final tips for completing a Successful Application