Application Guidance
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When completing your application form some parts might be a little more time consuming than others. Therefore, we suggest that you save your application form as you are progressing through.
You can do this by pressing the save button which should be located towards the top right of your screen. When saving your application form you will be sent a link to your registered email address. Please ensure to check your junk/spam email folders as the emails may go into these folders. Each time you save your application form a new link should be sent. Please ensure that if you go back to your application form at a later stage you use the most recent link that was sent to you.
PROVIDING EVIDENCE AGAINST ESSENTIAL CRITERIA AND BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES IN THE SUPPORTING INFORMATION SECTION OF THE APPLICATION FORM.
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The “Supporting Information” section of the application form is the most important part of your submission. Please pay particular attention to this as it is where you tell us what makes you suitable for the job. Your application will be assessed by comparing what you have written against the essential criteria and competencies outlined in the person specification.
When setting out the requirements for the job we use essential/desirable criteria of which some are Behavioural/Technical competencies, and all of this is set out in the person specification.
You must refer to and address each of the essential criteria and competencies identified in the person specification in turn. This will ensure that you structure your supporting information in a logical way and enable you to give evidence of the behaviours, experience, knowledge, and skills you have in each area by providing practical examples of your competence. Please also include any evidence of the desirable requirements identified in the person specification. Fully completing the ‘Supporting Information’ section in this way will provide you with the best opportunity of being shortlisted.
Please avoid making a series of statements without evidence to back up what you are saying. For example:
“I have knowledge of the processes used in my role” or “I am an effective communicator”
Statements like this will not provide the short listing panel with actual evidence of what you have done.
When providing your evidence, please describe
• what you did,
• how you did it,
• why you did it and
• the effect that this had,
This will show that you understand what is required and that you are capable of doing it.
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When providing evidence, think of an example where you have demonstrated the essential criteria or competency required and use the “STAR” model to evidence your answer as follows:
- Describe the situation that you found yourself in
- Describe the task that you needed to undertake to resolve the situation
- Describe the action that you took to resolve the situation
- Describe the result of your actions and how this resolved the situation
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A ‘Behavioural Competency Framework’ and ‘Technical Competency Framework’ (where applicable) are available to help you understand the definition of each competence identified in the Person Specification. To use the competency frameworks, first read the ‘headline statement’ situated beneath each competency title to understand what the competency is about, and then look at the level identified for that particular competency. The descriptors contained within the specified level should help you think about the evidence you need to include in your the ‘Supporting Information’ section.
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Note: Please evidence any professional/trade qualifications and/or membership of a professional/trade body requirements (if applicable) in the ‘Education and Training’ and/or ‘Membership of Professional Body’ sections of the application form.
The supporting information section should not include your CV or personal information such as name, address, email address etc.