I need help completing a UK style job application form.

• So http://ask.metafilter.com/198157/Potential-jobs-in-London (US union staffer returning to London and looking for a job) was me. Since then I've found a job opening that's absolutely perfect... but I need to fill out a UK style application form, and having spent my whole career in the US, I need some advice. I'm applying for a job that's absolutely spot on for my skills and experience - if I wrote a description of what I've been doing for the last five years, this would be it! It's with an organisation I respect, the money is great, and there aren't a lot of people locally who do what I do. Friendly overtures to the department that's recruiting make it look like I would at least be seriously considered. This is a senior (but not top of the ladder) management position that would have me responsible for about 20 people and executing the organisation's strategy for a region. So now I have to actually apply, and it's an unfamiliar process for me. In the US we generally send a resume (CV) that lists past experience, and a cover letter that explains how we're excited about the opportunity and perfect for the role. This organisation (large non-profit) has sent me a "Person Specification" listing desired personal qualities like "able to handle conflict and competing priorities", and a "Job Description" describing what the role means, eg "working with the department to develop a regional plan". I need to take this info about what they're looking for, and fill out an application form that has an area for a work history, and a large blank area to describe how you meet the requirements. I have a few questions that Google isn't helping with, as every site that comes up is too generic and too focused on applying for very junior roles: 1) How comprehensive does the chronological work history need to be? Do I need to include very early jobs that weren't related to my career path, but which I would mention at interview because I would be referring to my union membership during that time? 2) I have two gaps in my work history. The first was a couple of years ago, when after leaving one job I took a course unrelated to my career path because I was considering changing careers, before being recruited for another career path job and becoming more certain I'll stick with what I've been doing. It means I have a neat, but unrelated qualification. It's a gap of about 9 months that I could theoretically cover up if I can just list years of employment, not months. How would you handle this? The other is that I haven't worked for the past year, because I had a baby and I've been home with him. If I had been in the UK I would have been on maternity leave, but that essentially doesn't exist here, so I chose not to be employed. Do I list the last year in the history or do I let my work history end in December 2010, and explain in the interview? Or something else? As a woman in my field in the US, putting on an application that you had a young child would be the kiss of death, but my Mum (who works in the public sector) is telling me the gap will scare them more, and would stop me getting an interview. 3) Any tips on that long free-form part appreciated. I've been told that any way of completing it that makes sense will work - is that so? My instinct is to treat it like a very detailed and specific cover letter, and to break it down into thematic paragraphs that address most of their bullet points in total, but don't go through them one-by-one. 4) One last especially stupid question! The form wants the names and addresses of all my past employers. Does it literally want the full postal address, or just the city? Any advice from those with relevant UK experience appreciated, thanks. It's weird to be a British mid-career professional who has essentially no work experience in my home country!

• Answer:

  Hello! I have been thinking of your last question and kept toying with adding an answer to it to warn you that British job applications, especially for non-profits, are usually very different to US ones. But that wasn't you asked back then. I was a bit worried because in my job I've not been able to shortlist good American candidates before because they basically written an American style cover letter in the personal statement section of the application form and they didn't provide the evidence I needed to justify giving them an interview. It's frustrating, so I'm really glad you've asked this! I've never had a senior position, so I can't be sure about some of your questions, but I can tell you about how the recruitment process works at the large non-profit I work at and at most of the other places I have worked (and if you want to me me-mail me the name of the organisation you're applying to, I might be able to give you a bit more specific advice as well). I'm going to start with question 3) first: In theory, this is supposed to be how we recruit for every position in my organisation, but to be honest, it's not always the case, but if this role is being externally advertised then I think it's likely they will follow a system something like this. So, we have what's internally known as an 'equal opportunities selection process' (gah jargon!). There's two stages, the first is shortlisting all the applications down to a number of people to invite in for interview. Usually this is around 5 - 6 people at the most. Your goal with your application form is to get you an interview. Don't worry too much about anything else right now. We shortlist like this: For every criteria on the Person Spec, we look at what evidence the applicant has given that demonstrates that they meet that criteria. Then we score them 0 for no evidence, 1 for some evidence, 2 for good evidence. We add up the scores for each applicant. Three (maybe four sometimes) people do this independently. Then those people get together in a room and go though the scores, and agree on the applicants with the highest scores who will get invited for an interview. The three people normally disagree on at least a few of the applicants, so there's some discussion about who to include. Usually there are some that are essentia qualities on the person spec and some that are desirable, we usually total the essentials, and then if there are any debates look at the scores for desirable qualities. So, for each item on the Person Spec you need to provide evidence that you can do that. The easiest way to do this is to make each criteria a bullet point and after it explain your experience. Other organisations might have different shortlisting systems, but when I've followed this approach I've almost always got an interview. I always break it down using the STAR approach. This is where I point out that I've never had a senior position and usually I use this when I'm running our interns' careers workshops. But even for more senior roles it seems to me a clear way to lay out your evidence: Situation - Who, what, why, when Task - What was the situation or task you were faced with Action - What did you do (this part should form the bulk of your explanation) Result - What were the results of your actions You can combine criteria if you have evidence that covers them both, but make it clear that's what you're doing. We can't second guess or read between the lines on the application form. There applicant has to give evidence and explanation. The people doing the shortlisting are going to be reading a lot of applications (see below) make their job easy. We have a different scoring system for interviews. The questions are supposed to reflect the Person Spec, but they don't usually a question for each criteria. We score each question 0 - 4 with 0 being no evidence and 4 exceeds expectations. And the person with the highest score gets the job (but usually there's some discussion between members of the interview panel as they again score independently then compare results) The people who score highly on paper are not necessarily the ones who score highly in interview. So, your other questions (I've just previewed and few people have weighed in with good stuff since I started writing this): 1) What everyone else said, but make sure that if they specify that you explain all your employment history for X numbers of years, you account for every minute of those X years. 2) What everyone else said, and also bear in mind, that although it varies by field, the charity sector is heavily female-biased (although there is still a bit of a glass ceiling at Director level). My work place is probably 30% male at the most, I've worked places where it was 10%, and these are large, national organisations. But caveat, I've never applied for a senior role. Gaps, particularly recent ones are more worrying, your Mum is right. 4) I want to know the answer to this on too! I usually simplify the addresses of my post-uni, not as important, jobs. (Organisation, Town, County) Other things: You will need to watch the jargon you use, and maybe use British expressions instead of the normal American-term, particularly in the personal statement - in that section you might want to even use trade union instead of labor union. I would read the Job Description and Person Spec and their web page carefully and use the same terms that they do. Speak their language. Again, make the shortlisting job easy. If you are not reading Third Sector magazine, start now. Their daily email is free. It'll also help you get a feel for UK terminology and the wider issues facing the sector. Also search Third Sector for the name of the organisation you're applying for and see what's been happening there. And make sure you read at least the last Annual report of the organisation, and look them up on the Charity Commissions' web page. And now the bad news. We are currently getting dozens of applications for any role we advertise, 60- 80 is not unusual any more. From talking to friends this is common across the sector, it's crazy. Some places are only advertising roles for a week, maybe even a few days, because they will get enough good applicants in that time. Two things, this means the people reading your application will be reading a lot of others as well. Make it easy for them to read yours and find the evidence they need to interview you. Second, you will be competing against people who will have done this job before, and some people who will be taking a step down to do it. But that doesn't mean you can't do it better than them. It's a weird, but exciting, time to enter the sector. There's some really interesting work going on, but along side a lot of cuts and belt-tightening. Good luck! And Me-mail me if you want more info.