Your Application Forms

Can I pause my application and come back to it later?

Yes - the application will save automatically, and you can come back to it later. To go back to your application, login is as a candidate or press ‘apply for this role’ again.

Handy tip: To get back to parts of the form you have previously visited, click the numbered buttons at the top of the form. Each number is a different page of the form, and you can go back over parts you have already completed.

How can I check my application before I submit?

You can review your application by navigating through the different pages using the number buttons. You will also get the opportunity to view your all answers as a PDF before submitting your application.

What happens after I submit my application form?

We aim to update you on the status of your application as soon as possible following the job advert's closing date. If you are unsuccessful in being selected for an interview, we will email you to confirm this.

If you are invited for an interview, you will either be contacted via email or a phone call. If you are contacted via email, you may either receive a link where you are required to book an interview time, or a confirmation of your interview slot.

If you require any reasonable adjustments during your interview, please get in touch with the manager for the position. You can contact the manager by replying to your invite to interview email.

How do I check the status of my application?

Log in to your candidate account (using the login button on the top bar) and enter the email address and password you used to set up your account. This will take you to your candidate homepage, where you can scroll down to see an overview of your applications.

Your application will be marked with one of the following status terms:

• Application started: you have started your application for this role, but haven’t submitted it.
• Application submitted: your application has been received by the hiring manager and will be assessed soon.
• Unsuccessful application: you have been unsuccessful for this post.
• Offer: you have been offered this post.
• Email message: you have received an email about this role.
• Withdrawn: you have asked to be withdrawn from this position.

How do I withdraw my application?

You can withdraw your application by clicking on the 'Withdraw application' option on any of your active applications.

How do I view my past applications?

To see a past application, click on the job title of the application you want to view. This will bring up a PDF of your application form.

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Before Your Interview

How can I prepare for an interview?

• Learn something about us! Make sure you know about the organization you’re interviewing for – our website is a great place to discover more.
• Plan your journey. Confirm where the interview is being held, when it is, and decide how you’re going to get there. It is always best to arrive at your interview 15 minutes prior to your scheduled time.
• Think about what questions you might be asked. Create some ideas for answers to common questions – such as why you’ve applied for the role, and the skills and experience you can bring to the job - so you can answer promptly and confidently if they’re asked. There’s more information about preparing for and answering interview questions in the ‘During your interview’ section of this toolkit.
• Plan a couple of questions to ask your interviewers. You should have the opportunity to ask the interview panel some questions, too.
• Practice makes perfect. Practicing your interview questions can help to perfect your technique and calm your nerves.

What will I need to wear to an interview?

Ensure whatever you wear is suitable for the kind of role you’re applying for. For example, if you’re interviewing for an office based position, your outfit will need to be more formal than if you are interviewing for a trades role (in this instance, you may be told to wear something suitable for doing a practical test in).

Whatever clothing you choose, make sure you feel comfortable.

What if I don’t have any appropriate clothing?

If you are struggling to find appropriate clothes, there are a couple of charities which may be able to help you:

• Smart Works – A charity for women providing interview clothes.
• Suited for Success – A charity providing interview clothes for men and women.
• Suited and Booted - A charity for men providing interview clothes. 
• The Flexible Support Fund – A fund to provide a one-off grant for jobseeking essentials, including clothing.

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During Your Interview

What should I expect in my interview?

Your interview starts as soon as you arrive! Make sure that you arrive promptly, and that you’re polite to everyone you come across.

In your interview, try to make eye contact with the interviewers, smile, and sit up straight. Speak as clearly as possible, and remember that it’s okay to pause for thought before answering a question. You can also bring in notes to help you.

Some hiring managers will provide you with the interview questions beforehand – use this to your advantage. Jot down important points you’d like to cover, and reminders of where to drop in mentions to your education or experience.

During the interview, or on a separate date, you may be asked to do other kinds of assessments, such as a practical test (for example, you may be asked to hang a door if you’re applying to be a joiner). These will be relevant to the role, and you will be informed about these prior to your interview date.

At the end of the interview, don’t forget to thank the interviewers for their time.

How do I answer the questions effectively?

There are many effective ways to answer job interview questions - but a good way to show your experience is using the STAR Method. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result. It’s a simple but effective way of structuring your answer to help you demonstrate your skills to the interviewer.

• Situation: Describe a situation that is relevant to the question you’ve been asked.
• Task: Pick out the task you were required to complete and what your role in this was.
• Action: Outline the steps you took to complete the task.
• Result: Describe the result of your action and what you learned from this.

Tips for using the STAR Method:

• Make sure you adapt your answers to the role you’re applying to, and that your answers are relevant to the skills required for the role.
• When you’re preparing for your interview, read the Job Description and pick out as many skills as you can. Think about how to show and describe these skills using the STAR Method.  
• Feel free to adapt the STAR Method so that it reflects your personality, and keeps the interview panel interested and engaged.

What should I do if my interview is unsuccessful?

If you don’t get the role, we recommend always asking for feedback - Your interviewers may be able to give you pointers that you can work on ready for your next interview!

What happens if I am offered the role?

If you would like to take up the offer, let the hiring manager know as soon as possible. This will kick off the onboarding process, in which the People Team and the hiring manager will collect the various pieces of information (Right to Work, references, and so on) that we will need to get your started with us.

You may receive a few emails during this period from the People Team, with links, helpsheets and queries. You may also receive some phone calls from the hiring manager, and will need to come in to your new place of work to complete identification checks. These ID checks will be completed by your hiring manager, and will give you a opportunity to get to know them a little bit better!

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