Application form help please

mrsvanderkamp_2

Hi there,

I am graduating this year in Criminology and Psychology and I have an application form for a position as Probation Service Officer.

It is one where they don't accept a CV and you have to fill in boxes with headings that relate to the person specification such as "knowledge", "Ability to problem solve" "Ability to plan and organise own workload" and the one that stumps me a bit - "ability to promote good diversity practice". I am a mature student having previously worked for 20 years mainly the legal profession so I have a lot of the skills in terms of some of the above (as well as what I have learnt at uni) but I need some help as to how to fill this in (anyone who works in HR would be a massive help here! ) as I really don't know what they are looking for in my responses.

Also the first part asks for most recent employent or current circumstances if not previously employed - so do I say I'm a student in the first box and then give my career history in the others? I guess so?

I don't want to make a mess of this and they don't ask for any specific experience of working with offenders although I have some - I was a special constabe for a few years and I was also a volunteer with a local charity as an Appropriate Adult - attending the police station for under 16's when no one else within their family or suitable friends could do it. So i think I'm kind of ok with a a lot of it, but what do I put about the diversity issue and is there a particular way I should be answering the rest of the questions?? If I make a god job of the application I think I stand a good chance of getting an interview, so I want to get it right

Thanks for any advice