Applying for first job in a long time

mummyroysof3

I stopped working in 2010 after having my youngest child. Since then I have been studying until he stated full time school. I am applying for a lunchtime supervisor at a school which non of my children attend and and am struggling to write a personal statement to go with the application form, does anyone have a good site with examples I could look at or any advice please

noelphobic

mummyroysof3 wrote: »

I stopped working in 2010 after having my youngest child. Since then I have been studying until he stated full time school. I am applying for a lunchtime supervisor at a school which non of my children attend and and am struggling to write a personal statement to go with the application form, does anyone have a good site with examples I could look at or any advice please

I'm back on the job market after a very long time myself (was with my previous employer for 23 years!:eek:)

If there is a person specification for the job then go through this point by point and give an example to illustrate each skill. Use skills gained during your study, for example, showing good time management and organisational skills.

I recently put in applications to 2 organisations, one of which I was already volunteering for. I didn't get an interview for that one but I did for the second organisation I applied for. I made the second application much more specific and highlighted words in my personal statement to show how I'd addressed each requirement.

If you look at Total Jobs, Reed, Fish4Jobs and Monster you should find some good tips on there. Also, if you have any friends or relatives who are experienced at job applications then ask them for help - I would be really struggling without my son to help me!

National_Careers_Service

Hi mummyroysof3, as noelphobic mentioned when writing a personal statement to accompany your application it’s a good idea to work your way through the person specification giving an example of each skill or the experience required.

The personal statement section is your chance to elaborate on the information that you have already included in your application such as your work history, qualifications and skills.
It’s important to include specific examples to give evidence of your skills and experience. You might like to present them one by one with a heading so the person reading it can clearly see to which point you’re referring.

It’s also worth mentioning that if you haven’t got the exact experience needed for a particular section on the person spec, you could use similar experiences and skills to show how they would help you to approach these elements of the role.

The other purpose of the personal statement is to show that you are enthusiastic and really want the job. Use positive language to show your interest and try including something about the organisation that shows why you want to work for them. Why do you want the job? Why do you want to work for this particular employer?

There’s a guide about writing a personal statement on our website with some useful tips about what to include. There’s also a handy guide on the Guardian website about writing successful applications that’s worth a look.

In addition if you need any more in depth help feel free to give one of our careers advisers a call on 0800 100 900 or if you’re on a mobile you can book a call back through the following link http://goo.gl/mz2LD8

I hope that helps and do let us know how you get on.

Good luck

Leo

mummyroysof3

Woo I got an interview next Wednesday yay

noelphobic

mummyroysof3 wrote: »

Woo I got an interview next Wednesday yay

Well done! I've also got an interview next Wednesday! :j

mummyroysof3

Well done to you too, good luck. What are you applying for?

noelphobic

mummyroysof3 wrote: »

Well done to you too, good luck. What are you applying for?

A job with the Alzheimer's Society. I've been volunteering for them for a few months but didn't even get an interview for the last job I applied for with them.

I notice from your signature that you're an Open University student. I completed a degree with them last year in Health and Social Care. I worked for a bank for a long time but am now looking for a complete career change into something relevant to my degree.

mummyroysof3

That sounds interesting. I am yet to decide what I want to do in the long run as lots of things interest me. As a parent of a disabled child not only does something in that area interest me but kind of limits me due to child are issues if me and my husband both work.

mummyroysof3

I went for my interview this morning and was unsuccessful in getting one of the permanent positions but got offered a temp/relief position for a term to start with so I'm very happy.

fed_up_and_stressed

mummyroysof3 wrote: »

I went for my interview this morning and was unsuccessful in getting one of the permanent positions but got offered a temp/relief position for a term to start with so I'm very happy.

Well done mummyroysof3 !

noelphobic

mummyroysof3 wrote: »

I went for my interview this morning and was unsuccessful in getting one of the permanent positions but got offered a temp/relief position for a term to start with so I'm very happy.

Well done! My interview was a disaster. :mad: