Job Application Questions

Sew_Late

I have not applied for a job in a long time and it's seems to have got so hard to just fill in the forms.  I'm applying for a Exec Assistant post in the NHS and these are the questions.  Would people mind telling me what kinds of things they would put - I am totally overwhelmed by it and I have 20 years experience at Board Level in and out of the NHS. Closing is on Monday so I'm not applying for this now as too late but would like help for the future.  I've completed - qaulifications, job experience, etc etc but this is the 'freeform' part where you have write up to 5000 words for each section.  I would like to apply for other roles in the future and I have to talk about and give examples for each of the bullet points.  Honestly, this just isn't the way I think. 

There are 6 parts:

1 Knowledge & Understanding

• An understanding of business acumen in their area of responsibility ensuring value for money and the driving factors for delivery in multiple sectors.
• Advanced knowledge of all Microsoft Office packages
• Knowledge of administrative systems and procedures
• Understanding of practices within required field of work
• Understanding of the current issues impacting on the NHS

2 Experience

• Previous experience of working in the NHS with senior stakeholders including Chairs and CEOs.
• Experience of providing project support, developing and implementing systems.
• Experience of working in a service focused environment.
• Experience of managing incoming and outgoing information requirements, handling correspondence/queries which may be complex, sensitive or highly confidential.
• Experience of updating and developing policies/practices/systems within own area of work and/or the wider organisation
• Experience of working in the NHS/public body
• Demonstrable line management experience
• Experience of arranging meetings, preparing agendas and transcribing minutes of meetings
• Experience of contract monitoring

Skills

• Good communications skills using a range of methods e.g. written and verbal.
• Advanced IT skills in Microsoft applications including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
• Intermediate Keyboard skills
• High level of attention to detail
• Prioritisation and organisation skills
• Ability to manage own workload, working to deadlines with minimal supervision
• Ability to analyse data from databases to present summary results and/or draw conclusions
• Minute taking, audio typing/digital dictation skills
• Advanced Keyboarding skills

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent level of experience in relevant role
• Plus
• Management qualification or equivalent level of on-the-job experience
• Evidence of continuing personal development
• Evidence of additional training/experience to support the requirements of the role

Other

• Personal qualities of honesty and integrity.
• Possess a positive attitude
• Requirement to spend substantial amounts of time inputting at a keyboard or reviewing computer information via the VDU
• Ability to travel to attend meetings and attend for work at several locations, including home, for the purpose of hybrid working

Partnership Working/Leadership Management

• An understanding of partnership working and how/when partnerships should be built, in order to effect solutions that feed into defined plans
• Demonstrate detailed understanding and commitment to delivering the NHS People Promise and the ICB Values
• Provide effective, inclusive and compassionate management, ensuring all voices are heard and creating and nurturing a culture where staff feel safe to speak up.
• Champions the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion throughout their work within the organisation
• Challenges within areas of responsibility and escalates appropriately where these principles are at risk of not being upheld
• Role model core behaviours including equity and diversity and maintaining a professional image at all times
• Professional and approachable manner
• Good communicator, with ability to liaise with colleagues at all levels
• Able to persuade and influence in areas of conflict
• Ability to provide and receive highly complex, sensitive and contentious information.
• Flexible and adaptable to meet deadlines
• Ability to work as part of a team or independently
• Takes personal responsibility for actions and their impact
• Ability to work flexibly in order to meet the needs of the service
• Ability to plan workload considering conflicting priorities and deadlines
• Ability to work in a collaborative way across organisational/sector boundaries in order to achieve the highest quality outcomes for patients

I have to write about all of these things and most of them I just don't know what to write.  I'm not applying for the CEO role.  For each section I've got to give examples and I don't know where to start.  Some things are easier than others eg I can give examples of qualifications or being flexible and adaptable to meet deadlines but honestly, overall, I don't know.  Could people help, please? 

Dakta

Hi, that's some list.  not wanting to sound unhelpful but there's just so many points there I don't think it's going to help much and take a crapload of time when it's a job you aren't applying for (ps if it's one you want them I'd still apply looks to me like you just need to work through and give examples meeting these criteria, dig deep)

Do you have a job you are applying for, can try and help with finding something to write for the criteria for that?

MovingForwards

It's taken me a few years and several applications to master these! 

Effectively you're creating a personal statement for each section, but making sure it all flows and ensuring you're using their 'buzz' words as a lot of the time it's a computer doing the initial screening; no buzz words means rejection.

Looking at the skills bit, obviously this is very rough and relates to me as I'm not looking at your CV, nor does it cover everything as it's just to get you started; it would have been a lot easier just to copy my last supporting statement as it was more flowery than basic needing to be fluffed.

Working within X company taught me to negotiate due to liaising with A, B and C, in my subsequent role with Y and Z it allowed me to hone soft skills when dealing with people face to face, by telephone and other written communication due to handling ? work, adapting and changing terminology depending on who I was speaking with.

I all my roles I've used Microsoft and various in-house case management systems, this includes 1, 2, 3 where I quickly adapted to them due to prior experience. 

I've prepared X training using PowerPoint for slides and presented the same to lesser experienced members of staff, allowing them to grow within their roles.

In A, B, C roles I was preparing and submitting 1, 2, 3 forms and 4, 5, 6 applications to HMRC, HMCTS etc etc which required a high level attention to detail as any mistake would require an application to amend it, costing the company money with the risk blah blah. As these roles were process driven, keeping meticulous diary management meant I was able to organise and prioritise my workload to meet deadlines and working with minimal supervision due to my 15 years experience.

Sew_Late

Dakta said:

Hi, that's some list.  not wanting to sound unhelpful but there's just so many points there I don't think it's going to help much and take a crapload of time when it's a job you aren't applying for (ps if it's one you want them I'd still apply looks to me like you just need to work through and give examples meeting these criteria, dig deep)

Do you have a job you are applying for, can try and help with finding something to write for the criteria for that?

Hi - I had been planning to apply but it has a short deadline unfortunately.  It will come up again at some point so I'll apply.  Some bits I just don't quite understand what they are getting at really.  

Sew_Late

MovingForwards said:

It's taken me a few years and several applications to master these! 

Effectively you're creating a personal statement for each section, but making sure it all flows and ensuring you're using their 'buzz' words as a lot of the time it's a computer doing the initial screening; no buzz words means rejection.

Looking at the skills bit, obviously this is very rough and relates to me as I'm not looking at your CV, nor does it cover everything as it's just to get you started; it would have been a lot easier just to copy my last supporting statement as it was more flowery than basic needing to be fluffed.

Working within X company taught me to negotiate due to liaising with A, B and C, in my subsequent role with Y and Z it allowed me to hone soft skills when dealing with people face to face, by telephone and other written communication due to handling ? work, adapting and changing terminology depending on who I was speaking with.

I all my roles I've used Microsoft and various in-house case management systems, this includes 1, 2, 3 where I quickly adapted to them due to prior experience. 

I've prepared X training using PowerPoint for slides and presented the same to lesser experienced members of staff, allowing them to grow within their roles.

In A, B, C roles I was preparing and submitting 1, 2, 3 forms and 4, 5, 6 applications to HMRC, HMCTS etc etc which required a high level attention to detail as any mistake would require an application to amend it, costing the company money with the risk blah blah. As these roles were process driven, keeping meticulous diary management meant I was able to organise and prioritise my workload to meet deadlines and working with minimal supervision due to my 15 years experience.

Thank you - that's really helpful.  My mind doesn't think in this way at all and I've been in the same place for about 15 years moving up and I have a responsible job but not had to apply like this for a job.  It's going take hours.  

MovingForwards

Be sure to enter years when you attained 'special' qualifications, I omitted that on my last application and only got rejected for that! So I quickly added it ready for when another post pops up and the manager will tell me when he's recruiting as he wants me in his department.

My head doesn't think that way either as I'm from the "my CV speaks for itself" corner. It's taken the best part of 4 years to "craft" the work of art. Each application tweaking and rewriting as necessary. Even going as far as writing down everything I've done in roles over 20 years, moving things into the statement, incorporating others parts, fluffing them out and tweaking to include the buzz words.

You only need to look at my CV to see I can do most of the things for the role you're looking at, but unless it's using their terms (buzz words), I'd get rejected.

The job I'm in now somehow I managed to do the statement in 5 hours and submitted it a couple of hours before the deadline.

Now I can reuse the statement for other roles, use it as my outline and tweak for each one; the last two I simply changed reference to the job title.

MovingForwards

I've dropped you a message @Sew_Late

Sew_Late

Thank you Moving Forwards.  There's some helpful tips there and I'll start writing things down.  I'm going to find this hard to do I think. 

MovingForwards

I didn't find it easy, which is why it's taken a few years to get it resembling something I'm happy with! Just keep practicing, make sure you incorporate the appropriate words from the job spec and you'll create a work of art too.