Job Application Process - "How To" Guide
Introduction
This guide has been written on the basis that you have given
some thought to the type of job and/or speciality training
programme you wish to apply for and that you would appreciate
knowing more about the recruitment and selection process to
enhance your chances of success. If you haven't given much
thought to the right job for you then you might find reviewing
the career-planning framework on the careers section of the KSS
website would be beneficial before you start the job
application process.
Increasingly recruitment to posts requires applicants to
complete application forms and possibly attend interviews and
other assessment activities like knowledge tests, simulation
exercises etc. CVs are being used less frequently. It is
helpful though to record the details of your qualifications,
jobs held etc in a document, effectively your own personal
databank. See Appendix A for a suggested format for this. If
you do need to prepare a CV for any reason then do make sure
any gaps there are in it are explained and avoid reference to
personal information which would be more appropriate to include
in an equal opportunities monitoring form e.g., date of birth,
age, marital status, whether you have a family etc.
Job Advert
There are a number of places where vacancies that might
interest you are advertised. The BMJ and Hospital Doctor have
recruitment pages and there are a number of websites. Some,
which you may wish to review, are:
* NHS careers - http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/home.html
* BMJ careers - http://www.bmjcareers.com/
* HSJ - http://www.hsj.co.uk/
Applications for speciality training and foundation
programmes will be via MTAS (Medical Training Application
System). The URL is - http://www.mtas.nhs.uk/. The plan
is for this website to be used for the first time, for
foundation training applications, in October/November 2006.
Your Application
Remember that the advert you apply for might well result in
a large number of applications all of which have to be sifted
and/or scored usually by a small number of people who are often
referred to as the selection panel. A badly written form with
lots of mistakes will not create a good impression so do take
care when going through the application process.
Start by reading the job advert carefully to identify the
practicalities of the application process. Make sure you
understand what the deadline is for completing your application
and what the advert is asking for in terms of things like
knowledge, skills, referees etc. Do ensure you know how you
need to submit your application and where it needs to go. If
the application is to be submitted on-line do try to avoid
submitting your application at the last minute. Problems with
systems and technology can occur unexpectedly and submitting
you application in advance of the deadline will reduce
potential sources of stress and avoid disappointment if a
cut-off point is set once a certain volume have applied.
You will also need to familiarise yourself with the person
specification for the job/training post. This will either be a
separate document associated with the advert or form part of
the advert itself. If the details are in the advert then they
will normally include both essential and desirable requirements
and specific entry criteria.
Jobs/posts which, require you to complete an application
form, usually ask for information along the following
lines:
* Your own personal details, for example,
name, address, telephone number, email address, GMC number and
type of registration.
* Details of your education and
qualifications including prizes, etc.
* Research carried out and or published
papers arising from this.
* Additional courses you have taken.
* Your professional expertise/competence -
based on jobs/posts you have had, places and dates worked. A
brief overview of your responsibilities and achievements might
also be needed.
* A series of questions/sections, which, are
linked to the person specification.
It can help to keep most of this information in a document,
which you can amend, and change and use as a baseline for
applications you make. A personal databank, which holds a
record of jobs and achievements, e.g. published papers (see
Appendix A), which is kept up to date, can be helpful.
here may be a number of questions/sections on the form,
which relate to the person specification. You could, for
example, be asked about your strengths, teamworking,
leadership, planning and organisation skills, career plans and
why you have applied for this post/job. Often the space to
answer these questions is limited either to a specific word
count or the overall length of the form may not exceed a
certain number of pages. What you will find helpful when
preparing for these is to gather together things like your
learning portfolio or logbook, appraisal and audit information
and feedback from other doctors, patients and medical staff so
you can identify examples which can be used to illustrate the
points you want to make. Do also make sure you are familiar
with the GMC's guide to good medical practice which can be
obtained from their website.
The STAR model can also help you to structure the answers to
the questions on the form:
* Situation (or Task) - provide a concise
overview of the example you are using, be clear about how it
relates to the question.
* Actions (or activities) - what you did and
how you did it - this forms the bulk of your answer and is all
about your role and your contribution. You may need to bring
out your skills for example.
* Result (or reflection) - what was the
outcome of your actions and be clear about your contribution.
You might also want to bring out what went well and what didn't
and what you learnt from it.
Once you have collected all the information together, which
you need to include on the form, it makes sense for you to
prepare a draft of your responses. You can do this by either
taking a copy of the form off the website and saving it on your
own PC or if that isn't possible to at least copy the questions
section and create your own Word document. It can be difficult
to check your English and spelling when using an on-line form.
You do need to be sure your responses are well written, make
sense and are error free before you submit your final
application.
For each question/section start writing down a number of
different points relating to the relevant part of the person
specification. Consider what examples you might use and refer
to the STAR model to help structure your answers. Edit the
draft so that it tells a story rather than reading it as a
reiteration of the person specification.
Drafting your responses using Word also means you are able
to check the word count for specific answers. Many application
forms have word limits for particular questions and may also
have an overall limit for the length of the form.
Once you have completed a draft of your form take a break
and come back to it later. When you review it you may find
errors and inconsistencies you didn't see before. Do also ask a
colleague or someone who will give you helpful feedback to
review it. Remember that most applications are initially
reviewed and scored/sifted by selection panels which comprise
consultants and other people who are experienced in medical
education. Any practising doctor has to be able to communicate
clearly in written English and to dash off a form without
checking it suggests a sloppy approach to work.
In the best application forms, not only is it really clear
that the candidate has the necessary skills and expertise, you
also get a sense of what the candidate is like as a person. In
effect, through it being well written, the candidate builds up
a rapport with the reader and that's the way to maximise your
chances of getting through to the next stage of the selection
process.
Selection process
Once you have submitted your application there will be a
process for reviewing all applications and either selecting
those, which have been successful or inviting people to the
next stage of the process, which is often, an interview and/or
some other assessment activities like knowledge tests and
simulation exercises. The initial advert is likely to indicate
what happens once the application deadline has passed and give
information about the timetable for the rest of the process. Do
make sure you understand what this is and if interviews are to
take place that you keep the time free in your diary just in
case.
If you are invited to an interview there is a separate guide
available covering them.
Finally
There are no hard and fast rules on how much time you should
spend on an application. However, if you spend less than a
couple of hours then it probably isn't enough time and if you
spend longer than a day or so then it is probably too long.
Application forms must be error-free and well written and
make it abundantly clear that you understand what the job
entails and have the necessary skills and expertise.
Do review your technique for completing applications if you
are not successful at your first few attempts. A discussion
with a colleague or supervisor can help you understand the
improvements you might need to make before your next
application.
Appendix A - Proposed format for a personal databank
Personal Details
Your name, address, telephone number, and email address -
these should be at the top of page one of your CV and could be
shown in a header.
Career Plan
One sentence summarising your career aims.
Personal information
Include your GMC number and type of registration.
Education
Details of your academic qualifications with school, date
and grades.
Professional Qualifications
* Title of qualification, class of degree
(if relevant), awarding body and date.
* Bullet points detailing
prizes/distinctions at medical school. You may also include a
bullet point on your elective year.
* Repeat this layout for additional
professional qualifications such as MRCP Part1.
Additional Courses
List ALS or other relevant course giving dates.
Professional Expertise
Include job title, locations and dates.
For current and previous posts, beyond listing job title,
employing trust and dates, you can also include a couple of
bullet points highlighting the key features of each job that
demonstrate your suitability for the post on offer.
Practical Skills
Bullet point specific procedures you are familiar with and
where relevant indicate how many you have performed. For
example, performed more than 20 chest aspirations.
Research
List your publications, case reports and conference
presentations (but be wary of writing in preparation as this
can irritate consultants who know that such claims often don't
amount to much.)
Teaching and Audit
Include a couple of examples.
Interests
Bullet point a couple of your interests that you can talk
about at interview and that add value to your application.
References
Give at least two references. One of the referees should be
your current or most recent educational supervisor. Include
accurate contact details for those referees and remember to let
your referee know that you have given their details as a
referee as this avoids unnecessary delays.
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