Careers - Application Tips

You’ll find any roles we’re advertising right here, so there’s no need to go hunting on job boards to find the right role for you. Better still, you can register for email alerts so we will email you when a job that you’re interested in becomes available.

We want to make sure you’ve got all the information you need to make the right choice and to make your job application stand out.

Target your approach

Regardless of whether you’re starting out in your career, or you’re an experienced professional, you’ll give yourself the best chance of success if you target roles which match your skills, abilities, knowledge and experience. We will detail these competencies in the job advert and you should use this as a guide when applying.

Here’s the best way to select the job vacancy you should be applying for:

• Target roles for which you are qualified or have the experience. We all expect to move up the career ladder, but be realistic in your expectations; you’re unlikely to be successful applying for a Senior Management role if you’ve just recently graduated.
• We know that even thinking about changing jobs can be a huge decision. The most successful candidates will give a great deal of consideration to their application prior to submitting it. It’s not a good look to be applying for lots of different roles across varied disciplines, so don’t be tempted into thinking it’s a numbers game – it isn’t.
• A lot of recruitment database searches (including LinkedIn) utilise keywords to look for people. If you are in our database your CV is most likely to stand out if it contains the keywords that are contained in the position description. Think about how you can include these in your profile or CV so you are easily found.

Make sure the basics are right

When it comes to preparing your job application, here are a couple of tips to ensure you position yourself for success:

• In general, a covering letter is always a good idea but it’s particularly important if your CV has any gaps between your competencies and what we’re looking for. The cover letter is a chance to really sell yourself and explain what you’ll bring to the role.
• Make sure all your details are correct and complete when you submit the online application. If you’re using your LinkedIn profile to apply, make sure everything on there is accurate. Making sure your email address and phone number is correct is essential – if we can’t get in touch, you won’t be successful.

Build the right CV

When we’re reviewing job applications, we refer to any documents you submit, including your covering letter, but the most important source of information is your CV or Resume.

• Our Recruitment team will store your CV on our database to refer to against the role you’re applying for. If you’re unsuccessful (it happens), don’t be disheartened! The next time we’re recruiting for a similar role, our technology allows us to find your CV and consider you again. This means your CV needs to be an excellent representation of you.
• You don’t need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to writing a great CV. The information you present us on your experience, qualifications and background should be well presented and clear enough for us to quickly ascertain if you’ve got the right competencies for a role.
• This is your first opportunity to sell yourself and prove you’re the right person so ensure you explain fully the jobs you’ve done and what you’ve achieved in each one of those roles. We know what an Accountant does, but we want to know what makes you a great Accountant, so focus on your achievements and what you’ve learned.
• Explain any gaps in your work history. If you’ve taken a 6 month sabbatical to travel or look after children, then that is fine, just explain it briefly.
• Employers tend to be wary of people who have bounced around lots of different roles. If you have had a lot of employers it could pay to explain the reasons for leaving – i.e. end of fixed contract, redundancy etc.
• Your most relevant experience is generally your most recent so focus your detail on the last 5-7 years rather than what you did 20 years ago. There’s no set rule on how long your CV should be, but anything over 4 pages is probably excessive.
• Don’t be afraid to tailor your CV to a specific application – you should emphasis what’s relevant to the role for which you are applying, as well as considering the target audience.