What makes a good application?

Once you have successfully found a position you wish to apply for, you need to make sure your application does you justice and provides you with the best possible chance of getting an interview. This means reading the job description and person specification and taking time over your application demonstrating your skills and experience.

 

How good a match are you?

When we look at the applications we receive, we look at the information that you have provided and compare this against the Job description and person specification for the position you are applying for.

 

Complete all the parts of the form

It is essential that you read all parts of the application form, guidance and job description and make sure that you complete all the sections of the application form. The 'personal information' and 'monitoring information' sections will not be used for  shortlisting,  but will be kept for administrative purposes only.

We have a very simple application process, you will be required to answer a few questions about yourself, attach a supporting statement letter and your CV.

 

Provide good supporting cover statement letter

The 'supporting statement' is a very important part of your application and your opportunity to sell yourself therefore make sure you use it to your advantage. Be concise but informative and highlight your experiences,

If your supporting statement does not meet the criteria detailed in the Job description and person specification you will not get invited to interview, therefore it is imperative you demonstrate clearly how you meet the criteria.

A cover statement letter is a document sent alongside your CV when applying for jobs. It acts as a personal introduction and helps to sell your application. A cover statement is necessary as it gives you the chance to explain to us why you're the best candidate for the job.

You do this by highlighting relevant skills and experience some of your experience may have been gained outside of a work environment (i.e. at school or college, at home, in voluntary work, on work experience or through hobbies) and these skills and experiences are key if they help demonstrate your suitability for the role. Therefore you should always write your cover statement letter with the position you're applying for in mind.

Cover statement letters should complement your CV but not duplicate it. The general consensus is when it comes to the length of these documents the shorter the better. Typically three to five short paragraphs, cover letters should not exceed one A4 page roughly about 500 words.

 

How to write a cover statement letter

Keep your cover letter brief, while making sure it emphasises your suitability for the job. It can be broken down into the following sections:

• First paragraph - The opening statement should set out why you're writing the letter. Begin by stating the position you're applying for, where you saw it advertised and when you are available to
• Second paragraph - Cover why you're suitable for the job, what attracted you to this type of work, why you're interested in working for us and what you can offer the council.
• Third paragraph - Highlight relevant experience and demonstrate how your skills match the specific requirements of the job Summarise any additional strengths and explain how these could benefit Redbridge.
• Last paragraph - Use the closing paragraph to round up your Reiterate your interest in the role and indicate your desire for a personal interview.

What makes a good CV?

Here are six things you definitely should include if you want to create the perfect CV.

Personal details

• It goes without saying that you need to include your name, telephone number and email Make sure these contact details are up to date - and don't use your work number or email if it's going to cause a problem. If you have a blog or other website that might help your application - and that you're happy to share with a prospective employer - then you could include a link to it here.
• Some people also like to give their nationality, marital status and date of birth. There's nothing stopping you including this information, although employers are required by law to ignore

Highlight your achievements

Your achievements are the things you did in a job which made a positive impact and contribution to your employer's business. They demonstrate to us that you can do the job well. Accomplishments are not just an exaggerated way of describing your skills and experience; they're tangible proof of your past performance. They are most powerful when you quantify them using numbers or percentages. For example:

• Increasing the loyalty or satisfaction of existing customers
• Solving a problem or challenge, e.g., decreasing customer complaints
• Saving money, g., negotiating a better deal from a supplier
• Saving time, e.g., suggesting a new time-saving process
• Developing an idea your employer acted on

Employment history

Unless you are just starting out in your career, this is going to be the section of most interest and should therefore make up the main body of your You don't need to go into detail about every job you've ever done - only the ones that are relevant to the position you're applying for. Just make sure any gaps in your employment history are explained.

Education

What information you provide here will vary a lot, depending on where you've got to in your career and what level of education you've achieved (and whether you're proud enough of your results to share them with us). Above all, you need to think about the level of detail that is appropriate for the role you're going for. If you're applying to be Chief Finance Officer, nobody's going to be much interested in what you got for your GCSEs. However, most employers will want to get some idea of your level of educational attainment including any professional qualifications you may

Awards and achievements

Awards and other achievements can help your application stand out, as well as making for a good conversation starter in your So if you're lucky enough to have them, and they're relevant to the job you're applying for, it's definitely worth including them on your CV. You may need to add some explanation if the title of the award isn't obvious enough. You should also try to stick to achievements that are relatively recent. To have won a single award in 1981 and nothing since looks somehow worse that not having won any awards at all.

Other skills and interests

 It is usually worth showing that you have skills and interests outside The key thing is not to overdo it. Keep this section short and sweet, and try to stick to things that are in some way relevant to the job. Your ability to speak fluent Spanish may well be worth sharing. The fact that your favourite artist is Picasso, not so much (unless you're applying for a job at the Picasso Museum of course).

Ideally your CV should be between 2 and 4 pages only and no longer. Now that you've got your CV in good order, why not put it to good use? We always love getting applications from talented people.