Please help me write an application!

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

OK, I am having trouble with one application form I am filling in.

I need to condense a lot of stuff they want into a nice little statement to show I can do all of that and meet the job requirements.

Can anyone help me do this? I don't want to post it on the website as it will be very identifiable, but if you could help I'll pm/email you with the details and what I have so far.

Thank you so much!

[MrsFabuloso]

I'm not good at condensing stuff, nor writing it in a consise way, but I hope someone else is, and you get the help you need. I know how frustrating job applications are!

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

This is the part I'm having the most trouble with - it isn't about my qualifications or experience (both of which I have more than enough: I'm a teacher going for a teaching assistant job that involves some teaching work), but about me as a person:

Personal Characteristics:
Essential:
Possess good interpersonal and communication skills so as to relate effectively to and earn the confidence of staff, students and parents
Able to work effectively as a team member with people with experience gained in a work, voluntary or domestic setting.
Be sensitive to pupils’ needs and concerns so as to identify welfare problems/pupil issues and report them as necessary.
Able to maintain confidentiality
Enjoy good health
Show a commitment to on-going professional development
Desirable:
Lively and engaging personality
Keen interest in school life


How do I write this?

[frog]

These sound like they could use a STAR response? Not sure if you get much space, or if you literally need a statement that is very concise... To list that many characteristics, I would use STAR, situation, task, action, result, so telling them about a situation/s where you have had to demonstrate those things, what the task was, what you did and the outcome...

Do they embellish more on how they want you to address it?

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

This is the guidance:

You are invited to provide further information in support of your application. Please make full use of this section and continue on additional sheets if necessary. Please refer to the person specification for the post and also include:
• The reasons why you are applying for this post;
• The personal qualities and experience that you feel are relevant to your suitability for the post;
• Key responsibilities and achievements in your present or most recent job which are relevant to this application;
• Details of any relevant interests or activities.

There is under a page of A4 on the form to use: I know they say I can use additional sheets but is that a good thing? I never know. This is a small area of what they want - my skills, experience, knowledge and the like are already running at half a page, which is only covering parts 2 and 3 of what they need (and I could easily expand on what I've already written). I'll also need to write why I want this post and detail my other interests/activities.

[briggsy's girl]

I'm on phone in bed with poppet so can't write much. But I'll have a go. Just want to check. Do they want a response at each point or an overall "I'm brilliant because I meet all your croteria like this" paragraph?

[frog]

It is good to provide as much info as possible, but you don't want to give more than needed, as long as it is relevant and concisely worded it should be fine to add extra. If they didn't want it, they wouldn't provide the opportunity, and they would probably save those key characteristics for an interview question, like "describe a time where you have done ...".

Can you demonstrate more than one of the characteristics in one situation? That would be an efficient use of space, and make it less wordy.

Is this for a government role? I always find their applications lengthy and tricky!

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

No clue - I am doing each area paragraph by paragraph (this is one area), addressing each point in 1-4 sentences each. So this would be one paragraph of ~12-30 sentences.

Most of the earlier stuff could have been covered with "I am a qualified teacher - if I can't do this the system is in trouble" but wasn't.

eta - Frog, it's a school role. While I can use ICT, numeracy and monitoring progress as one example (eg using a spreadsheet of test results to do something), I have no idea how to address personality in a job application.

[briggsy's girl]

Have sent a pm. Not sure it will help. Is all my brain could manage tonight sorry hun

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

Thanks BG - it gives me a start point, which is what I need!

[Astrolady]

It's bloody hard isn't it FB. I did a school application the other week and then had to re-write because I asked the advice of the assistant principal of my kids school and she said I had done it wrong. I am glad I got that advice though, because I found out yesterday that I am now shortlisted.

Intrigues me that they mention good health LOL.

Personal Characteristics:
Essential:
Possess good interpersonal and communication skills so as to relate effectively to and earn the confidence of staff, students and parents
Able to work effectively as a team member with people with experience gained in a work, voluntary or domestic setting.
Be sensitive to pupils’ needs and concerns so as to identify welfare problems/pupil issues and report them as necessary.
Able to maintain confidentiality
Enjoy good health
Show a commitment to on-going professional development
Desirable:
Lively and engaging personality
Keen interest in school life

Have you done an abuse/neglect reporting course before? Assuming so since your a teacher. What I said was that I felt confident in knowing the correct procedures to take if I had a concern about the welfare of a child under my care.

for confidentiality in my application I reflected on my time as chairperson of various school committee's, and said that my role required me to remain confidential and why and if there was an issue that was beyond me, I would use discretion when speaking to my line manager or principal.

Showing commitment to on-going professional development, would make me reflect back on any course I have undertaken that has enhanced my knowledge and why/how did they help, and mention a willingness to participate in any courses that may be available in the future like training days, workshops etc.

Goodluck

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

OK, I have finished! It is a page and a half long, and I'm not sure about it. Does it need expanding or am I waffling too much or what?

Will anyone look over it for me please?

[briggsy's girl]

How soon so you need it back to submit hun? I'm at work for the next ten hours but happy for you to pm. Include an email addy I can reply to. Can read pm at work on phone on my break. Not enough time to reply on phone though