Application forms: answering awkward questions

1. Application forms:answering awkward questions David Winter QM Careers Service

2. Applications – step by step • Understand the competency • Think of different situations in the job • Think of possible examples • Allocate your examples • Draft your answer (forget word limit) • Edit your answer to the word limit

3. Behaviours enthusing/encouraging explaining clearly performing reliably responding flexibly prioritising team goals being patient and tolerant supporting others listening/questioning feeding back tactfully Outcomes increased co-operation and compromise stronger group motivation misunderstanding avoided targets exceeded discontent dealt with talents used efficiently enjoy working together Team and interpersonal skills

4. Presenting your evidence • Think actionverbs • analysed, developed, decided, evaluated, increased, initiated, implemented, led, liaised, organised, planned, presented, supervised, etc. • Think concrete quantities • “5,000 items”, “£50,000”, “team of twelve” • Think real-world results • “4 weeks before deadline”, “25% increase”, “excellent feedback”, “successful implementation”

5. Your evidence laid BARE • Background – setting, situation, objective • Actions – what you did, how you did it • Reasoning – your thinking and choices • End result – achievements and learning

6. Making it better Impact and Influence: Describe an occasion when you successfully persuaded a group or individual to accept an unpopular course of action or to do something they were reluctant to do. What was the outcome? 100 words

7. First attempt During the second year of my course I worked part time in a café/bar near to the University. On various occasions I had to use my skills of persuasion to influence the owner of the bar to accept innovative ideas I had about new ways of bringing in customers on quiet Wednesday evenings. Often he was reluctant to try out my ideas, such as hosting gigs by student bands. I had to present my arguments clearly and with impact in order to get him to agree to my plans for a trial period. 93 words

8. Second attempt During the second year of my course I worked part time in a café/bar near to the University. I noticed that Wednesday nights were always a bit quiet. I knew a student band who were looking for a venue to perform in and thought that, if we let them do a session it might bring in some more student trade on that night. When I first mentioned the idea to the owner of the bar, he was reluctant, but after I explained the idea in more detail, he agreed to a trial period. The Wednesday evening gigs became very successful. 100 words

9. Third attempt Working in a café/bar during my second year, I suggested hosting gigs by local bands to increase slow trade on Wednesday evenings. Initially, the manager was concerned about the expense and the hassle. I devised a more detailed plan, proposing that we used amateur student bands who might be willing to perform for free. I also explained how I would use my contacts to publicise the events in the University. I suggested that we try it for six weeks and he agreed. After four weeks we were making enough money to start paying the band and still make a profit. 100 words