1 / 21

Why ask me that?! Top Tips for Foundation School Applications

Learn about the potential pitfalls of applications and competency-based questions, and get hints and tips for writing a strong application form. Additional resources are also provided.

jjimmie
Download Presentation

Why ask me that?! Top Tips for Foundation School Applications

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Why ask me that?! Top Tips for Foundation School Applications Gill Frigerio Manager of Careers Education and Guidance

  2. I hope to cover: • Potential pitfalls of applications • Competency based questions • A framework for providing evidence • Hints and tips • Further resources

  3. Principles of Application Form Writing • Think about why they are asking the question • Read the person specification carefully • Make sure you cover all essential criteria, and hopefully the desirable too! • Give a wide variety of examples, avoid repetition • Avoid descriptive narrative, be specific • Stay within the word limit (some assessors may stop reading after 75 words) • Demonstrate evidence of knowledge, understanding, experience, and application

  4. Applications: potential pitfalls • Failure to identify what the reader is really looking for • Underselling yourself • Failing to provide the right evidence to support your statements • Not tailoring your application to the role • Silly mistakes – spelling etc

  5. Good news! • You are in an excellent position to understand what the reader is looking for • The form is very explicit on what they are looking for

  6. Give Yourself The Best Chance • Give yourself plenty of time to research, draft and fill in the form • Treat it as you would a paper based form • Make full use of the word count available

  7. The sections • Areas of achievement and what has been gained: • Academic and non academic • non-medical & undergraduate medical • GMC “Good Medical Practice” principles • Identify your educational and personal reasons for applying for this Foundation School • Teamwork/Leadership

  8. Why THESE questions? • These questions have been devised nationally, carefully and precisely… these aren’t random and all are very important! • In general, they are checking that you: CAN - do the job (skills) WANT - the job (motivation) FIT - within the programme (values)

  9. Achievements: Medical Non-Medical GMC ‘Good Practice’ Reasons Teamwork/Leadership Do they fit? CAN, WANT CAN, FIT CAN, WANT, FIT WANT, FIT CAN, FIT

  10. Competency Based Questions • Describe a particular situation • Think about Working, Learning, Playing and Giving • Explain what you achieved and how you did it • Talk about any barriers overcome • Give a positive outcome

  11. Societies Clubs Part time, summer, & voluntary work Sports Academic Achievement Hobbies & Interests Staff/Student Committee ACTIVITIES Log Book Fundraising Prizes & Awards Publishing & Conferences Elective Family Responsibility Audits Clinical Experience Intercalating

  12. Intercalating Personal Experience Interdisciplinary Teams Audit Possible evidence of team working Elective Staff/Student Committee Research Groups Clinical Work Sports/Clubs Voluntary work Work Experience

  13. Societies Clubs Part time, summer, & voluntary work Sports Academic Achievement Hobbies & Interests ACTIVITIES (Medical/Non-Medical Achievements) Staff/Student Committee Log Book Fundraising Prizes & Awards Publishing & Conferences Elective Family Responsibility Audits Clinical Experience Intercalating

  14. STAR Framework Use the STAR approach for competency questions: • S ituation • T ask • A ction • R esult

  15. Coping with a difficult person • Acting as a relief supervisor at Pizza Express, a customer began to complain loudly about the service being slow. • My task was satisfy the person without upsetting other customers who were also waiting for their food and had arrived earlier.

  16. Coping with a difficult person cont. • I listened carefully, used moderate language, a quiet voice and carefully explained about staff shortages due to illness. I reassured him that his order was being dealt with and offered complimentary drinks whilst waiting. • The customer calmed down and decided to wait quietly, with free drinks.

  17. Hints & Tips Use formal language & check spelling etc Read instructions & questions carefully Allow ample time to complete Keep a copy Think about presentation Complete a draft copy

  18. Strong Words! • Strong verbs to describe what you have done: devised planned initiated analysed organised demonstrated evaluated achieved implemented co-ordinated contributed investigated

  19. Strong Words! • Adjectives to describe yourself: resourceful responsible Accurate calm sensitive conscientious resilient impartial reliable methodical logical persuasive

  20. Editting hints and tips • Keep sentences short (12-15 words) • Delete unnecessary adjectives • Use gerunds instead of longer clauses (ing!) • Avoid unnecessary articles • Ask someone else to read it for sense

  21. Further Resources & Help • www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/careers/ • www.prospects.ac.uk • Application Advice or Quick Careers Advice Book day before- on line reception in UH or x77508 • Careers Hub – (Video ‘Looking good on paper’ and ‘Your Job’s Online’)

More Related