Application hints and tips 

Think about your strengths and what you have to offer and make some notes. (Perhaps ask friends or relatives to contribute and don't sell yourself short!) Refer to our website and any other information you have to understand what we're looking for. Make links between the two. 

Application form

You can complete the form in stages so take your time and make sure it best represents you. You may want to print off the form and reflect on your experience before writing it up. With the competency questions give full detail of the Situation, the Task, how you Approached it and the Result (STAR method). If you learnt something in particular, tell us.

Last tip - make sure you check through for typos, grammar and spelling before submitting. When you're happy with it click on the 'submit' button to forward your application to us.

Competency-based questions

The application form and interviews are competency-based, which means that you will be asked for specific examples of situations you have been through. No situation is too small - what is important is your clarity about your approach and the impact that had (for better or for worse), and what you learned as a result.

Tests

You can practice SHL tests online to familiarise yourself with the format of their approach. To get going, click here.

For further detail on the occupational personality tests, contact your university careers service. They can often provide you with practice tests and information.

Interview

The interview is for us to find out more about you and your aspirations, but it is also a chance for you to find out about us. Preparation for the interview is essential, so spend some time considering your experiences and achievements and what qualities these may have given you that you could use in your job. You may be the greatest candidate in the world, but if you cannot communicate that to us, or explain why you are interested in working with us, you'll not progress through to the next stage.

Key points to remember are:

• When telling us what interests you about our organisation remember that we know what is on our website (so please don't recite it to us). Tell us what caught your eye and why.
• Prepare specific examples (so we can explore the situations with you) of what you've done to demonstrate your skills (bring notes if they help you).
• Listen first. Speak second. Don't be afraid to ask for a moment to think, take a drink of water (Yorkshire of course!) and be clear. Don't speak too quickly.
• If you're not sure about the question you have been asked, don't waffle. Ask the interviewer to explain what they are asking for.
• Focus - keep your answers relevant to the question that you have been asked. (Again - don't waffle).
• Be yourself and be honest. Forget what people say about being the perfect interviewee. That's not who we're looking for. We're looking for real people who constantly want to improve and learn who match our values.

Logistics

The first impression is important, but so are your stress levels! Plan your route/travel plans and allow plenty of time. If something goes wrong, call us. We will do all we can to help if we know. If we don't, we're limited in what we can do!