Work Diary
Those Hard to Answer ‘ Describe ...’ Questions All application forms have those searching , head-scratching questions . Whilst there are no right answers , there are a few do ’ s and don ’ ts that relate to the questions illustrated in the pack .
Team Work “ Describe a time when you have contributed successfully to a team in which you have been involved . Outline your role , the impact you had on the work of the team and the outcome .”
Don ’ t Describe what the team did . Do
Summarise the team ’ s goal and exactly what you did to influence effective functioning of the group , e . g . acting as facilitator , drawing up a schedule ... and the results of your individual and combined efforts .
Communication & Influencing “ Tell us about an occasion when you have had to convince someone of a course of action . How did you influence them ? Why was the outcome achieved better as a result ?”
Don ’ t Panic .
Do Outline the circumstances , explain why it was critical to have an influence . Detail the evidence approach you utilised in order to have an effect . Draw out the benefit of your influence .
Analysis , Problem Solving and Creative Thinking “ Describe a difficult problem that you have solved . State how you decided which were the key issues . Describe what action you undertook and the result . What alternative approaches could you have taken ?”
Don ’ t
Do
Answer the first part of the question and ignore the rest .
Make it clear what the problem was and why it was complex . Show the rationale you used to identify the key issues . Be precise in the mechanisms you used to determine the outcome . Describe other credible alternatives .
Planning and Implementation “ Outline a challenging project , activity or event which you have managed . State your objective , the tasks involved , any adaptations necessary and explain how you measured your achievements .”
Don ’ t Regurgitate your ‘ to-do ’ list . Do
Explain the project / activity event - keep it simple . State your goal and time frame , and show the steps you took to achieve the goal , displaying logic and progression . Any adaptations described are best if they reflect changing circumstances or additional knowledge . The measurement of achievements can be linked back to your objectives in order to neatly complete the question .
Remember . . .
• Make sure you understand and follow all the instructions .
• Prepare a rough draft first .
• Pay attention to presentation . Ensure style is clear , legible and consistent .
• Fit your answers into the allotted space .
• Accuracy is crucial . Make sure grades and dates are correct - avoid gaps .
• Analyse rather than describe .
• Check it and ask someone else to check it too .
• Employers are under pressure of time to pre-select individuals from large numbers of applicants who may seem to have similar attributes , so you should make your application stand out .
It is easier for employers to find reasons to say ‘ NO ’ rather than ‘ YES ’ to an application . Make sure yours is on the right pile .
For large employers and / or for graduate schemes you may have to undertake online tests to access the form or to proceed to the next stage of recruitment . For help with this and other aspects of recruitment see : www . keele . ac . uk / careers / makingapplications / psychometrics
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