The job in question is at my level and I do have some previous experience within the industry however I am finding it hard to convey this in my application.

The job is for a local authority and requires that I meet all the relevant criteria which is laid out in the job description. This is all fine and well, normal.

What I’m concerned about is due to the amount of “essential criteria” I need to address, my application seems really long winded. I’m guessing that this is part of the “challenge” and being concise might be part of the selection process. I don’t want to cut too much out of my application with a fear that I may shoot myself in the foot by not adding enough information.

In the information to applicants section, it suggests that need to address each element which is what I have done.

for example…

• The ability to set and meet work area goals and objectives with broad guidelines and to plan and coordinate activities to provide efficient services. [b]

And then I’ve added my answer underneath.

The thing is a lot of the criteria seem to be very similar and I could answer the whole lot in a few paragraphs as my experience is only from a few different jobs. By doing this I am worried that I haven’t addressed each criteria individually but have put the information into a couple of paragraphs with the assumption that the reader will pick up on the points I’m making.

So have any of you had experience with apply for work like this and is it ok to add bullet points?

Or would I be better off reducing the amount the recruiter has to read and write it all out in a few well structured paragraphs?

I’ve spoken to the guy recruiting but he wasn’t forth coming with help but suggested that I add as much detail as I can without being to long winded. Hence why I am confused about what to do.

Also I really do want this job! So STW your advice is needed!

Cheers in advance

2hottie.

my missus used to work with a lot of local authority types, and came across some pretty arcane processes.

A lot of what they did had to be seen to be scrupulously fair, so job applications / interviews became a bit of a box ticking and point scoring exercise. If you don’t put something down, or you just hint at it, you won’t get the tick in the box, and you won’t get the job.

I suppose my point is, there may be one point for brevity, but there could be 1 point each for every heading – if you put lots, you’ll still come out ahead.

That being said, don’t waffle.

Dave

“The job is for a local authority and requires that I meet all the relevant criteria which is laid out in the job description.”

Sounds a lot like one of these job descriptions that is based very much on the CV of the person that has already got the job…. but they still have to go through the motions of advertising the job.

“A lot of what they did had to be seen to be scrupulously fair”
but not obviously based on nepotism.

Sounds a lot like one of these job descriptions that is based very much on the CV of the person that has already got the job…. but they still have to go through the motions of advertising the job.

Not necessarlily – it seems that all local authority jobs of a certain level do this: they seem to want to you write an essay as an application, answering questions up-front that most people would consider to be best answered in an actual interview.

But anyway – thats what they want you to do, so play the game. Try to give specific examples of when you have demonstrated each behaviour, without repeating yourself too much. If you do have to re-use examples, try to focus on a different demonstrated characteristic.

Bear in mind the job description was probably compiled from a pick-list of generic desirable charateristics, so I wouldn’t over-analyse it too much!