Job application guide

Depending on the type of role you are interested in, you don’t always need previous qualifications or work experience to be able to secure a role in the NHS or Social Care. Being able to demonstrate key values, have transferrable skills and a genuine desire to care and support people is an excellent start if you are thinking about applying.

Making successful applications for careers in the NHS and Social Care

Once you find the role you want to apply for, you need to make sure that the application you submit for the job is a good reflection of your skills, abilities and experiences and that you meet the eligibility requirements to apply.

The application process for the NHS can take anywhere from three to 12 months or longer depending on the role you have chosen.

Reading the job description and person specification thoroughly before you begin an application and allowing plenty of time to apply will give you the best chance of securing an interview.

Is this the right role for you? 

What information is available to you? 

As part of the application process for a role in either the NHS or Social Care, the following documents will usually be available to you to help you apply:

  • Job Description: A job description should contain details about the duties that you will be expected to undertake. 
  • Person Specification: The person specification identifies the skills and abilities, knowledge and experience, qualifications and education you will need. Most person specifications are divided into essential and desirable criteria. Sometimes, these are not clearly marked – assume that criteria are essential unless stated otherwise. It is important that you try and address all of the essential criteria, explaining specific examples from your own experience. Showing that you meet the desirable criteria will give you an advantage over other applicants, but not being able to meet them will not disqualify you from applying.
  • Recruitment Profile: These are used within the NHS for recruitment purposes. They incorporate the Job Description, Person Specification and the employing Trust’s values and behaviours.

If no Job Description and/or Person Specification are provided, read the advertisement carefully and pull out the key words which will tell you the kind of person they are looking for. You can look for some additional information online (using Google) to help you find out more about the expectations of that role.

Once you have submitted your application, the employer will use the information you provide to see how well you meet the criteria for the role. Applicants who demonstrate that they closely match as many of the criteria as possible are more likely to be invited for interview.

Demonstrating that you meet the requirements means providing strong examples from your own background of how and when you have used the necessary skills, values or experiences required for the role.  

The supporting statement that you submit is important! Make sure you spend time thinking about and writing strong examples of your skills and ensure that you link them to requirements of the job.

A supporting statement should be around an A4 page of writing. This shows the employer that you have invested time and effort in applying and that you are serious about the role.

Never submit the same supporting statement more than once, always tailor it to the role that you are applying for and try and provide a variety of different examples that best show why you would be right for the job.

Completing the Application Form

Make sure that you have read all of the supporting documents before you begin to complete your application and ensure that you fill in all of the boxes. The details that you add to the form will be used to decide if you will be shortlisted for an interview so make sure that you provide as much detail as you can for each response.

Gather all of the information you need before you start to complete the form. You may need the following information to complete your application form:

  • National insurance number
  • Immigration status (if applicable)
  • Qualifications (including grades and dates)
  • Professional registration details (if applicable – including registration number, expiry) 
  • Previous employers (including their addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses and dates of employment)
  • Contact details of referees covering 3 to 5 years of employment, with one being your current/most recent employer

If you are asked to complete a “Personal Details or “Diversity Monitoring Form”, these sections are not used as part of the shortlisting process and are only used for administrative and data collection purposes.

Completing an Application Form for the NHS Using NHS Jobs

This information is written specifically for applying for a role on NHS Jobs, but may be useful if you are applying with other public and private sector organisations. 

NHS Jobs application forms are split into several sections. If you are applying through NHS Jobs, make sure that you complete and check every section before you submit your form. It might help to get someone to go through it with you.

Pre-application Questions 

Before you start an application in NHS Jobs, you may be presented with pre-application questions. Some information on where you have seen the job advertised may be gathered. There may be some other questions listed that are determined by the employer e.g. driving licence or NMC registration. If you answer these questions in accordance with the criteria set, you will be presented with the application form. If not, you will be presented with a message thanking you for your interest in the role, advising that you do not meet the essential criteria. For more information on these pre-application questions, you will need to contact the specific employer directly.

Personal information 

Personal information is not used for shortlisting, but is kept for administrative purposes, monitoring and reporting. Make sure that your contact details are up to date, as this will be how you will be contacted if you are successful.

Qualifications

Make sure that you provide information on the educational and professional qualifications you have gained, and/or currently studying in order of the most recent. Make sure that you provide all of the information including the year of study, level, and the grade you obtained. If you are invited for interview, you may be asked for the original certificates.

Employment History

Try and make sure that you give your full employment history, with your most recent first. Your employment history can include job placements, work experience and voluntary work. In each case, give a brief description of your duties and responsibilities. If you have worked for an agency, the agency’s details should be given, and a list of the placements that you have taken. Make sure that any periods where you have not been employed are accounted for in the supporting information. This might include any career breaks or periods of unemployment.

Referees 

You should provide referees covering the last 3 years of employment or training. If you have been employed, these should include your two most recent employers. Your referees will need to comment on your work experience, competencies and your suitability for the post. Personal references such as friends and relatives are generally not acceptable.

Completing your Supporting Statement

The supporting statement on any application form is an opportunity for you to showcase your skills and experience to the employer. You can use this area of the form to include any information about you and your experiences that hasn’t already been covered elsewhere.

Tell the employer what makes you suitable for this role and show how you meet the requirements of the job description and person specification by giving as many detailed examples as you can. This is your chance to show why the employer should be inviting you for an interview.

Include information in your supporting statement about former duties and responsibilities, any relevant skills, knowledge and experience you have, any gaps in your employment history and the reasons for these (bringing up family, gap year, caring responsibilities etc), any volunteering roles you are part of and what this opportunity gives you as a person and any digital skills, presenting or spreadsheet related experience you may have.

How to Phrase Your Examples 

When you give your examples, make sure that you describe your experience, the part you played, why you did what you did, and what the result was. Instead of stating “I’m great with money and adding up”, it would tell employers much more if you put, “I’ve been in charge of the stationery budget for two years and have been responsible for cashing up at the end of the day”.

After providing an example, reflecting on the experience shows that you can learn from your experiences and are always trying to improve. For example, you could say that “Being in charge of the stationery budget taught you the importance of prioritising, planning ahead and keeping accurate records”.

There is further information on completing an application form available through the NHS Jobs website here: completing-an-application.

What if you do not have the skill/experience required? 

Even if you haven’t got the experience or skill/ability required, you could say how similar experiences and skills would help you approach this area.

For example, “My experience of learning how to use a spreadsheet from scratch shows I can pick up software packages very quickly, so I’m confident I’d be able to pick up the Microsoft package without any difficulty.

Remember… 

It will also impress employers if you show some knowledge of the company, such as what they do, their values (and how you can demonstrate these) and if they have appeared in the news.

Relevant websites include:

CV Writing

For some roles, you may be asked to submit a current copy of your CV (Curriculum Vitae).

A CV is designed to demonstrate why you’d be a good candidate for the role you’re applying for, whether it’s a full-time job, an apprenticeship, or an internship. It includes professional experience and your education too. But it’s also designed to showcase your personality and how you might be a good fit for the company.

Whilst there is no ‘right way’ to write a CV, there are a couple of considerations you should make when writing a CV:

  • Length: no longer than two sides of A4 paper, typed (this does not include your cover letter).
  • Font: keep it black, between size 10 to 12, and a common type such as Calibri, Arial or Times New Roman.
  • Layout: simple and clear, using headings, formatting (bolding, italics, underlining), and spacing to structure the information and make it easy to read. If you’re applying for a creative or design role, you might want to play with the layout to help show your practical skills.

Contact details

  • Full name
  • Phone number – ensure this information is up to date so a potential employer can reach you, they won’t want to have to chase you.
  • Email address (make sure it’s a professional one)

Introduction

This should be a short summary about yourself, and it shouldn’t be longer than a few sentences.

You might want to mention some of your key strengths and attributes here, especially any that the role explicitly requires.

Expect to back these up in the main body of your CV, and to talk about them during an interview.

Work experience

Beginning with your most recent or current role and going backwards, list out your previous jobs, including different roles at the same employer.

For each role, you should include:

  • Company name.
  • Your job title.
  • How long you’ve been employed (years and months).
  • Your main responsibilities.

Try to highlight what you achieved or the impact you made in a previous role and tie these back to the required skills or experience.

If you do not have Work Experience, write a list of your skills, strengths, and experience.

Focus on your education and any extra-curricular activities you participate in, such as sports.

Highlight anything that would help you do well on the job you’re applying for.

Always include any Volunteering you may have done.

Education

Like work experience, beginning with your most recent education, list out your formal education history, going back to secondary school.

You should include:

  • The name of the place you studied.
  • When you studied there (the year).
  • The qualification and grade/s you achieved.

Other achievements, qualifications, and skills

You might want to list other things that don’t quite sit within your work or education history. They may be asked for explicitly in the job description.

Depending on the role, examples you might include could be:

  • Specialist training like health and safety or first aid.
  • The ability to speak different languages or sign language, for example.
  • Knowledge of software or equipment, such as video or photo editing programmes, or use of Microsoft Excel.
  • Awards you may have like the Duke of Edinburgh award or an academic award or scholarship.
  • Links to online portfolios or blogs you have created if you’re interested in a job around journalism or content, for example.

Hobbies and interests

Hobbies, passions, and interests can be a great way to stand out from the crowd and a nice icebreaker in an interview but it’s unlikely that they will be the reason you’re offered a position. Work experience and qualifications will usually be the deciding factor when an employer makes a job offer.

If you have room on your CV, you may want to include some hobbies or interests which help showcase your personality.

References

A reference is a way to back up what you’ve put on your CV and a way for potential employers to check what you’ve said. 

The person who writes your reference is called a ‘referee’. You can simply write ‘References available on request,’ and provide their contact details later.

The biggest tip for what to include in your CV is to tweak and tailor it to the job you’re applying for. Don’t send a generic CV that details all your experience and skills.

Read the job description and person specification for the role you’re applying for, research the employer, and choose the experience and skills that are most relevant.

Match the words used in your CV to the keywords in the job description.

Ask someone else to read it before you submit it, as they may spot spelling errors you missed.

Transferable Skills

Transferable skills are the essential skills, personal qualities and values that enable you to thrive in any workplace.

Transferable skills include things like:

  • good communication
  • motivation and initiative
  • leadership
  • reliability/dependability
  • following instructions
  • teamwork
  • patience
  • adaptability
  • emotional control
  • resilience

You can build your transferrable skills through participation in:

  • paid work
  • unpaid work and volunteering
  • sport and other hobbies
  • community or other group activities

How do you demonstrate these skills to employers?

All employers value these skills. In your job application you should highlight examples of when you used these skills. You should also explain how these skills can benefit the business and make you the best candidate for the job.

For example, you might outline how you pride yourself on your excellent time management and organisational skills. You could explain that this means that all your schoolwork is delivered on time and completed to a high standard.

You can also demonstrate your employability to employers through how you conduct your job search.

Here are some examples of your employability skills in action:

  • When you contact employers about jobs you are demonstrating your communication skills and showing initiative and motivation.
  • When you show up to an interview prepared and on time it demonstrates your reliability and ability to follow instructions.

Soft Skills

Soft skills are non-technical skills that promote productivity, efficiency and effective communication in the workplace. Some soft skills can also be part of your personality or work ethic.

These skills are often transferable across roles and industries and are necessary in every level of the workplace, from entry-level roles to top-level executives.

Examples of soft skills include:

Time management means being able to manage your time effectively which can help you improve your productivity. Excellent time-management skills assist you to plan your daily workload and prepare for meetings.

Teamwork occurring when a group of people work together to successfully complete a task.

Problem solving and the process of achieving a goal by overcoming obstacles or barriers.

Communication skills are the ability to share ideas and feelings effectively – “you’ll need good communication skills and must be able to work well with others”.

Adaptability skills mean you are able to adjust to changing circumstances.

Useful Information and Further Support

There are a number of skills assessments that you can complete to help identify your skills and write a CV.

Resources include:

Video Resources

Top Tips for your CV

NHS Application form tips! (How to write a WINNING NHS Job Application Form) Sample included!

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