Dear colleagues,
I am new on this forum. I am pleased to say my life experience has been enriched reading the discussions on this very precious forum.
My problem is with filling the application forms within Local Authorities. I have been trying in the last couple of months for different jobs, as support worker, family worker, social work assistant, qualified social work posts as well as for charity jobs.
However, no luck until now. I wasn't able to secure even an interview in the last 2 months. I am out of work since August 2011. In the mean time I am waiting to start a volunteer role within a social work team, finger crossed.
Just wondering if any of you is willing to review one of my application,
Many thanks in advance for your support and guidance
Riccisw
If you are not getting even an interview it will probably be because you are not demonstrating that you meet the essential criteria on the application form.
You have to state the absolutely obvious, the people reading through the application forms will not read between the lines, you have to spell it out for them as concisely as possible.
The job application will come with a list of essential criteria, you have to go through every single one and make sure you have mentioned it in your application. Even one missed will consign your application form to the bin.
Dear Hatgirl,
Thanks for taking time to answer to my query. I will do my best to follow your advice, I do have experience and I did come across to many cases with different issues, I think I have a problem with spelling the examples.
I have to admit English is not my first language, but I do my best to spell correctly and I have improved my English a lot since I came to live in UK.
I really appreciate any help with application forms to increase chances to be short-listed.
Kind regards,
Your spelling is absolutely fine and better than a lot of people who do have English as their first language so you don't need to worry about that too much!
However, you appear to have misinterpreted what I was saying, perhaps as English isn't your first language you are also misinterpreting what the application forms are asking from you?
Get a previous colleague or a friend to check over your application forms to make sure you have understood the essential criteria, as it is a difficult thing to do to check an application form for someone when you don't know what experience they have and you are not able to ask them what they were attempting to say. Someone who knows you well will know what you have done previously and help you link it into the essential criteria. Failing that see if there is someone at the Jobcentre who can help you fill in the application form.
This NHS website also has some useful tips
Hello.
Thanks again for your precious advices again, I will have a look on NHS jobs as well I will be in touch with Jobcentre.
Best wishes,
RicciSw