How to Write a Winning Apprenticeship Application · How to Write a Winning Apprenticeship Application ... find this guide useful and wish you every success in securing an apprenticeship

How to Write a Winning Apprenticeship

Application

Brought to you by UHSM’s Talent for Care Team

Page | 2 December 16

Introduction This guide is packed full of hints and tips about how to work your way through registering and applying for your dream apprenticeship job with UHSM.

When you see this sign take a few minutes to read our suggestions – it won’t take long and we promise it will make a big difference to your application. By reading through the different sections of this guide, you will be able to pick up valuable advice about the application process that will really help your application to stand out and hopefully get you through to the interview stage of the process. We hope you find this guide useful and wish you every success in securing an apprenticeship job opportunity.

This publication is brought to you by University Hospital of South Manchester.


Contents

Step 1 – Search

Page 4-5

Step 2 – Register/sign in Page 6-8

Step 3 – Apply Page 9-20

– Pre-application Questions Page 9-11

– Education History Page12-13

– Employment History Page 14-15

– Supporting Information Page 16-17

– Referee Information Page 18

– Equal opportunity & Disability Page 19

– End Application Page 20

What happens next? Page 21

Interview checklist Page 22

Interview dress code Page 23

Final checklist Page 24


Step 1: Search

To start your search you need to visit the website: www.uhsm.nhs.uk

This will take you the page below:

Click on "Jobs" at the top of the page.

Then select the top option for "Latest vacancies" to the right of the image.

http://www.uhsm.nhs.uk/


On this page select the Apprenticeship option:

Once you have selected the apprenticeship of your choosing, by clicking APPLY NOW, you will be

directed to our TRAC website log in page:

If you have registered with the TRAC system before then all you need to do is log in, by entering your

details in the left box. If not, then please select “Register for a new account”.

This will lead to a list of apprenticeship vacancies we are currently advertising

within UHSM NHS FT


Please use an email you check

regularly as 90% of our communication

will be sent to the email address you

register with. Try to use a sensible

email address.

You may need to check

your junk mail folder as

sometimes the activation

email may be filtered to this

folder instead of your inbox.

Step 2: Register

Enter your email address and click on start registration. Your email address will be used as your

username to sign in to your account. The email address you choose will be seen by employers.

You will need to go into your email account (that you used on the last page) and you will have an

email waiting for you with a link to activate your account.

If you already have an account with TRAC and don’t need to register, once you click apply, it will load

your account details page.

If any information does need amending, you will need to confirm you password and click “save” to

confirm the changes.

You will see ‘your details’

are automatically entered,

check these are correct and if

not update the information.


You will work through this form to

complete your details and create a new

account that looks like this.

- Please make sure the name you put down on your application matches what is on your passport/birth certificate/driving licence, including any and all middle names.

- Make sure your password is something that you can remember. Your password must be between 8 and 20 characters long and include a combination of upper and lowercase letters and a number, and special symbol e.g. !*£.

– Always include a telephone number if you have got one, it is important that we can contact you to discuss your application if we need to.

– Make sure you tick “Allow e-mails from Trac”, as we use this system for all correspondence in regards to your application and recruitment progress.


If you have not found a suitable apprenticeship, please set up email alerts on the following page:

Once your account is activated and you have logged on, and you have set your alert requirement you

will be directed to your application page, where you will find the job that you selected to apply for

during the search process.

If you have used TRAC before, it will list all applications you have applied for using the system, and

you will need to select the apprenticeship application you wish to complete.

As previously mentioned, if you already have an account with us, all you will need to do is log in and

you will be directed to the Account details page.


Step 3 – Apply

Pre-application questions

If you are unsure the type of visa you hold, please follow the link below:

https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas

Once you have read through the notes on the next page, you can Launch your Application.

If you are an

internal candidate

(already working for

UHSM), and are

interested in one of

the apprenticeship

opportunities,

please fill in an

expression of

interest form via the

learning hub, and a

member of the

Talent for Care

Team will be in

touch.

- To be eligible for

an apprenticeship

you need to be:

16 years of age or

over (no upper age

limit)

Live in the UK for

the last 3 years

Not in full-time

education.

Meet the minimum

criteria regarding

Maths and English.

https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas


The first part of the form will pre-populate with your personal details, and to the right hand side is a

Navigation Tool that can be used to navigate to the different areas of the application form.

You will need click on the box labelled “Navigation” to activate the drop down options.


Please ensure you enter a valid mobile number.

If the answer to questions a) and b) below is “NO” please leave the other boxes blank.


Education History

It is essential to list all relevant qualifications, especially those in Maths

and English. This will improve your chances of being shortlisted for interview.

Applications where the education section has been left completely blank will

not be considered.

Remember to include all of your predicted grades and any other qualifications

or grades that you hold. e.g. sport, music, dance, drama, Duke of Edinburgh,

Asdan, St Johns Ambulance etc.


If you have attended any training course, such as health and safety, safeguarding, equality &

diversity, or completed any further qualifications such as ECDL, enter this information in the boxes

below; otherwise, please leave blank.

As you are applying for an apprentice role, you will not require professional registration with any of

the bodies listed so you can skip and leave this section blank


Employment History

We need to cover a minimum period of the last 3 years, starting with your most recent or current

employers’ information.


This section enables you to enter all of your work experience, whether this is paid or unpaid work. If

you can’t remember the exact dates then you can select the approximate dates.

- Remember to check the spelling and punctuation. -Don’t worry if you haven’t got a current or previous employer to cover the last 3 years

period. Please put down any period you were in school/college, and also include any

past work experience.

- Consider taking the initiative to set some up. This could be one day at the weekend or in the holidays. You don’t have to rely on the work experience that your school might

have set up for you. - Think about the skills that your work experience placement helped you to develop.


Supporting Information

This section is one of the most important parts of the Application Form that will help you to get

through to interview. You need to be prepared to put in a great deal of work to get this section looking

really good.

Have a look through the documents attached and the advert text, and either print it off and circle all of the buzz words, or write them all down so that you have a

checklist of the kinds of words that you could try to include.

-Practice writing your statement in a word document first, then you can cut and paste it into the box when you’re happy with how it reads.

-Be careful about what you write in this section. You need to remember that the manager will use this section (and all of the application form) to start to create an

impression of the kind of person that you are.

– We are currently asking for GCSE grades A*-D, if you did not achieve these grades, it could still be worth applying for the job. You would need to say that you were

willing to work towards achieving Functional Skills within the duration of the apprenticeship framework. But be advised, this does mean you will need to put in

extra work to complete the relevant courses.

-Please be aware of your spelling, punctuation and grammar. – Double check your writing, ask someone else to read it though for you – Your prospective line managers

will see your application form - what and how you write may be used to make decisions regarding your suitability for the post.


The job advert and person specification documents need to be the starting point for your supporting

information section. By reading it carefully, you can start to identify the skills and attributes that the

employer is looking for.

The first place to look for the ‘buzz words’ is within the job advert. This section will contain

information about the kinds of tasks that you would be expected to complete.

To the left is an example of a small

section of our pharmacy

apprenticeship advert.

We have highlighted some of the

‘buzz words’ and phrases that we

think could be used in the

application form.

For example, here it asks for a

‘Great communicator’, then you

need to tell them that you have

‘Great communication skills’ but

also think about how you could back

this up with evidence of these skills.

You will notice that all our adverts,

apprentice or not, will be looking for

individuals that can demonstrate our

trust values, and these can be

located usually at the bottom of the

advert text, within the person

specification or on our website,

under about us, mission, vision and

values.

It’s a good idea to explain in your

application how you meet our trust

values, and why you would be a

good fit for our organisation.


Referee Information

We need a minimum of 2 references covering the last 3 years. For example, January 2014 – January 2017, with no gaps.

-It is important to enter your referees’ details with as much accuracy as possible to avoid any delays with your recruitment process.

-We only use Work based e-mail address (e.g. @uhsm.nhs.uk) for referees, even if they are providing a character reference, (we cannot accept Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail, BTinternet, live.co.uk etc. addresses).

-If your referee cannot provide a work based email, then we will have to post the reference request to their work address. This will need to be an address listed on the internet as a business address.

-If your referee cannot provide the above mentioned, we will not be able to use them, and you will need to provide an alternative.

- You should approach your referees to ask their permission/ make them aware that they will be asked for a reference.


Equal opportunities and Disability

The next section asks a few questions about equal opportunities and disability:

You’d be surprised how many

people select the wrong dates for

their date of birth as they are not

paying attention to the options

they are selecting.

Please read through the options

carefully and select the one

which applies to you.

The disability section is there to

ascertain whether you need any

further support or assistance

should you be successful and

invited to interview.


End of Application Process

At the bottom of the page you will see 3 options, and one to save your application should you need to

step away and complete it in a different sitting. It is good practice to hit save after completing a

section.

We recommend only selecting the submit button when you are confident all sections have been fully

completed with accurate information. The application has been checked for any errors in spelling,

punctuation and grammar.

And finally, if you wish to leave the page without saving, select the cancel option at the bottom.


What Happens Next

Application Submitted Vacancy Closed down

Shortlisting Completed

Initial telephone

assessment with

UHSM

Put forward to

Interview with Learning

Provider

Competency Based

Interview with UHSM Interview with

Department Line

Manager

Conditional offer sent with

commencement of pre-

employment checks

Informed and Feedback

given

Informed and

Feedback given


given


given

Pre-employment

checks Unsuccessful

after exhausting all

options

Application Withdrawn Feedback given

Pre-employment check

success, notified and start

date agreed

Commence Employment


Interview Checklist

Prior to interview: Research the organisation and job that you are applying for. Prepare at least 2 or 3 questions that show an interest in the job and organisation.

Work out how to get to the interview and how long the journey will take – allow enough time to

arrive and locate the department, at least 15 minutes early, as the hospital site is quite large.

Prepare answers to some typical interview questions e.g. ‘why do you want this job?’

Appearance: Wear appropriate clothing and footwear – formal shoes, not trainers e.g. see back page. Polish/clean your shoes. Make sure your hands and fingernails are clean. Try to refrain from wearing heavy makeup or

large and excessive jewellery. Brush your teeth Wear subtle perfume/aftershave. Cover tattoos with long sleeves. Remove facial piercings (one set of small earrings is fine) Remove chewing gum prior to interview.

Body Language: Shake hands firmly Smile Sit when you are offered a seat Use good posture, sit up straight, be attentive, nod or take notes. Make eye contact but avoid staring Avoid negative behaviour (yawning, crossing your arms, checking your watch, looking at your

feet etc.) Be composed (no fidgeting, playing with hair, tapping your feet)

Responsiveness: Switch off your phone or set to silent (turn off vibrate as this can still be heard) Be on time (even better – be early) Refer to the job advert/job description when answering questions Be positive and enthusiastic Speak clearly, using proper grammar; avoid slang, swear words and suggestive language. Answer questions clearly and concisely, focus on your strengths. Avoid interrupting the interviewer

Attitude: Be respectful Be attentive Be knowledgeable about the company Use the interviewer’s name, be professional and mature

Closing the interview: Ask any questions about the organisation/job, be polite and thank the interviewer for their time. If it hasn’t been discussed, ask what will happen next. Take this opportunity to advise us of any upcoming annual leave you have.


Interview Dress Code


Final Checklist

Check the closing date for the applications to be submitted, and ensure you have submitted your application before this deadline.

On occasion, advertisements for apprenticeship vacancies may close BEFORE the final deadline if we receive a high number of Applications. If this is the case it will be stated in the advert so please keep an eye out for this.

Ensure you put down a correct contact number and an email address that you check regularly. Ensure you list all relevant qualifications, especially grades achieved, or to be achieved. Check you referee information is correct and up to date, and covers the last 3 years. Take care with spelling, punctuation, and grammar; maybe ask someone to read you

application and check for any mistakes you may have missed. Include examples, don’t just list your strengths, but show us by giving examples of how you

have demonstrated these skills and what the outcomes were. Make sure to include the buzz words found in the person specification, as well as job advert

text. Check the location of the job that you have applied for and make sure you know a commuter

route (check buses and trams, if you don’t drive). Check you have answered all relevant questions fully.

We wish you the very best of luck!

Documents

How to Write a Winning Apprenticeship Application · How to Write a Winning Apprenticeship Application ... find this guide useful and wish you every success in securing an apprenticeship