Help applying for jobs

You have found the ideal vacancy for your career choice - now you need to ensure you win the job! Presenting your qualities, skills, achievements and motivation in the most effective way is crucial to success. Whether this is by CV, online application form, telephone interview, graduate selection / assessment tests or interviews, you need to be confident that you are doing yourself justice.

Use the Careers Service in the following ways to help you prepare:

• CVs and Covering Letters
  • Browse some CV and Covering Letter examples to help you get started. Paper copies are available in the JobShop / Placement Base.
  • Attend a seminar, facilitated by a Careers Adviser, on designing a CV to help increase your chances of getting an interview.
  • Have your CV and/or Covering Letter checked by a Careers Adviser (for graduate jobs) or by an Information Co-Ordinator (for semester and vacations jobs).
  • Make an appointment to discuss your CV and Covering Letter with a Careers Adviser.
  • Check out the CV Building topic on MyPDP, which can be found under My Campus on My Dundee.
• Applications
  • Attend a seminar, facilitated by a Careers Adviser, on effective strategies for dealing with competency-based and other application form questions to help increase your chances of getting an interview.
  • Have your draft application form answers checked by a Careers Adviser.
  • Make an appointment to discuss specific questions about your applications with a Careers Adviser.
  • Visit the JobShop / Placement Base to view videos and DVDs on applications e.g."Your Job's On-Line" (AGCAS).
  • Collect handouts and information from the the JobShop / Placement Base on applications advice.
• Writing Personal Statements
  • Personal statements are often required in application forms, particularly for postgraduate study (e.g. teacher training). Make use of our drop-in sessions to have these checked.
  • Pick up a handout on Personal Statements from the Careers Hub or read about Statements of Purpose for applications for USA study from the JobShop / Placement Base.
• Interviews
  • Attend a seminar, facilitated by a Careers Adviser, on Interview techniques.
  • Practice your interview answers in advance by arranging a mock interview with a Careers Adviser.
  • Visit the JobShop / Placement Base to view videos and DVDs on interviews (e.g. "Why ask me that?").
  • Browse information and pick up some handouts in the the JobShop / Placement Base on interview questions and other information.
• Assessment Centres
  • Attend a seminar, facilitated by a Careers Adviser, on attending an Assessment Centre.
  • Try out some Aptitude Tests - an opportunity to explore your verbal, numerical or diagramatic reasoning strengths and weaknesses.
  • Try out a personality test.
  • Browse a wide range of publications and pick up some handouts in the Careers Hub on preparing for graduate selections tests and Assessment Centres.
    • Advice on Aptitude Tests
    • Advice on Assessment Centres
  • Make an appointment to discuss specific questions about your assessment centres with a Careers Adviser.