How well do you know the job application process?
When you’re in the middle of it, the job application process can seem a little overwhelming and there are quite a few steps between you seeing a job you love and being offered the position. Before you even apply, you may have a few questions.
What should I include in my application? How long should my CV be? Will I need a covering letter? How many interviews should I expect to participate in—and will testing be involved? How will the employer assess my application? And finally, how do I know if I am likely to receive a job offer?
Knowing how the process works can help to ease the nerves. So, we’ve put together a quick guide that tells you everything you need to know about the job application process.
Get your CV ready
All employers ask for a CV as part of your job application, so it’s essential that it’s well-organised and polished.
At Sanctuary, we carefully review every CV that is sent to us, but not all recruiters or employers have the time. According to research, recruiters spend up to 7 seconds looking at a CV, which means they’re quickly scanning to see if you’re a good fit for a role.
In order to pass the ‘7-second test’, you need to make sure that your CV is concise and clearly laid out so that an employer can pick out your key skills and experience quickly. Remember, some recruiters will sift through roughly 250 CVs for every job they advertise, so you want to be sure that yours matches the job description as closely as possible.
In an age where personal branding is more important than ever, you may be tempted to add a photo of yourself to your CV. But this can be more harmful than you think; on average, there’s an 88% job rejection rate if you include a self-portrait. Plus, the inclusion of a photograph can sometimes alter the template of your CV when opened by the employer.
Read more about what your CV should include.
Write a cover letter
When applying for a role directly, you will usually have to send in a covering letter each time you apply for a job as 53% of employers prefer candidates who have cover letters with their CVs. This can differ if you’re applying for a locum position through Sanctuary as these rarely require a covering letter. For permanent positions, your consultant will provide the employer with a detailed summary of your capabilities. It's still helpful to have a good covering letter ready, though.
Your cover letter should be roughly three paragraphs long and include examples from your past experience to demonstrate why you are qualified for the role. Even if it's optional, including a cover letter is the best way to pitch your case for an interview.
However, keep in mind that, on average, it takes just one or two errors for your application to be rejected. You must check to make sure that you’ve referred to practice models correctly, that your dates match up and you have no spelling or grammar mistakes. Once you’ve checked it, check it again (and then get a friend to look over it once more, just in case!)
Apply for jobs
You can apply for jobs online, via email, or even in person. No matter what position you are applying for, be sure to follow the recruiter's specific directions for filling out the application.
At Sanctuary, we’ve made the application process really easy. You can either apply for a job you’ve seen on our website or through a job board (e.g. Indeed). Once we have a copy of your CV and contact details, and have identified you as a strong candidate, we’ll put you forward for interview. Meanwhile, we also look for similar roles that we think you’ll be interested in, which can take a lot of the weight out of the application process.
It is worth being mindful of is your online presence during this process, as some employers may have a look at your social media profile as part of their selection process. Of those that do, almost 4 in 5 say they rejected an applicant based on something they discovered online.
Screening your application
Since 250 CVs are typically submitted for each job position, with the first applications coming in on average just 200 seconds after the job is posted, employers often use applicant tracking software to recruit, screen, hire, track, and manage applicants for employment. Therefore, your application will likely be screened to determine if you are a match for the job.
The software will match the information in the job applications submitted with the position requirements, so be sure to include the full titles of your job roles and qualifications rather than acronyms.
Screening
Screening can take many different forms. When applying for a frontline health or social care job, your professional registration, experience and references should sufficiently demonstrate your capabilities. Beyond this, identity and compliance checks will be carried out by the employer or recruiter to confirm your qualifications/registration and check for any criminal convictions.
For non-clinical roles though, you may be expected to take a pre-employment test. These can include talent assessment tests, cognitive and personality tests, and background checks. Some tests are conducted as part of the job application process, and others will take place further along in the hiring process, after the interview and before a job offer.
Interview process
On average, employers interview up to 6 candidates for each role, although this largely depends how they are choosing to recruit. If Sanctuary is recruiting exclusively for a position, you may be one of three people who have been put forward.
If you have been selected for an interview, the employer can already see you being a good fit. During the interview, you will be invited to talk to the line manager, hiring manager, or employer – and sometimes all three.
No matter how much interview experience you have, it’s good to be as prepared as possible. Do your research on the organisation and have a read through our interview guide, which is packed full of helpful tips. We have also prepared information on the STAR interview technique and a phone interview guide.
Job offers
Employers will usually let you know within 24-48 hours, and often sooner, whether you’ve got the job. It’s a great moment when you receive the call you’ve been waiting for. All that’s left is for you to accept the position, agree a start date, review and sign your contract and hand your notice in to your current employer and prepare for your first day.
Now it’s time to put your knowledge to the test…
Find more careers advice here.
