Guide to applying for a job with us

Before you submit your application (tips for your CV)

Most of our roles will ask you to complete a short application form (basic details about you), and attach a CV (curriculum vitae/resume). Recruiting managers will score your CV to gauge how well you meet the education, experience, and knowledge needed for the role. Your score will be based on whether you fully or partially meet these. Before you press the submit button we suggest checking your CV against the ‘role requirements’ section on the Role Profile to make sure your CV demonstrates how you meet the education (if applicable), experience and knowledge requirements. If you don’t currently have a CV, you can get CV advice from the National Careers Service for guidance on what to include.

After you’ve submitted your application

You will receive an automated email confirming receipt of your application. After the closing date, the recruiting manager will look at all applications received. We will always contact you (via email) to let you know whether you will be invited to interview or not.

If you weren’t selected for interview don’t let this put you off of applying for other roles with us, and if you would like feedback, contact us at askhr@arun.gov.uk

What to expect at interview stage

For the majority of our interviews we invite candidates to choose their own ‘self-service’ time slot. You will be able to pick a slot from a selection available and confirm your attendance on the Jobs Go Public platform where you applied for the role.

If there is anything you need to prepare for the interview, we will let you know on your invite. During the interview most of the questions you will be asked will be linked to the behaviours and competencies listed on the Role Profile, and you will provided with these questions in advance of the interview to allow you to prepare.

We will also let you know where the interview will take place, whether any kind of exercise will take place as part of the interview, and who we expect to be interviewing you.

We want you to feel as confident and comfortable as you can be in this situation, so please contact askhr@arun.gov.uk in advance of your interview day if you need any adjustments or have any questions about the process – we want to help you to work at your best.

We will use the STAR method to score your answers to interview questions. If you aren’t sure what this is, keep reading……

The STAR method

So that you can prepare in advance and put your best self forward we wanted to share with you what our hiring managers want to hear.  That way you’ll be able to give an example which covers four key steps in the STAR process.

STAR is an acronym for four key concepts. Each concept is a step you can take when answering a behavioural interview question. By following all four steps, you will have provided a comprehensive answer. The four steps referenced in the acronym are the following:

Situation: Describe the context within which you performed a job or faced a challenge at work. For example, perhaps you were working on a group project, or you had a conflict with a colleague. This situation can be drawn from a work experience, a volunteer position, or any other relevant event. Be as specific as possible.

Examples to consider

• Where were you?
• Who else was involved?
• What were the doing?
• How were they feeling?
• When did this happen?
• What else was going on at this time?
• What had happened leading up to this?
• What were the (weather) conditions like? 

Task: Next, describe your responsibility in that situation. Perhaps you had to help your group complete a project within a tight deadline, resolve a conflict with a co-worker, or hit a sales target. 

• Explain the task you had to complete.
• What exactly did you have to do?
• What was the problem you had to resolve?
• What was the challenge?
• What made this particularly challenging / difficult?
• Why was it important that you did something about this? 

Action: You then describe how you completed the task or endeavoured to meet the challenge. Focus on what you did rather than what your team, manager or colleague did. 

Describe the specific actions that you took to complete the task.

• What steps did you take?
• What was your involvement?
• What specific actions did you take?
• What lead you to act in that way?
• Can you talk me through your thoughts at the time you took that action?
• What other options did you think about before taking that specific action?
• Can you tell us why you reacted this way?
• What impact did doing that have?
• How did others respond to your actions?
• How do you think others felt when you did that?
• What did you do before that?
• What did you do next?
• What is the connection between X and Y?
• What is the link between what you are telling us and the question we asked?
• How does this relate to the question asked?

Result: Finally, explain the outcomes or results generated by the action taken. It may be helpful to emphasise what you accomplished or what you learned.

• Talk us through the result of your efforts
• What happened as a result of your actions?
• How did it all end?
• How do you feel about the result?
• Was … satisfied with the outcome?
• Looking back, how do you see things now?
• What, if anything would you do differently?

If you don’t have an example to the question, that’s okay – just ensure you can tell us what you would do in that situation.