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Apprenticeship Applicant Guidance

Thank you for your interest in staff apprenticeships at Queen Mary University of London. 

This Staff Apprenticeship Applicant Guide has been designed to provide essential information about your application and we strongly encourage you to read it before applying. 

Click on the links below to jump to the section you would like to know more about.

About the Job/Apprenticeship:

The Job Profile

Application Guidance: 

Useful Info

Prior Education and Qualifications

Employment History and Prior Experience

Personal Statement and questions

Shortlisting Process 

Interview Process:

Preparing for Interview 

Day of Interview: Assessments 

Day of Interview: Competency-based questions 

After the Interview: Outcomes & Feedback:

The Panel’s Decision 

If you are successful

Additional Support / Advice

 

The Job Profile

The Job Profile contains all the essential information about the role that you are applying for. It is important that you read this document carefully, as it also contains information about Queen Mary and our Values.  

The Job Profile will be found in the Job Details section of the advert. 

In the Job Profile you will see: 

Job Description 

The Job Description outlines the job that you will be applying for, the responsibilities of the role, and what you can expect from the job itself. 

You will also see details about the specific apprenticeship standard (training) that you will be completing as part of the apprenticeship contract. 

Person Specification 

The Person Specification outlines the skills and abilities which you will need to evidence in order to get the role.  You can think of it as a description of the ‘ideal candidate’. You will see that there are criteria listed shown as either ‘Essential’ or ‘Desirable.’ 

If a criterion is marked as essential but you do not think that you meet it, you will not be eligible for the role.  

If a criterion is marked as desirable, then you can apply even if you do not meet the criterion fully but are keen to learn.  

Top Tip: You will need to refer to the job description and person specification throughout your application. Please have it available when you complete your application. 

 

Application Guidance 

Useful info: 

The application is used by the selection panel to choose who to interview.  It will be scored against the Person Specification for the role. 

Most of an application form will be factual: your work history, your education and qualifications, and personal details such as your address and phone number.   

We do not usually accept CVs for apprentice roles. You will need to complete the application form fully. 

In most application forms, there will be a section asking for personal information such as your gender, sexual orientation, religion etc.  

  • This data is used for statistical purposes only (to identify gender differences in recruitment, for example) and will not be seen by the selection panel. 
  • The one exception is around disability.  You do not have to disclose any disability you have. However, it is helpful for us to know if you have any support needs so we can ensure that we make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process. If you say ‘yes’ please give us some detail -  the more information we have, the better we can accommodate your needs.  
  • If you would like more information about equal opportunities at Queen Mary, please refer to the information provided in the job pack. 

Make sure that everything is accurate and spelled correctly!  If you have time, writing it and going back to it the next day will help you to look at what you’ve written with fresh eyes, so it’s easier to catch mistakes. 

Email Addresses: 

Be sure to type your email address correctly, as this is how we will contact you about the progress of your application.  

Top Tip: Check your email inbox regularly once your application has been submitted, including your junk/spam mail folder.  

Apprenticeship Residency Eligibility: 

The Government funding rules for apprenticeships specify who is eligible for enrolment onto apprenticeships. 

More information about this can be found on the ‘What are the Eligibility Criteria’ section of the Staff Apprenticeships webpage 

Top Tip: Please read the eligibility criteria carefully. You must be able to meet these criteria, or you will not be eligible and your application will not be progressed. 

Prior Education and Qualifications

Maths and English: 

Some apprenticeships will require you to already have Maths and English GCSEs at grade 4 (C) or above (or the level 2 Functional Skills equivalent). Some apprenticeships do not set this requirement. 

Please check the Person Specification section of the job profile to see what the requirements are for the specific apprenticeship. 

If it says ‘Essential’ then you must already have them; do not apply if you do not already have them, as you will not be eligible. 

If it says ‘Desirable’ then you will be able to gain them during the apprenticeship if you need to, and you can apply regardless of whether you already have them. 

Other prior qualifications: 

Apprenticeships are designed to develop new knowledge and skills at a higher level than you already have, or in a new vocational area.  

If you already hold the same level of qualification in the same vocation as the apprenticeship offers, then you will not be eligible. 

For example: 

If you already hold a Level 3 qualification in engineering, then you would not be eligible for a level 3 apprenticeship in engineering. However, you could apply for a Level 3 in a different vocational area (e.g. business administration) or an engineering apprenticeship at a higher level. 

If you are not sure about your eligibility, please contact us. 

Top Tip: Make sure that you list all your prior qualifications including the level of achievement, and include English and Maths qualifications if you have them. 

This section helps us determine if you meet the education-related eligibility criteria for the apprenticeship that you have applied for, and whether you will need to complete any further English or Math's training during the apprenticeship, if applicable. 

PLEASE NOTE: You will be asked to provide proof of your prior qualifications if you have listed them, so try to have them to hand in case you are offered an interview. 

Employment History and prior experience: 

Please tell us about any previous paid and unpaid work experience that you do have. 

If you do not have any prior employment experience, then note down any volunteering, work experience, placements, or extra-curricular experience that you think we should know about.

Personal Statement and questions: 

Use this section to describe how your skills and experience meet the essential and desirable criteria as set out in the Person Specification in the Job Profile. 

The Personal Statement is the part of an application where you write about your suitability for the role(s) you’re applying for. This is also your opportunity to tell us why you want to be a staff apprentice at Queen Mary University of London, how keen you are, and what the apprenticeship may do for your own career. 

This should be written in full sentences rather than bullet points, and you may have a word limit. Take time to answer all questions, giving examples to back up your answers. You do not have to repeat things you have already written (e.g. your qualifications). 

This section may include specific questions or may ask you to write a statement to describe how you meet the requirements of the role as listed in the Person Specification within the job profile document.  

Using the Person Specification as a checklist, it should be easy for a selection panellist to read your statement or answers and check how you meet the criteria. Writing your statement in the same order as the Person Specification makes it easier for both of you! Please make sure that you answer this section fully, because recruiting managers will read your application and use it for interview shortlisting. 

Top Tip: Consider drafting your answers in a Word document, spell check, then copy and paste it into the application form online. You might also want someone to proofread it before you submit it. 

Shortlisting Process 

Once the application deadline has passed, the hiring manager and shortlisting panel will read all the applications and make a shortlist for interview. 

Only people who meet the apprenticeship eligibility criteria will be shortlisted. 

Most panels will use a scoring system, such as this example: 

0 points: Does not meet the criteria:  Criteria not mentioned.  No examples are given. 

1 point:   Partially meets the criteria:  Criteria mentioned but no examples.  Relevant examples are included but the connection with criteria is not made explicit. 

2 points:  Criteria met in full:  Criteria explicitly addressed and supported with evidence from past/current practice. 

Therefore, a good format is to mention the criterion, then give an example of how you meet it.  For example, if the criterion is: 

‘Ability to work in a team’ Then you might write something like; 

I understand how to work in a team. I have experience of this when I worked in....my role in the team was.... I used the following skills when working in the team... 

Top Tip: Remember if you are not able to give examples from previous employment, then talk about your experiences from education, hobbies, or life experiences which might be relevant. If you do have employment-related examples, then you should give these first. 

If you are shortlisted for an interview, you will be contacted via your email address. 

If you are not shortlisted, you will also be notified via email. 

Preparing for Interview 

  • If you’re invited to interview, you’ll probably be asked to either book an interview time using an electronic system or reply to an email offering dates and times. Respond promptly. 
  • Depending on the role, you may be asked to prepare something in advance: for example, a presentation which you will deliver on the day. You will have a time limit, so rehearsing ahead of the day is a good idea. Make sure any slides or written materials are clear, accurate, and easy to read.  
  • If you need any reasonable adjustments due to disability (for example, more time to complete an assessment), you should mention them before the interview. 
  • You may be asked to do a psychometric questionnaire.  This might be a test of your verbal and numerical reasoning, or an assessment of your behaviours and personal preferences at work. Give yourself plenty of time to complete it and respond to questions as fully and honestly as you can.  You should be ‘debriefed’ and learn about your results on (or around) the day of the interview.  
  • Read about the organisation (and the department/faculty/school, if you can get that information).  What is their overall strategy?  What are their organisational values?  What are their recent achievements?  What are their priorities? 
  • Look again at the Person Specification.  Most interview questions will be ‘competency-based’, focused on these criteria.  Can you give examples of experience, skills and abilities they ask for?  
  • Take up any opportunity for informal discussions so you can find out more about the role. This will help you perform better in the interview and will provide more information on whether the role is for you. 

Before the day:  

  • Decide what to wear.  This will depend on the role and workplace, but clothes should be clean, neat and comfortable.  There is a lot of advice online, for example these articles on Indeed or Reed. 
  • If your interview will be remote (via Zoom or Teams), test your camera and microphone in advance.  Make sure you’ll be somewhere quiet, with good lighting and no interruptions.  Check that the angle is good and that the camera isn’t too close to you: the panel should be able to see your head and shoulders.  
  • If you need to travel, check traffic or public transport ahead of time and make adjustments as needed.  Understand where you’re going – Google Street View can be useful for this!  Aim to arrive at the venue 10 minutes before the time of your interview.   
  • Make sure you know where to report to (a reception area, for example) when you arrive, and the name of the person who needs to know that you’re there. 
  • Assume that anything that happens at the venue can (consciously or unconsciously) influence the panel’s decision.  Be polite to everyone, even if they’re not directly involved in your recruitment. 

Day of Interview: Assessments 

You will probably have been told what to expect.  Types of assessment include: 

  • Selection panel interview: this is often the only form of assessment that takes place.  You can expect competency-based questions (see below).  There may also be questions which have right and wrong answers, depending on the role.  For example, in a role that involves working with sensitive information, you might be asked about GDPR, so research to make sure you are up to date 
  • Psychometric assessment: see ‘Preparing for Interview’, above.  It’s possible that you’ll be asked to complete this on the day. 
  • Presentation: see ‘Preparing for Interview’, above.  You may be asked to prepare something in advance; however, you might also be given some time to prepare something on the day of the interview.  If this is the case, carefully read any material you’ve been provided and pay attention to how much time you have to prepare and deliver. 
  • Work-based assessment: This can be many different things, depending on the job role.  For example, a role which involves a lot of data analysis might ask you do to some work with an Excel spreadsheet; an administrative role might ask for an ‘inbox exercise’ involving prioritising tasks and responding to emails.   
  • Group task: These are more common in roles which will have many applicants.  You will be observed while you work with other candidates to solve a problem or discuss a given topic.  This exercise will assess whether you can work effectively with others. 

Top Tip:  You will be asked to provide evidence of your ID and right to work, (Including any visas if applicable) during the interview. Please have your documents ready. 

The Interview: Competency-based questions 

It’s likely that most of the questions you’ll be asked will be ‘competency-based’, linked to the criteria on the Person Specification.   

They will ask about previous experience (‘Tell us about a time when…’, ‘Give us an example of…’) or describe a hypothetical (‘In this situation, what would you do?’). 

You can use the STAR technique to construct effective answers which will give the interview panel all the information they need. 

S 

Situation 

What situation or event were you involved in?  What is the context of the story you are about to tell? 

T 

Task 

What was your job within that situation?  Were there any barriers – deadlines, technical problems, costs? 

A 

Action 

What did you do, and how?  How did your activities demonstrate the competency the interview is asking about?   

R 

Result 

What was the outcome of what you did?  How do you know? Can it be quantified in any way?  Any lessons learned? 

STAR Example 

Question: Have you had experience of working with a team to resolve a problem? 

Questions about problem-solving, and working with others, are very common.  Using ‘we’ in situations like this is easy to do, but remember – the interview panel needs to know how you contributed in this situation.  Only use ‘we’ if you’re really talking about everyone in the team. 

Here’s an example of an answer to this question, using STAR.  Notice that the ‘Action’ part is longest – this is where you’re explaining how you displayed the competencies being asked about. 

S 

Situation 

I was working with my team to deliver an event when our caterer pulled out at short notice. 

T 

Task 

I was responsible for sourcing a replacement. 

A 

Action 

I asked around other members of my team, and asked them to use their own networks, to identify potential replacements.  I then contacted some by phone to explain the situation, and two colleagues volunteered to contact the others.  Three were able to work at short notice.  We came together to compare notes around cost, quality and customer feedback, and on that basis, I contacted the caterer we chose. 

R 

Result 

The event was a success.  The catering cost slightly more than we had budgeted for, but a lot of our feedback reflected that the quality of food and drinks was much higher than expected. 

Being Interviewed: Hints & Tips 

  • Make sure you have water!  You’ll be talking a lot.  
  • An interview is a stressful situation: give yourself time to breathe and think.  Don’t be afraid to ask to skip a question and go back to it later if your mind has gone blank. 
  • You should be asked at the end of the interview if you have any questions for the panel.  If you have questions, ask them.  You won’t be penalised for not having questions, but if you want to ask something, some examples include: 
  • What is the biggest challenge facing this team/department? 
  • What do you enjoy most about working here? 
  • What are the team’s priorities? 
  • You should be told when to expect to back from the panel about the outcome of your interview.  If you’re not, just ask. 

The Panel's Decision 

The recruiting manager or selection panel chair will contact their successful candidate(s) first.   

If that’s you, congratulations!  If you accept the offer, you will be told what the next steps are.  If you need some time to consider the offer, ask for it, but be prepared to agree (or be given) a reasonable deadline for your decision. 

In more senior posts, or if there have been a lot of candidates, you may be invited for a second-round interview. 

If, unfortunately, you aren’t offered the position: try not to take it personally.  This doesn’t mean you did badly or that you’re ‘not good enough, just that another candidate was a better match to the role.  

You should ask for feedback or accept it if it’s offered; you might be able to get some useful pointers on how to improve next time.   

You can also reflect on your own performance at interview: 

  • What was the impact of nerves?  Did you freeze up and struggle to answer a question you know you should have been able to answer?   
  • Did you make full use of the STAR technique – for example, did you talk about the result or outcome of your experiences? 
  • If you had to give a presentation (for example), how did it go?  Was the material you prepared the right length and level of detail? 

If you are successful:  

Pre-Employment Process 

If you have been given a conditional offer, the next steps will be for you to provide your references. You will usually be asked for two references. At least one of these should be your most recent employer, if you have one. If you have not been employed before, then please provide your details of your most recent tutor or professional who has worked with you, for example a social worker. You should not use personal references.  

If you think you will find it difficult to provide references, please get in touch. 

Top Tip: Make sure you let your referees know that you have put them down as they will be contacted. The sooner they complete the reference, the sooner you will be issued with your contract and can arrange a start date. 

Enrolment onto the Apprenticeship  

As part of your onboarding, you will also need to enrol for the formal apprenticeship training, so that you will be ready to start training when your contract of employment starts.  

Usually, this will involve you providing evidence of your prior certificates and completing a short maths and English assessment. 

Where to go if you need additional support or advice 

If you have questions about Staff Apprenticeships at Queen Mary, you can email us on apprenticeships@qmul.ac.uk 

If you have questions specific to a job role that is being advertised – you should contact the named person on the job pack. 

If you need support to complete your application, then it is worth contacting your home borough council’s employment support service or Job Centre who may be able to assist you. 

If you would like advice about how to disclose a criminal record, NACRO may be able to assist. 

If you have general questions about Staff Apprenticeships at Queen Mary, you should also see our frequently asked questions.  

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