Guidance for those applying
for an MoJ Public Appointment
When applying for a public appointment, we
require a CV
and a Supporting Statement
This guidance gives some helpful tips on
how best to present yourself to the panel who will be reviewing your application.
There is no official or ‘correct way’ to write your CV or supporting statement,
this is simply a guide that you may wish to refer to or use as a
template.
1.
CV
Here are a few pointers to keep in mind whilst
writing or updating your CV:
o Please write your
name at the top;
o Do not write more
than 2 pages. We appreciate this may be a challenge and
your achievements could spread across several pages. However, please appreciate
that the panel may have a large number of applications to assess so brevity
would be appreciated.
o Avoid spelling and
grammatical errors;
o Tailor it to the
position you’re applying for. Make sure to draw
attention to how you have met the essential and desirable criteria throughout
your achievements in life. An opening paragraph at the top of the front page
would be beneficial;
o Use an updated CV. Explain what you are currently doing or what you most
recently have done that fits to the role you are applying for, including dates
of the positions you have held;
o Avoid big blocks of
solid text. Using bullet points will help those reading
the CV;
o Always explain what
abbreviations stand for;
o Only include key
information. The panel do not need to know about your
hobbies unless they specifically match the criteria of the role you are
applying for. Personal details including name, address, phone number &
email address should be included. There is no legal requirement for you to put
your age, or any other protected characteristic (under the Equality Act 2010)
on your CV.
2.
Supporting Statement
Your supporting
statement is an opportunity to prove to the panel your reasons for applying for
the role as well as highlighting your skills and attributes.
o Do not write more
than 2 pages.
o Use models to help
structure your paragraphs. There are two
models that you may find useful when writing your supporting statements:
o The WHO Model – What was your personal role? How you did it? And what was the Outcome? placing emphasis on the successful outcome.
o The STAR approach – Situation: briefly describe the context
and your role, Task: the specific challenge, task or job that you faced,
Action: what you did, how and why you did it and Result: what you
achieved through your actions.
o Use the
essential criteria as headings. The
essential criteria for roles can be found on the advert on the Cabinet Office
website and within the Candidate Information Pack. It is useful to the panel when
assessing your application. For example:
“Demonstrate intellectual capacity with the ability
to make evidence-based decisions”
You would write a
paragraph using evidence from your current role or from recent examples of how
you have demonstrated the ability to make evidence-based decisions whilst
achieving goals. You would then link this work to the public body you are
applying for and how your work directly benefits the ALB and how you can be a
part of the its future with your skill-set.