Application form help please

[SisterMoonshine]

I'm working on the important bit to say why they should employ me and they suggest that you use the person specifications as headings and write for each one so that they can clearly see you meet all the criteria.

I'm wondering if I can swap their order of questions around a bit.

They have 5 sections: 1) Key skills and abilities 2) Education and qualifications 3) Knowledge 4) Experience 5) Personal attributes.
I want to write about my experience first so that I can then go on to show the key skills and abilities I have gained through that experience.
To me, it's just not reading so well their way.

I would, I can't imagine it's a problem as long as you cover all the sections. That layout makes it easy for them to check you've met their criteria. However, I tend to write an example of my experience and link that to the key skills or knowledge I developed from that experience so I can see why you're finding their structure more difficult.

Thank you.

And with references? There is an option to say you'd rather they not be contacted until after the interview process.
Does it go against you at all if you go for that, does anyone know?

Hi my thoughts on. References they would only take up references once they have decided to hire the candidate. As a reference is just a final checks-and-balance to validate the persons character and past work ethic etc., if you give your present employers as your main professional reference, you'd only want them to be contacted if you've got the job.

So I would say, it shouldn't be held again st you to pick the option of "only contact my references if you have chosen me ". Hopefully I've interpreted that right!

Thanks Daisy, that's what I'm thinking. But wondered if the few days extra it might add to the recruitment process might go against me, as someone who hasn't ticked that can be all checked off before an interview.
I'm going to have to pick that option really though.