Could you lovely people help me complete an application form please?

[Washersaurus]

I've been at home for the last 2 years looking after DS1 and now have baby DS2 as well. Basically, we are skint and I need a rest so I have half decided to apply for a new job.

Problem is I just don't know where to start with my application form. How should I record my career break to make it sound positive, and what is the best way to tackle and structure the personal statement bit where I have to show how my skills meet the several pages of criteria contained in the job spec?

Please please help my brain is all mushy

Read through the questions in the application and the job spec and make a list of everything you think the potential employer is looking for, then target your answers to address each point.

what were you doing out of the home before you had your children?

Basically, list all your qualifications for the job - MS word, excel, powerpoint, using the internet (!)

then match up your skills with the job spec and give specific examples if needed

I realise it sounds like a daft question, but it is difficult to concentrate with these pesky children around

I know what you mean about the rest - I went back 2 days a week when DS1 was 8 mths old and it was like looking forward to the weekend!

As far as the application form goes, I would try and think of specific examples of when you have demonstrated the "competancies" they require. Doesn't matter if these are old - before kids, or recent and have come from things you have done with the children. E.g I volunteer with and am on the committee for a toddler group, which my employer loves.

I was working in admin and then in a student support role at a local college before, but I also just finished my degree when DS1 was born, so would like to use it rather than just go back to doing what I was doing before IYSWIM

Sorry cut and pasting this so apologies for repeating stuff or whatever -

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I am assuming you?ve got a job description? have a look at the person spec bit which lists what skills/experience/qualifications etc are needed for the job. You need to make sure you have addressed each of the selection criteria somewhere in the application form. Stuff like ?qualifications? etc will have a section on the form but all the skills/experience type stuff you will have to tackle yourself.
Have a look at the list, sit down with a blank piece of paper and think about how you meet each criteria, what you have done using x skill, or how you have experience of y, maximising your responsibility level and involvement.
You need to make this really really easy to read, so I would do some headings, making sure each thing on the person spec is covered. Don?t quote the requirements exactly, be a bit more generic with the headings and you can group some requirements together. For example, with ?communication? ? the requirements on the person spec might be a) must have experience of communicating effectively with members of the public. There might also be something about communicating with other organizations, with team members, or whatever. All that can be addressed under the heading ?communication?. If you do headings and ensure everything is covered without quoting their person spec verbatim, it shows you have thought about it and understood it rather than just cut and pasted.

Write short snappy sentences explaining all your skills/achievements etc, but in such a way that it will be easy for them to 'tick off' that you have demonstrated each skill etc that they have requested. Don?t write long paragraphs, they will not be read properly when shortlisting, they will be skim-read or important things you are saying will be lost. When whoever does it is shortlisting they will be sitting there with a list of ?must-haves? and ?desirables?, and you should make it as easy as possible to tick off the requirements quickly without much effort on their part!

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HTH.

And nothing wrong with having a career break to have children, you just need to ensure you can demonstrate that your skills/knowledge have been kept up to date.

Thanks flowery, that is just the sort of thing I needed to help guide my way! I worked for my previous employer for about 10 years so it has been a looong time since I completed an application form