How to fill this application form

[ColdEvenings]

Over my 40 years of working full-time I have filled in many many applications forms and submitted many covering letters and CVs, but this application form has me a wee bit stumped.

It's a bit like a civil service competencies one but with no listing of previous jobs.

Basically just 5 questions, so no qualifications, no previous jobs, no previous experience.

Just 5 questions!! Interestingly you have sign to confirm you haven't used AI! First time I've seen that!

Anyway my question is would you answer a question using your previous experience as reference.

For example say the question is -

Describe how you would run a large project.

Would you answer -

In previous roles I have managed a £3 million project that was ... blah blah blah and answer with STAR?

Or just answer STAR with no mention of previous experience/qualifications?

I can see why they're doing it, but surely it would be helpful to have a question on jobs you've done in the past. You wouldn't need to say the dates you were there etc. anyway that's a different thread altogether.

Hope someone can help!!

Sounds v weird! Do they def not want you to attach a CV as well?

I think for questions like your example I would absolutely use STAR. If it's a little more theoretical such as 'describe your leadership style' maybe less so but I would have thought they want something more concrete than a generalised ramble about how in a theoretical void you'd imagine managing imaginary projects?

I’m in the public sector and we have just moved to this system. It really does level the playing field because it gets you to tell us what you can do and how you do it, which is what we need to know! Do use your STAR format, because we can see more about what and how you do things and the impact you make.

You can bring in specific qualifications as long as you show how they enable you to do the job - we work in a specialist field and it’s not enough to just have a particular degree or qualification - we want to see how you use and apply that knowledge.

Thanks! I thought I was going to get my first unanswered thread!!

Yes it's very weird, as using my experiences I could just fill this out for anyone! Nobody would be any the wiser ... well s'pose they would when it came to actual interview!!

This is how I would run a successful project blah blah blah ... could have come straight out of uni with no idea how do run successful million pound projects concurrently!!

Yes absolutely no CV just 5 questions!!

So we're agreed STAR. What about mentioning projects/examples from previous roles?

Oh I've just checked! As well as saying you're not using AI you have to confirm the answers have not been written by another individual.

Yes use STAR, as 'I did' rather than 'I would do.

Or 'I would do XYZ as I did while managing a £12 million project to deliver x.

Yes, they’re looking for practical examples of what you did/can do. It means they can properly assess how good you’d be at the job without being influenced by impressive (or less than impressive) school and university info, etc.

But STAR would allow you to mention previous experience and qualifications?

Yes, of course, when you are using them as a positive way to demonstrate your achievements. But not having to say which school you went to means there are no assumptions made about the relative abilities of someone who went to a comprehensive on a sink estate and someone who went to Harrow.