application form

[Nearlybaldandgrey]

Just to throw something else into the mix here .....

I see both Kurnal and Hannahs points in their posts in relation to following simple instructions.

Yes, the new recruitment process is PQA based and it is that evidence which is used, BUT having spent many happy hours looking at application forms, it is obvious that many do not read the guidance notes. I also appreciate that prosective employers must allow for the modern way of completing and submitting applications, but it falls to the applicant to do what is asked and confirm if there is a question.

A basic skill within the Fire and Rescue Service, even taking away the ability to work as part of a team in a stressful situation, is to follow instructions, some simple and some not so simple.

[Alfy]

The application form provides so much guidance and lots of instructions it actually seems quite straight forward. So why is it so many of us find it so hard to get through this stage?!!!

[fireftrm]

Because of very poorly worded answers, or a complete lack of understanding of what is required.

[Big A]

Because of very poorly worded answers, or a complete lack of understanding of what is required.

Also there are generally many times more applicants than vacancies.

[Mike Buckley]

I agree with Big A. There are a lot more applicants than places and part of the process is to weed the numbers down. The recruiters will have a target of how many applicants they want to start processing through the various stages and an idea of the mix of recruits they want.

So if there are 1000 applicants and the recruiters want to process 100 to get 10 new firefighters the weeding is going to be savage. How they weed is up to the local policy.

There was a story of one officer who was faced by piles of application forms and declared "I believe that a firefighter must be lucky", picks up a pile of application forms and dumps them into the waste paper bin and comments "those obviously are not".

The weeding process is a lot more scientific these days, but face it there are a lot more applicants than places and you are competing for the places. Anything that indicates you are not up to the spec is likely to get you rejected. Even if your application is perfect you are still competing with a lot of others and luck will play a big part in how you get on.