What Work Cambridgeshire and Rutland 2016 | Page 29

Information and guidance for young people aged 13-19

Applying for a job by phone
33 Make sure you know the name of the person you need
to speak to. If you’re not sure, ask for the personnel or
human resources department or main reception.

33 Prepare the questions you want to ask beforehand and
have them written down in front of you.

33 Have a pen and some paper ready to write down
anything you feel is important.

33 Introduce yourself clearly and thank the person at the
end of the phone call.

33 Make sure you have enough credit on your
phone!

Getting it right the first time
Employers often receive so many applications for
a vacancy that they look for ways to sift out those
who may not be suitable. If you don’t look out for
the following points all that hard work could be
straight in the bin...
»» Spelling or grammar mistakes
»» Too much information
»» Not enough information
»» Scruffiness
»» Not completing every part of the form (put
‘none’ if you aren’t able to fill in a particular
section such as previous employment)
»» Coloured paper or pen
»» An email address that isn’t appropriate for an
employer
And make sure that you relate your skills to the
job on offer.

Job adverts: what do they mean?
Sometimes employers use words in their adverts
that we’re not really sure about. They might do
this to attract a certain type of person or because
they use a particular type of language in the
workplace. To cut through some of the jargon, visit
the National Careers Service website (‘How to find
a job’ section).

Interviews
33 Make sure you know where the

interview is being held and that you
can get there on time. (Leave some
time for delays).

33 Find out about the company or

organisation first, for example what
they do and how big they are.

33 Prepare some questions that you want
to ask about the job.

33 Make sure you have everything you

need for the interview such as progress
files or certificates.

33 Try to answer all the questions with
more than just ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

33 Speak clearly, smile and thank the
interviewer at the end.

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