Guidelines to Applicants
We offer a few guidelines here to improve the presentation of your application, which will increase the likelihood of it succeeding.
Please include the following in your application
- A completed Oxford HR cover sheet (
download),
- A copy of your curriculum vitae (CV) or resume (not normally to exceed three pages). For your reference, we offer some advice for writing a CV., as well as a downloadble CV template; and
- A short application letter or personal statement that clearly indicates how your skills and experience match the criteria the employer has indicated are essential to be a successful candidate. To assist you, we also provide tips on writing a covering letter.
Content of letters and CVs / résumés
- If the job description/person specification indicates that, for example, management experience is required, make sure that your CV or letter states that you have managed people as well as where, when, how many, etc.
- Make sure that your application has the names, contact details, dates and duties of all relevant employment and self-employment.
- Details of how to contact you (quickly) need to be clear and prominent in your application. Sometimes selection processes move rapidly! If you are about to go on holiday or to work in the field, say so, and tell us how to get in touch.
Layout of letters and CVs / résumés
- Ensure you have your name on every page in either the header or footer. It is also useful to show page numbers and, perhaps, the date.
- Send your application as a Word document (or a pdf if you have access to the programme).
- Please put your name as the file name - e.g. "Hazel Douglas cv.doc" and "Hazel Douglas covering letter.doc" - and include the job title and any reference number in the subject line of your e-mail.
Referees
Before we finally short-list candidates, we will want to talk to people who have worked with you, know your strengths and weaknesses and can confirm your work and academic history.
Often we will have done this in the process of "head-hunting" and talking to our contacts. However, it is useful to have the names of people (probably not your current employer) whom we can contact (most likely by telephone) at this early stage. For jobs that involve formal management of others, it can be useful to talk to people whom you have managed in previous jobs. These are the informal referees.
Should the client wish to offer you a job, we will want two or three referees who will give a formal, written reference for you. These will need to be your present or most recent employer, people who have managed or funded major projects on which you have consulted, and/or academic referees. These are formal referees. (NB we will not contact formal referees without your prior consent.)
We hope you find these guidelines useful, and wish you luck in your job search!