Before you Apply and Application Forms
Before you apply and Application forms
During my time as a Recruitment Advisor I have spoken to hundreds if not thousands of people, all eager to be part of ExxonMobil. Unfortunately not everyone can be successful but some useful hints and tips may just help you to become one of the more successful applicants.
Hope you find my advice useful!
Rachael
First step….Do your research!
Careers services, graduate brochures, online job sites, careers fairs, company websites, friends and family are all potential sources of information which could help you in your job search. Think about the industry, company or position you are interested in applying to and this will help you to narrow your search. Once you have done this you can begin to think about what the company is offering and what you want from the company, not just financially but also other things like training and development, long term prospects and travel. Whatever is important to you really!
Completing the Application Form
As you can imagine we receive a high volume of applications every year. It’s important to make sure that yours stands out from the crowd and that you avoid the basic mistakes that many applicants make.
• Ensure you meet all the specified eligibility criteria.
This includes applying for a function that requires a specific degree discipline that you do not hold, and not having the current right to work in the UK on a full time basis.
'It is very important that you check your eligibility for the scheme and organisation before starting your application form. We cannot move you any further through the recruitment process if this criteria is not met'.
• The personal qualities questions are the heart of the application form and yet we do see a number of people who do not answer these questions at all as they feel that it does not apply to them.
'These questions form part of our initial screening process, so think carefully about your answers and complete them to the best of your ability. Draw from a range of experiences so we can learn as much about you as possible. These may be hobbies, part time jobs, societies you’ve been part of, sports teams, industrial placements and so on!’
• Some applicants misread the questions. The questions in the application form are testing the competencies we look for in our graduates. We need to understand that you can demonstrate you have these competencies before we can progress your application. It is very important that you read the question fully and answer the question concisely and accurately as possible.
• Don't Cut & Paste. With the use of on-line application forms it is very easy and tempting to cut and paste your answers from one application form to another…but beware. From our recruitment perspective it is very obvious when answers have been cut and pasted as the information does not answer the question set.
Uploading a CV
Our online application system allows you to upload your CV. Please remember that you can edit your CV online throughout the process. Ensure that we have the most up to date on our system.
Here are some CV tips to ensure yours
Although the term 'curriculum vitae' literally means 'course of life', your CV is about much more. Your CV is a marketing tool to demonstrate your suitability for the job. A CV can tell an organization a lot about a candidate- are they interested in this job? Is there any experiences or education that makes this individual stand out form other applicants? Do their experiences and qualities match what we are looking for?
All experiences count, whether paid, voluntary or shadowing. Aim to put your experience in reverse chronological order with rough dates to illustrate how long you were there. Focus on your responsibilities, what you did, details of any major projects and achievements in the role. Remember this is our first impression of you- we will only know what experience you have had previously if you have told us!
In or out?
Due to legislation in the UK we would ask that you remove the following pieces of information from your CV prior to uploading it and remember some other pieces of information:
Out:
Date of Birth
Gender
Ethnicity
Dates of Schooling
In:
Contact details
Address
Relevant experience
Academic results
Reason for applying – this is very important, it supports your application as to why you want our job
| 
