Online applications to accountancy firms: how to be the best graduate for the job

Online application systems now include selection tests as standard although the fundamentals of recruitment have not changed – it is a question of adapting this know-how to the medium of web-based recruitment.

Do your research

Preparation is absolutely key. Find out as much as you can about the organisation and its recruitment criteria to help you present yourself in the right way.

Why online applications?

Online systems save time, money and paper. There are advantages for students too – especially for those with scruffy writing! Rather than messing around with Tipp-Ex or realising too late that you’ve used the wrong coloured pen, if you make a mistake on an online form all you need to do is hit ‘delete’. The best systems also give you rapid feedback on your application, including your strengths and weaknesses and what your chances are of getting a job with them. Another bonus is that an application system can give you a useful measure of the organisation in question: for example, is the system easy to use, can you save and return, can you track your application, is the feedback helpful? By placing everything online, companies can get graduates to complete competence questionnaires, ability tests, personality profiles and other tests at the beginning of the selection process, rather than having to spend more money and time in bringing them in for an interview.

Exercise caution!

With e-applications in general students need to exercise caution. Graduate recruiters frequently point out that the speedy, informal nature of e-mail is not conducive to accurate applications. Students tend to ramble on and succumb to simple errors of grammar and spelling, which blows their chances of creating a good impression – and is more than likely to consign their application to the immediate reject pile.
Think twice before you cut and paste applications, too. It’s all too easy to forget to change vital details such as the organisation name – again, a sure-fire recipe for disaster. In any case, it’s important to tailor an application to the company you’re applying to and the role being sought. Generic answers won’t impress recruiters – make sure it’s obvious that you’ve made the effort to think about what they’re looking for, why you would fit their requirements and why you want to work for them.

Handling tricky questions: how to answer the difficult ones

• Arm yourself in advance with a clear idea of what an organisation’s selection criteria are and what matching skills, knowledge and experience you have.
• If you are asked about how you have demonstrated teamwork or found original ways to solve a problem, choose examples from different areas of your life and be as specific as possible when describing them.
•  Concentrate on your personal contribution to whatever it is you’re writing about and stress achievements and outcomes. Don’t let modesty prevent you from telling them about the time when you managed the college drama production or acted as team captain. Even the most routine summer job can show an employer how you react under pressure, deal with people and solve problems.
• Don’t forget that flashes of originality will make you stand out.

Tips for filling in application forms

• Print off the form and read it through thoroughly so you can see exactly what’s involved. Then start to scribble down a few ideas that you can build on.
• Application forms are designed to extract the right amount of information needed to select or reject you. At first glance those spaces might seem far too small – this is because employers want to test your powers of précis. The size of the space is an infallible guide as to how much detail an employer is looking for.
• Faced with a large space that asks for ‘information to support your application’ panic may set in. However, this gives you the freedom to write freely. Good structure is important, so use headings to organise your material: for example, why you are interested in the job, the qualities you can bring to it, any work experience or coursework that is relevant and any technical skills you might have. Now all you need to do is a nice summary and that scary space is filled.
• Prepare any long answers beforehand, spellcheck the document, then copy and paste it into the application form.
• If you have the option to register your name, save your work then go away and have a coffee and a chat with friends. When you return to finish the form later you’ll be more likely to spot errors. If this option isn’t available you’ll have to sit it out – and pray that the computer doesn’t crash before you finish.
• Print out the completed copy. Proofread it yourself, try to find a fresh pair of eyes to check it too, and, assuming everything’s perfect, keep it for future reference. If you get invited for interview, you’ll need to remind yourself of what it was you wrote that convinced them to talk to you.
•  When you are ready and happy with your application, hit the send button and keep your fingers crossed.

Top tips for a really stellar application

• Presentation – bad grammar and spelling mistakes will ruin a good application. Check, check and check again!
• Completeness – make sure you have completed everything that is required for the application. If it’s incomplete it will not even be considered.
• Do your research – make sure you know the organisation and what its core business is.
• Think about the competency based questions and give examples from your time at university, part-time jobs or personal achievements to show how you have demonstrated the behaviours in question.
• Don’t be afraid to sell yourself, but be honest. You may be asked to substantiate what you have said.

Thanks to Marina Aldridge, head of resourcing & recruitment, Audit Commission, for these top tips.

Online testing: how to pass with flying colours

• Make good use of the practice questions available online before attempting the real tests as you will have just one opportunity to do the real ones!
• Make sure that you are in a quiet room where you will not be interrupted so that you can fully concentrate.
• Don’t be tempted to get a friend or a family member to do the test on your behalf. Not only is this unethical, but you’ll be cheating yourself in the long run because at most firms it is likely that you could be randomly selected to sit paperbased tests in addition. Also, these tests are key in terms of predicting success in professional qualifications training, and failure in exams could result in a contract terminated.

Thanks to Hannah Wright, HR advisor, Baker Tilly Services Limited, for these top tips.