Working for the Food Standards Agency

A great CV should be tailored to the role you are applying for – make sure you highlight your most relevant skills and experience. Your CV should be both easy to read and follow – try to avoid using acronyms and keep the format simple and clear.

The statement is your opportunity to give evidenced examples of how you fit the requirement on the person specification and why you should get the job. Always remember to directly address the essential criteria.

It is a good idea to use headings to break up your paragraphs, this gives a clear structure to the different areas you want to cover. Always use full explanations of terms rather than abbreviations or acronyms.

Try using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) model to help you structure your answers:

Situation: What was happening?

Task: What needed to happen?

Action: What did you do?

Result: How was your action successful?

Spend more time on the ‘action’ and ‘result’ parts of STAR. This tells the panel what you did and what happened as a result.

Seek a second opinion and read it again–make sure you are content that your statement provides the evidence requested to demonstrate the essential criteria and ask questions if you are unsure about anything.

Stick to the word count.

There are usually two or three people on an interview panel; typically, the vacancy holder, a colleague or individual who understands the role well, and finally an independent person to ensure every candidate is treated and assessed consistently. Embracing an inclusive culture will help us to recruit and retain the best people from the widest talent pool. Our recruitment panels should reflect this commitment, and as such we endeavour to ensure that all panels at the FSA reflect the diversity of our workforce.

You can also use the STAR format in an interview, in the same way you use it for an application. Remember to answer using ‘I’ not ‘we’.

Use dynamic language.

Give structure to your answer.