These guides explain how to prepare an application. The original vacancy and its recruitment authority decide eligibility, required documents, selection stages and deadlines. Role suggestions use published job titles and simple matching rules; choose another guide when a title is ambiguous.
Your application, step by step
Identify the professional emphasis
Read whether the vacancy is for press, public engagement, translation, internal communication, HR, recruitment, payroll or organisational development. Match your examples to the actual function and audience.
Choose evidence of a result
For communications, describe the audience, objective, channel and outcome. For HR, describe the process, your responsibility, how you handled information and the result. Use public or anonymised examples rather than personnel records.
Write to the assessment criteria
Complete the employer’s questions with concise, dated examples. Show how you worked with managers, specialists or service users, and how you checked the accuracy and accessibility of your work.
Submit the requested samples
Only attach writing, campaign or project samples when requested or accepted. For translation or interpreting, identify the precise language combination and any required professional qualifications in the notice.
Prepare for selection
- Practise turning a complex issue into a short, accurate public explanation.
- For HR interviews, prepare a process-improvement and a difficult-conversation example without exposing personal information.
- If a written test is announced, follow its audience, word limit and brief closely.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Sharing identifiable employee cases or unpublished internal communications.
- Using a polished portfolio as a substitute for evidence against the formal criteria.
Official guidance
Check the current instructions from the recruiting organisation before submitting.