Wood

What happens after I apply?

Once we receive your application, it will be reviewed by one of our Early Careers team members who manage each of our regions. If your application is shortlisted, we will get in touch with you for a Video Interview, where you’ll get the chance to introduce yourself and make another positive impression on both our Early Careers team and hiring managers.

Here are some great tips to get you on the right foot.

1. Cover letter
   
   • A cover or “covering” letter sells your resume to the recruiter or employer and is not merely a repeat of your resume
   • Whilst your resume underlines your work history, current responsibilities, achievements and education, the cover letter is designed to pique the interest of the reader encouraging them to find out more
   • It explains why you’re applying for the job, showcases the key points from your resume and includes relevant additional information
   • A good cover letter should be between 200 to 250 words in length
2. Resume
   
   • Ensure cover letter is addressed to the correct employer (yes this does happen!)
   • Check spelling
   • Attach requested documents
   • Make sure your resume is in reverse chronological order (your most recent position comes first)
   • Try to keep it to only a few pages
   • Address any application specific criteria
   • Trash the objective (Generic, waffly, and hideously boring – ditch that career objective at the start of your resume)
   • Forget crazy fonts, formats or happy snaps (Black and white, size 11, Times New Roman, Arial, Tahoma or Calibri please)
3. Interview
   
   • Be yourself – not over rehearsed
   • Do the research – company/industry/interview techniques
   • Body language
   • Dress - dress for the job you want.
   • Be engaging with the interviewers highlight your leadership and teamwork skills
   • Be thoughtful with your answers
   • Be authentic, concise, and upbeat
   • Prepare smart questions - Interviews are a two-way street. Employers expect you to ask questions: they want to know that you’re thinking seriously about what it would be like to work there. Here are some questions you may want to consider asking your interviewers:
   • Can you explain some of the day-to-day responsibilities for this job?
   • How would you describe the characteristics of someone who would succeed in this role?
   • If I were in this position, how would my performance be measured? How often?
   • What departments does this teamwork with regularly? How do these departments typically collaborate? What does that process look like?
   • What are the challenges you’re currently facing in your role?

How to Prepare for an Assessment Centre

The other candidates you will be with should not be considered as direct competition as assessors will be evaluating you on how you can work in a team, communicate with others, and show leadership skills. You will be given a problem to solve as a group in these exercises. Throughout these group activities, there are a few things that you should keep in mind.

• Be assertive, not dominant
• Stay focused
• Be supportive
• Be original

At an assessment centre, it is also important to stay professional as you will be evaluated and are expected to behave and wear appropriate attire throughout the assessment centre. During the time at the assessment centre, the first way you can make a good impression is to arrive on time and make sure your phone is silent to avoid disruptions during assessments.

Another way to create good impressions are during the breaks. Take your time and opportunity to start a conversation with other candidates, staff members, and even our assessors. This is the time you can introduce yourself and even strike a conversation about Wood and industry challenges. Other than trying to stand out during the assessments, also find ways to stand out during breaks.

Remember, you are being assessed as soon as you walk through to reception so it’s important to be polite and courteous to our reception staff. We often ask reception for feedback on candidate behaviour whilst they are waiting.