Guidance for job applicants

Thank you for your interest in Wycombe District Council. Please complete the application form which includes a confidential equal opportunities monitoring questionnaire and submit it as soon as possible.

Equal opportunities monitoring

Information about you will be treated in strict confidence. The equal opportunities questionnaire will be used for monitoring and review purposes only. It will not be available to the shortlisting and interview panel.

More about equality and diversity.

Closing dates

If a closing date has been stated in the advertisement, applications must be submitted by 4pm on that day. Applications submitted after the closing date are not normally considered.

The application form

The information provided on your application form is the only information we have to decide if you should be interviewed. You should provide all of the information we ask for and include everything you want us to know about you.

The following notes are to help you make your application. Candidates with a disability may prefer not to use this form and use an alternative method of application. Please contact our HR team for advice if required on the details in the right hand column.

Guidelines on completing the application form

1. Read all the information provided, especially the job description and person specification. The job description outlines the duties you would be expected to carry out in this post. The person specification sets out the skills, experience, qualifications and personal attributes relevant for the job.
   
2. It may be useful to prepare a rough draft before filling in the application form.
   If you provide a separate supporting document it will not be submitted for shortlisting unless:
   
   All personal details are omitted (for example, date of birth, gender and marital status)
   Information provided covers the same areas as requested in the job details
   The post applied for, as detailed on the application form, is marked on each page.
   
3. The application form is a standard form used for all jobs, so do not worry if you are not able to enter information in all the sections (for example qualifications or work experience). Just show that you have not missed a section by stating "not applicable" or "NA".
   
4. In the "current employment" section, fill in all details, including employers name, address, telephone and e-mail contacts.
   
5. In the "previous employment" section, fill in all jobs held, with the most recent job first. Make sure all details are completed. Do not forget that this section should include voluntary or temporary employment, particularly where you do not have previous permanent paid work experience.
   
6. References from your current or most recent employers covering the last three years (or covering the last five years for posts involving children or vulnerable people) will be required before any offer of employment is confirmed. Please include full contact details.
   
7. In the "education" section, please give any qualifications obtained at school, college and/or university. Do not forget to include any other special skills or training (for example, apprenticeship, word processing or languages).
   
8. You should use the "personal statement" section to tell us how you feel you meet the requirements of the job and person specification. Give us as much information as necessary to demonstrate the skills, experience and knowledge you have gained. This could include voluntary work, leisure interests and any other activities that you consider relevant to this position.

What we offer employees

• We offer a generous benefits package including flexible working and final salary pension scheme.
• Find out more about the benefits of working for us.
• We are an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from all sectors of the community.
• We have a no smoking policy.