How should I approach the internal recruitment process? 

  • Approach the process as if you were applying for a role with an external company and the interview panel have no prior knowledge of your skills, experience or achievements.  

  • Understand the Job Profile – What are the key responsibilities in the role? What skills and experience are required? 

  • Understand what the University’s strategic aims are.  

  • Know the University’s values. Think about what the key challenges will be in the new role.  

 

Application Forms/ CV and Cover Letters 

  • Your application should be specific to the role that you are applying for.  

  • Review the person profile criteria and confirm how you would meet these.   

  • State clearly if you have the qualifications/ experience/ skills detailed in the person profile.  

  • If you don’t currently have the qualifications/ experience specified, detail how you would address this? E.g. would you study for a qualification, what alternative experience can you apply to the role?  

  • Find out about recent news and trends within the HE sector (if appropriate for the role), https://wonkhe.com/ is particularly useful. 

  • Use formal written English and a clear and succinct structure.  

 

How can I promote myself? 

  • You may wish to refer to your PDRs for information about your previous achievements. 

  • Highlight your key achievements in the University and in your extra-curricular activities, and link this to demonstrate your ability to be successful in the role.  

  • Include some examples of how you demonstrate the Solent Values when writing about your experience and key achievements.  

  • Emphasise the added value that you can bring to the role. 

 

How do I prepare for an internal interview? 

  • You may be asked to prepare a presentation during the interview, practice the delivery of this beforehand to ensure that it is within the required timeframe.  

  • Approach the interview as if it were a formal interview:-  

  • Dress smartly. 

  • Prepare adequately beforehand. 

  • Use the STAR interview technique to answer competency based questions.  

 

What is STAR? 

  • The STAR technique is a step by step method which will help you answer each question in a clear and structured way. STAR stands for:- 

  • Situation 

  • Task 

  • Action 

  • Result 

The questions may start along the lines of “tell me about a time when you”. This will be followed by the responsibilities/ competencies that have been listed on the job specification. 

The answer to these questions will usually be between a minute and three minutes long. 

•Situation 

This is about setting the scene, giving a context and background to the situation. So if you’re asked a question about time management, your reply would need to include the details of the project you were working on, who you were working with, when it happened and where you were. 

•Task 

This is more specific to your exact role in the situation. You need to make sure that the interviewer knows what you were tasked with, rather than the rest of the team. 

•Action 

This is the most important part of the STAR technique, because it allows you to highlight what your response was. Remember, you need to talk about what you specifically did, so using ‘I’ rather than team actions – otherwise you won’t be showing off the necessary skills the employer is looking for. 

Be sure to share a lot of detail, the interviewer will not be familiar with your history, although remember to avoid any acronyms and institutional language. 

What you’re trying to get across here is how you assessed and decided what was the appropriate response to the situation, and how you got the other team members involved – which in turn is a great way to demonstrate your communication skills. 

For example if you are asked about dealing with a difficult personality on your team you would talk about how you decided to take a certain course of action to avoid making the situation worse or upsetting the individual. 

•Result 

The result should be a positive one, and ideally one that can be quantified. Examples include repeat business, an increase in sales by 15% or saving the team 5 hours a week. The interviewer may also want to know what you learnt from that situation, and if there was anything you’d do differently the next time you were faced with that situation. 

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