Writing an application form
Writing an application form
Once you’ve figured out what you’ve got to shout about, make sure you pack your application forms full of your experiences and skills.
Try to keep it concise and cut the long descriptions: lots of people will be applying for the same job or course as you, so make your skills and experience stand out and shine.
When it comes to an interview, you’ll have more time to go into detail about everything you’ve learned and achieved.
The best answers have three parts. Your answer should give examples that:
- say what you’ve done
- explain (briefly) what it means
- and highlight the skills it demonstrates.
These three parts correspond to the way we laid out the experiences above: name the experience, explain it to someone outside the movement, and tell them the skills you learned along the way.
To get you started, we’ve written some examples to show you how you can include your Scouts experiences in your application.
We’ve also put together a list of questions that may come up on application forms, so you can write some practice answers. Remember to use your own Scout experiences, and our examples, to help you answer each question.
If someone asked you ‘have you ever held a leadership position?’, you might think about the time you were a Young Leader for a Cub Pack.
What you’ve done: been a Young Leader for three years.
What it means: completed the Young Leaders’ Scheme, worked alongside the adult leadership team, planned activities that engaged younger people and fit Scouts’ rules.
The skills it demonstrates: became more confident and independent, developed teamwork and leadership skills, improved communication and interpersonal skills.
On an application form, you might write: I've been a Young Leader for a local Cub Pack for three years. This involves attending weekly meetings and working alongside the adult leadership team to plan and run activities and events. This has helped me to become more confident and independent, develop my teamwork and leadership skills, and improve my communication and interpersonal skills.
In an interview, you could then go into more detail: I’ve been a Young Leader for my local Cub Pack for three years and have completed Scouts’ Young Leaders Scheme. This involves attending weekly meetings and working alongside the adult leadership team to plan and run activities, weekend events, and camps. I take into account the age range and abilities of the young people in the group as I plan, making sure my activities are engaging and fun, while keeping to Scouts’ rules. This has helped me to become more confident and independent, develop my teamwork and leadership skills, and improve my communication and interpersonal skills.
If someone asked you ‘have you ever worked as part of a team?’, you might think about the time you went on an Explorer Belt expedition to Austria.
What you’ve done: went on an Explorer Belt expedition to Austria.
What it means: planned, trained for and carried out a 10-day expedition in Austria with a team of six, carrying out various projects along the way to learn about the country.
The skills it demonstrates: teamwork, collective decision-making and motivating others in a challenging situation.
On an application form, you might write: Through the Scout Network, I completed my Explorer Belt, which involved planning, training for and completing a 10-day expedition abroad. I worked as part of a team of six to plan our expedition in Austria, which involved making collective decisions on the route and budget of our expedition, as well as the projects to be completed along the way. The experience helped me to develop my teamwork and decision-making skills, and my ability to motivate others in a challenging situation.
In an interview, you could then go into more detail: Through the Scout Network, I completed my Explorer Belt, which involved planning, training for and completing a 10-day expedition abroad. I worked as part of a team of six to plan our expedition in Austria, which involved making collective decisions on the location, budget, expedition route, and projects to be completed along the way. Once on the expedition, we had to work together to make sure that we kept to the planned route and kept team morale high. We also worked together to research various aspects of community life in the area we visited, delegating various tasks to different team members and then collecting our findings together to write a presentation to deliver on our return. It helped me to develop my teamwork skills and ability to make collective decisions, as well as my ability to motivate others in a challenging situation.
If someone asked you ‘have you ever worked independently?’, you might think about how you hold an Adventurous Activity Leadership Permit.
What you’ve done: hold an Adventurous Activity Leadership Permit for canoeing and run monthly sessions for Scouts.
What it means: organise, plan, and run monthly canoeing skills training sessions for local Scouts.
The skills it demonstrates: independence, leadership skills, self-motivation, use of initiative (being able to get things going on your own), ability to cope with responsibility.
On an application form, you might write: I hold an Adventurous Activity Leadership Permit for canoeing through Scouts. I use this to organise, plan and run monthly canoeing skills training sessions for Scouts aged 10 to 14 in my local area. This has improved my confidence in working independently to reach goals and my self-motivation, as well as my ability to cope with responsibility and use my initiative.
In an interview, you could then go into more detail: I hold an Adventurous Activity Leadership Permit for canoeing through Scouts. I use this to organise, plan and run monthly canoeing skills training sessions for up to eight Scouts aged 10 to 14 in my local area. This includes securing use of the location and equipment, advertising the sessions, and being responsible for the safety and personal development of the young people attending. I have run four of the sessions so far, and received great feedback. This has improved my confidence in working independently to reach goals and my self-motivation, as well as my ability to cope with responsibility and use my initiative.
Instead of, or as well as, writing a cover letter, you may be asked questions on your application form. Some examples include:
University or college
- Why do you want to study this subject?
- Why did you choose this university?
- What did you enjoy about your A-levels?
- How would you describe yourself?
- What are your main interests?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- What achievement are you most proud of?
- What are your career plans?
- Why should we offer you a place?
You'll also have to think about the types of questions that relate to your specific subject and have acquired some background knowledge of what the field involves.
Job role or apprenticeship
- How would you describe yourself?
- How well do you know this industry?
- What makes you suitable for the role?
- Why are you interested in this role?
- Briefly outline your relevant skills and experience for this role.
- What are your hobbies or interests?
- What is your greatest achievement?
- Describe any positions of responsibility you've held in the last 3 years
- Give an example of how you made a positive contribution to a team and what the outcome was
- Have you any experience in, or what experience do you have in ... ?
- When have you had a setback and what you did to overcome it?
- Describe a time when you demonstrated creativity in solving a difficult problem.