Initial Entry/Gap Year
The Application Form
The application process for Initial Entry and Gap Year placements uses a standardised application form to allow us to asses candidates against the Banks competencies. There are six stages for you to complete before you can submit an application.
Register
The first page you will come to when you apply for a role is the “register” page. On this page we require you to provide basic information which allows us to contact you to let you know the outcome of your application. It is not possible to apply for more than one role using your login details so you must decide which scheme you wish to apply for before registering.
Equal Opportunities Monitoring
There is also an Equal Opportunities form which we would like you to complete to enable us to properly monitor our performance in recruitment as recommended by the Commission of Racial Equality. Any information you provide on this form is stored separately to your application and plays no part in producing any shortlist. We recognise that not everyone wants to disclose this information so under each heading you will have the option to “decline”.
Education
You will be required to provide information on your education, including the schools/colleges you attended and the qualifications you have received/been predicted.
If your academic qualifications were studied for, and awarded outside of the UK, please state the actual qualification and awarded grade/score (e.g. Baccalaureate; Abitur, etc) rather than providing an equivalence to UK qualifications.
Scheme Specific Questions
The application form contains questions designed to seek examples from your skills and experience to provide evidence of your suitability to work at the Bank.
It sounds obvious, but make sure that you answer the actual question asked when completing the form. Also, try to convey how your particular achievement is relevant to the work place and relates to the skills that are needed at the Bank.
It is important to show us that you are serious about working at the Bank by demonstrating your knowledge of what we do, and being able to explain the areas you are particularly interested in. A simple technique to test the quality of your answers is to ask yourself the question “So what?”. If the point you are trying to make is not clear then you should rewrite the answer.
Work Experience
If you have undertaken any work experience, record it in this section. Do not assume because it is not relevant to the work of the Bank that it is not of interest to us. We are interested in hearing about any experience you have which demonstrates an ability to work accurately with data, to meeting deadlines and to working with other people, particularly in customer-facing roles. Work experience can include voluntary placements and part time paid work, as well as formal placements you may have had. However, don’t worry if you haven’t got any work experience to list. Although useful, you don’t need work experience to get through to the next stage of the process.
Skills
The skills section allows you to tell us of any additional skills you feel would support your application and be beneficial to the Bank which have not been mentioned in other parts of the application form. These include IT skills and qualifications.
Submitting
Finally, do proofread your application and consider your communication style. Writing is a very important skill at the Bank, so we need to see that you can express yourself clearly, concisely and accurately on your application form. If in doubt it is always best to write in a more formal style than to use any colloquialisms or informal terms.
Once you have completed these stages you must submit your application in order for us to view it. As a security measure, you will be asked to re-enter your password before you can do so.
We have a fixed deadline for applications for Initial Entry and Gap Year placements. Applications are not assessed until this date has passed. As a result, candidates who apply when the recruitment window first opens may experience longer waiting periods. We will acknowledge receipt of your application and provide you with timescales for letting you know your progress. This commitment continues through the further stages.
Entry Tests
If you are successful at the application stage, you will be invited to our Head Office in London to sit the Modern Occupational Skills Test (MOST). This is an interchangeable suite of tests that measure skill and aptitude. The Bank uses:
- Spelling and Grammar
- Decision Making
- Numerical Awareness
Information on the tests will be sent to candidates once your place has been confirmed.
The Selection Centre
Our selection centre is held in our Head Office in London and has two parts: an interview and a group exercise.
The interview for all candidates will look for evidence of the competencies mentioned previously. The people interviewing you want to get the best from you – so try to relax, be confident and show them what you are capable of. It’s a good idea to think in advance of specific examples you can give which demonstrate your capabilities. This could be from your experiences in extra-curricular activities or in a part-time job.
In the group exercise we are looking for evidence of your oral communication, interpersonal awareness, confidence and assertiveness. If you say very little, it is very difficult for us to assess whether you have the skills we require. Get involved in the conversation, even if it is just to ask questions to clarify your own and others’ understanding. Show an interest in what others are saying.