As you can imagine, with a reputation such as ours and a history of delivering world famous projects, graduate and undergraduate roles at Mace are highly sought after. Each year we receive over 3,000 applications for our roles nationwide. Due to this volume of applications, we don’t just look at your qualifications and work experience on your CV. We look for various skills and motivations in our graduates and placement students, and these are assessed in a three stage recruitment process (two stages for summer placements). These are an online application form, a first stage interview and an assessment centre (for graduates and industrial placements).
On average, approximately 10% of our applicants make it through to the interview stage and this isn’t because the other 90% aren’t qualified for the role; it is because they don’t show their true potential on the application form.
Below are our top tips to assist you in writing your online application and to help increase your chances of making it through to the first stage interview.
Answer all of the questions
It seems simple, but these questions are being asked for a reason. They are used as an indicator for the motivations & behaviours that we are looking for. Don’t leave anything blank, or you will do yourself a disservice.
Research the company
Tailor your application to Mace and don’t use generic statements that could be applied to multiple companies. You can use various methods to conduct your research including researching the Mace website, reading our end of year reports and reading news articles about Mace and the industry. You can also come and see us if we are attending your university careers fair.
Ensure you understand the role you are applying to
Review the job description, read reviews online from employees who are working in the role and make sure you understand what you would be doing and who your key stakeholders would be. Think about the skills and behaviours you will need and tell us why the role appeals to you.
Proof read your application
Make sure there are no spelling mistakes or grammatical errors in your application. It’s surprising how many applications we are unable to progress due to errors that could be avoided.
Use the word limit
One sentence answers are not enough. You should be covering 3-4 detailed points in each question on the application form to ensure you are demonstrating your research, skills and behaviours.
Structure your answers correctly
Although the world limit is an indication of the length of answer we are expecting, ensure that you aren’t wasting it and be concise in your answers. The easiest way to ensure you are covering the relevant points is by using the STAR model:
- S – What was the Situation?
- T – What was the Task and what did you have to achieve?
- A - What Action did you take?
- R – What was the Result at the end?
Submit your application early
We make offers on a rolling basis which means that we may fill our roles before the deadline. Submit your application as early as possible but do not rush it!
Ready to kickstart your career with Mace? Discover their live roles and apply here.