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Sample Supporting Statements
For Students and Newly Registered Nurses, Nursing Support Workers, and Nurses and Midwives.
The supporting statement is the most important part of your job application. This is effectively where you convince the employer that you're the right person for the job and explain why they should hire you.
This page offers sample supporting statements and a tutorial to help you. we can also offer feedback on your supporting statement via email..
Different employers will have different instructions or expectations with regards to supporting statements, but generally they'll be looking to see if you're applying for the right reasons and that you meet the essential criteria. If you haven't already done so, read the general advice on writing job applications first. To help give you an idea, have a look at our sample supporting statements which have been written to correlate to a sample Person Specification. In particular, pay attention to the way the sample supporting statements:
- Cover all the essential criteria listed in the Person Specification
- Use examples or evidence to demonstrate how the criteria is met
- Follow the order of the Person Specification as much as possible.
The samples should be used as a guide only. Your own supporting statement should be structured around the job and person specification you're applying for. You may also want to watch the Supporting Statements tutorial below.
- Apply for jobs that are right for you
- Never write a 'one size fits all' supporting statement
- Explain why you want the job, showing your passion/interest and motivation
- Demonstrate how you meet all the essential criteria from the person specification using examples or evidence
- Demonstrate how you meet any organisational/trust values if there are any
- Imagine you're being asked the question, "Why should we hire you?"
- Run a spelling and grammar check
Supporting Statement Tutorial Preview
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- Making a Successful Application
Using the supporting information section to your best advantage
This section is critical to complete well. It’s your chance to really sell yourself as a suitable applicant and get that invitation to interview.
As an external applicant you have up to 1500 words for this section to persuade and influence the recruiting manager that you could do the job and that you deserve an interview.
So how do you do this?
By tailoring your application i.e., by matching your skills, knowledge, and experience to the job requirements. You need to connect your current and past work experience to the requirements of the role you are applying for. This means you can’t just cut and paste any old thing. You need to make it specific to the job in question.
In the Employment History section of your application, you will have listed your previous jobs and the main duties and responsibilities of each. This will have given you some ability to link your skill set with the job in question, by one job at a time. However, the Supporting Information section of your application is where you can sell yourself and really stand out from the crowd.
You have the freedom to organise this section how you want, so you can do this by grouping your skills and work experience into broader themes and strengths that match the job you are applying for.
Using bullet points and subheadings is good. Long paragraphs and essays are not so good. Make it as easy as possible for the recruiters to find the information you need and want them to see.
The critical thing to do here is to pay close attention to the requirements of the role you are applying for and give good examples of your achievements for each. Remember that now with NHS Jobs the shortlisting criteria are included with the advert. Recruiters will be scoring your application against these. So, make sure you cover these.
What makes a good example?
This will be covered in more detail in section 2 on Having a Successful Interview. A helpful framework to use here is the STAR example.
What is a STAR example?
STAR stands for:
- S ituation or T ask – what was the context and what were you being asked to do
- A ction – what you did to achieve this
- R esult – what was the outcome or result, e.g., money or time saved, better customer service, patient care, staff morale etc
In a good STAR example, you address all three elements concisely by writing about your previous experience.
For example:
“At Acme Ltd, as Trainee Accountant, I was asked by my manager, towards year end, to make savings from the budget. This was crucial to the business as we were overspending. I set up a team involving key people from across the business, such as department heads. I asked people to share their ideas and we then prioritised the best ones. For example, I decided to change our electricity supplier to a lower tariff and reduced our stock levels by 10% which improved our working capital. Overall, I achieved £20k in savings, almost 3% of the budget, and we hit the year-end target. My manager was really pleased, and I got a letter of recognition from the Managing Director.”
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Below is a short snippet of an example NHS Supporting Information statement for a Band 8a role: As a committed healthcare professional with a track record of providing excellent patient care and managing productive interdisciplinary teams, I am excited to apply for this NHS Band 8a position.
The supporting statement is the most important part of your job application. This is effectively where you convince the employer that you're the right person for the job and explain why they should hire you. This page offers sample supporting statements and a tutorial to help you. We can also offer feedback on your supporting statement via email.
The following tips will help you prepare effectively for your NHS band 8 role. The interview tips are suitable for all NHS all job roles within the 8a and 8b band, including lead nurse, clinical psychologist, lead neuro-psychologist, child & adolescent psychotherapist, matron, head of quality, compliance & assurance, head of finance, applied psychologist and service manager.
Band 8 includes four categories, namely 8a, 8b, 8c and 8d. Each has a higher salary than the previous one, meaning Band 8d earns the most and 8a the least. Band 8 roles include consultant podiatrists, dental laboratory managers, nurse consultants, strategic managers, consultant clinical scientists and chief nurses.
professional reputation at the feet of this statement. If we know how to deliver evidence based healthcare- then we must. I was determined and happy to remove those obstacles. I was called 'charming' by my head teacher in my undergraduate nursing application, which I am not sure was a compliment, but I
The NHS is an outstanding organisation that has revolutionised public healthcare, and as a leading worldwide national health service, it sets high standards for those wishing to join the NHS, and the process is thorough and lengthy, and only the best will succeed.. Anyone wanting to join the NHS must submit a standard application for the role. At first glance, this form may seem simple, by ...
The main objective when writing a supporting statement is to demonstrate to the hiring manager why you are the best candidate for the job. Keep this in mind when writing your supporting statement. We asked some of our writers, who have been writing NHS CV's and Supporting Statements for over 10 years, what their top tips were for writing a ...
This section is critical to complete well. It's your chance to really sell yourself as a suitable applicant and get that invitation to interview. As an external applicant you have up to 1500 words for this section to persuade and influence the recruiting manager that you could do the job and that you deserve an interview. So how do you do this? By tailoring your application i.e., by matching ...
Share your personal motivation for pursuing a career as a nurse. This will give the person reviewing your personal statement a better understanding of who you are. For example, if your mother was a nurse and her passion for nursing inspired you, this emotional connection can add a powerful and personal touch to your statement. Unique traits
The personal statement, or 'supporting information' is quite different from a personal statement used to apply for study. It's your opportunity to convince the employer that you are the ideal candidate for the job and that you match the job criteria, such as your knowledge, experience, skills, motivation and values. ...