I’m going to tell you a story about a mature student at Napier University who graduated with a 2:1 degree in Ecotourism.
He wasn’t the sharpest tool in the box but he was very handsome, had drive, enthusiasm and passion that many of his younger student colleagues were envious of. He took time out of his week to volunteer with BTCV and kept this up throughout his time at Uni.
He developed an interest in the ecological aspect of his degree and spent much of his volunteering days picking the brains of his Project Officer, adding to his skills and becoming a key member, and very handsome member of the BTCV team.
Once this person had achieved his degree, an achievement that he was immensely proud of, he started trawling the internet for jobs in the conservation sector to suppliment his modelling at Elite models in London.
Then his Eureka moment. A job, with BTCV, looking at wildlife and how to identify and record it.
The perfect job! He was in the same position that many of you are in now!!
So he spent the next month investigating every aspect of Biological Recording, reading the UKBAP website, looking at LRC’s and other recording websites. In particular, he read the Job Specification for the post very carefully. Just in case you missed that last sentence I’ll say it again. He read the Job Specification for the post very carefully.
He looked at every one of the essential and desirable criteria and constructed his personal statement to reflect how he filled these criteria. And if he couldn’t fill them, then he suggested ways in which he could fill them, such as additional training or volunteering.
He was selected for interview and blew the other candidates clean out the water. A total no-brainer for the selection panel. And before he had driven home and changed into his Armani suit for his next modelling job, his new employers had already contacted his referees.
So whats the moral of this story?
You only get one chance to sell yourself, to really make us want to employ you. Don’t p+ss us off before we’ve even met you by not reading the small print, it’s part of the recruitment process. After all, if you don’t know the difference between a 1 page and 2 page CV then you ain’t gonna cut the mustard as a Natural Talent Apprentice. These guys are right at the top of their game, an asset to the conservation sector, and if they are to be the ones protecting our Natural Heritage, then we’ll be ok.
This should inspire you to do all the things that are required to get you to be where you want to be. Sitting in front of me and my colleagues selling yourself as the future of conservation in Scotland.
Please don’t be angry or upset, there are some excellent applications with us at the moment. But for every 1 good application, there are three that are not so good. Take this advice, do your homework, and give us a CV that will knock our socks off. Tell us about your passion, your drive, your commitment to carrying out this apprenticeship with all your heart. It’s not necessarily about qualifications, it’s about you, the person.
Oh and the story? It’s my story……………….with a few embellishments, like handsome!!