How to apply

A CV should include the following:

• Contact details - first and surname, postal/email address, telephone number (home and/or mobile)
• Personal profile - a short ‘selling’ statement about you
• Employment - record employers, dates or number of years and job titles
• Achievements - showing the results of your achievements
• Skills - show clearly what skills you have learnt/use
• Qualifications - particularly those relevant to the next job
• Education - a brief summary. More if you are aged under 25
• Training - show how you have used training. Be careful of lists
• Interests - brief description, show personality

• Your CV must be easy to read. Font type is important. Arial is a good standard or if you are tight for space, use Arial Narrow.
• No waffle! Use concise sentences or short paragraphs which are packed full of skills and achievements.
• Sing your praises. Tell us exactly what you have achieved, e.g., "Professionally managed… Responsible for the implementation of… Established strong customer relations… Pro-actively… Accurately produced/maintained…"
• Avoid acronyms or in-house language that may not be understood e.g., "Responsible for all ANPR queries."
• Make sure there aren’t any gaps in your career history; if there are, justify them. Maybe a career break, travelling, training. Gaps in your dates raise unnecessary questions.
• Watch your spelling - make sure you use spell checker. Hint! Read the document backwards to look for spelling mistakes and don’t use the American dictionary.
• Watch your grammar. What does bad grammar and misspelling say about you? Get someone else to read it to avoid mistakes.
• Format your CV well. Don’t go over the top. Try to avoid lots of text boxes
• Let your “About you” area show your personality. Don’t lie, just say what you enjoy doing. This is an area that really lets you show your personality at interview so give yourself something to talk passionately about.

Do your research. Find out more about Sopra Steria, our culture, what we do, our competitors and the markets they operate in. Also, research the role and what would be expected of you if you got the job. Refer constantly back to job advert when you write your cover letter, show your initiative and reflect your keen interest in their role and place of work.

• Addressing your letter - make sure you address your letter to the person who is doing the shortlisting. If you don’t know, have a look on the advert or call us to find out. Use ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ if you don’t know the name and ‘Dear Mr Smith/Mrs Jones’ if you do. Use Ms. if you’re not sure of the marital status of a female.
• First paragraph - this should be short, to the point and have plenty of impact. Explain why you are writing. Mention where you saw the advert or who referred you.
• Second paragraph - explain why you think you should be hired and highlight the key skills, qualifications and achievements that are relevant. Make sure you include everything mentioned in the person specification or job advert without going into lots of detail.
• Third paragraph - detail what you can do for Sopra Steria using your research. Describe your relevant career goal and elaborate on the key points of your CV.
• Fourth paragraph - restate your interest in the role and why you think you’re the perfect fit.
• Signing off - sign off with ‘Yours sincerely’ if you know the name of the person you are contacting or ‘Yours faithfully’ if you don’t.

• Use an easy-to-read font and a tidy format
• Keep it short – one side of A4 is plenty
• As with your CV, avoid clichés and empty catch phrases and buzzwords
• Don’t use abbreviations or specialist names and phrases that others might not know
• Check spelling, grammar and punctuation
• Remember to include your CV!

Interviews can be held in person, over the telephone or sometimes via video. The interview process will depend on the role. There might be a single interview or you may need to meet other potential colleagues, members of HR or more senior managers at second or final interviews. You may be interviewed by one person or a panel. You may need to undertake tests during an interview or take part in an assessment centre and do a variety of evaluations.

There are lots you should do to make sure you are thoroughly prepared for your interview experience so you can be confident and show yourself in the best possible light.

• Research the company – find out as much as you can from a variety of sources about us, not only to help you answer questions but also to see whether the organization and their culture will be a good fit for you. Don’t just rely on our web site. Google us and find relevant news articles and social media publications.
• Analyse the job – look at the job advert, job description and person specification. (If you don’t have one, get one). Make a list of the skills, qualifications, experience, knowledge, professional and personal qualities needed for the job.
• Analyse yourself – list all the skills, qualifications, experience, knowledge, professional and personal qualities that you have and match them to the requirements you have already listed. You will then be ready for any job specific interview questions you might be asked.
• Prepare your answers – think about what questions you might be asked, how to answer them and practice your responses either with a friend or family member. This will help you stay relaxed and answer confidently and clearly. Have a look at a list of common interview questions to help you.
• Prepare your questions – you will have an opportunity to ask questions during the interview so think about what you want to know. What do you need to know to decide if you want to work for Sopra Steria
• Dress to Impress – have an appropriate interview outfit ready to ensure you present a positive image and that first impressions of you will be their best. We recommended you dress in business clothes for our professional positions.
• Prepare what you’re taking – bring some copies of your CV, the job description and person specification, directions, your practice questions and questions to ask the employer.
• Know where you’re going – confirm the time, the date and location of your interview, get directions, work out your route, how you are getting the and how long it might take. Do a practice run if you can and give yourself plenty of time. Not only will get there in plenty of time so you are not rushed and stressed, this will also give you a good idea of your potential journey to work. If your interviewer asks about your journey, mention any preparation and practice runs you took for extra points.

Arrive early - this will give you time to relax, gather your thoughts, go over your interview questions and answers and prepare yourself.

Create positive first impressions – greet everyone you meet from the receptionist to the interview politely and enthusiastically.

Watch your body language – be aware of any nervous ticks or negative body language. Try and relax but present yourself confidently.

Listen to the questions - pay attention to what you are asked and don’t be afraid to ask for clarification if you’re not sure about something.

Answer clearly and confidently – try to be concise and not waffle. If you are asked questions you were expecting, this shouldn’t be a problem. If you are asked questions you haven’t prepared for or that you find challenging, take a moment to think before answering.

Engage the interviewer – to build rapport and get a conversation going, ask any questions as they arise. At the end of the interview, you should hopefully have a chance to ask anything else you might want to know.

End on a positive note – thank the interviewer and let them know you think you are an excellent fit and are really interested in the role. If you wish, you can follow this up with a thank you email after the interview to reiterate your interest.

This notice applies to all, but not limited to, Recruitment Consultancies, Temporary Agencies, Headhunters, Staffing Agencies or Search and Selection firms looking to introduce and represent candidates to Sopra Steria or one of our partner companies.

Unsolicited and/or anonymous CVs submitted to Sopra Steria via any means including but not limited to, through our careers site, via telephone to a Sopra Steria employee or direct e-mail contact of any Sopra Steria employees, are considered to be the property of Sopra Steria and will not qualify for an introductory fee. Introductory fees will only be payable where Terms of Business have been agreed by both parties and the Agency has been invited to work the relevant vacancy by the Sopra Steria Recruitment Team.

Sopra Steria will not enter any commercial undertaking with any Agency on the basis of speculatively marketed CVs or unsolicited telephone calls. Sopra Steria hereby indemnifies itself against any costs, charges, recruitment fees or other liabilities relating to any recruitment business. This notice shall prevail over any other terms of business or conditions (or similar) put forward by an Agency for the supply of permanent, contract or temporary staff.

Sopra Steria operates a Preferred Supplier List of approved Agency partners, managed by the Sopra Steria Recruitment Team. This is not currently under review, however if you wish to be considered at a future date, please contact us at recruitment.uk@soprasteria.com clearly stating the areas of recruitment you specialise in.