Cadbury Research and Product Ingredient Innovation teams
Application Form
Do's
· Do complete our self selection tool to make sure your skills are a good fit for Cadbury. It will also get you thinking about relevant examples of your achievements and experiences.
· Do take time to draft your answers, save a copy and then paste what you have written into our application form.
· Do make sure you answer all parts of the question.
· Do give specific examples and evidence in your answers.
· Do ask a friend to proof read your form before you submit it.
· Do read our descriptions below of what we believe Judgment, Drive and Influence to be, because we will be assessing you on your ability in these three areas.
Cadbury Potential Indicators
Judgment Adopting a sharp and rigorous approach to problems. Effectively spotting issues early, in a manner that allows new opportunities and problems to be identified ahead of time, and new perspectives framed
Drive Setting and pursuing goals without the guidance and influence of others. The desire to have a broad impact, to question and challenge the status quo, and have the self assurance that enables goals to be achieved. Those with high drive will want to 'leave a mark' rather than just achieve results.
Influence Awareness of your own strengths and development areas and the ability to use this self-insight to manage your own behaviour. Seeking feedback and acting on it. Being confident and clear in your views, and expressing them openly with others. Taking a stance which you are prepared to defend if challenged.
Don'ts
· Don't cut and paste your answers from other application forms, as the questions are unlikely to be identical from one form to another.
· Don't use your participation in just one activity to answer all 3 questions. At least one of your answers should mention something else that you have been involved in.
· Don't make us believe your computer doesn't have spell check! Whilst we may not reject a strong application form purely on the basis of spelling mistakes, do double check your application for obvious errors because presentation is important in a business environment.
On-line numerical and verbal reasoning tests
These are timed, multiple choice tests, designed to measure your numerical and verbal ability.
Preparing for Numerical reasoning tests:
If you have not looked at numbers since GCSEs, it will be worth brushing up on your numerical skills. Playing with mathematical teasers and diagrammatic puzzles may help you feel more confident with numbers. There are also a variety of books available about how to pass psychometric numeracy tests. These will provide you with some helpful revision advice and practice questions. (Please note that we cannot guarantee the level of similarity between test questions in any published material and the questions you will be given in on-line tests as part of the Cadbury recruitment process.)
Preparing for Verbal reasoning tests:
These are more difficult to brush up on quickly but reading newspapers, manuals, technical reports or academic business journals may help. Practise extracting and summarising the main points from passages of information.
Interviews
Do's
· Do prepare by researching Cadbury, and the function for which you are applying. (Industry magazines and our website are good sources of information)
· Do save your application form and read it through before your interview. It is likely that you will be asked questions based on what you have written on your form.
· Do prepare at least two examples of where you have displayed good judgment, drive and influence (6 in total).
Listen and take care to answer questions carefully
· Speak in the first person (say 'I' not 'we'), your interviewer will want to know what you did more than what the team as a whole achieved.
· When you're asked interview questions you might find it useful to use the Situation, Objective, Action, Result (SOAR) model. Explain what situation you were in, what objective you were trying to achieve, what action you took to achieve your objective and what the result was.
· If your interview travel expenses are estimated to be more than £250 if applying to the grad scheme or £100 if applying for an industrial placement, do check in with the team before you book your ticket!
Don'ts
· Be economical with the truth. (i.e. don't lie) as a good interviewer will probe you for details and will be able to pick up inconsistencies with your previous answers.
· Badmouth your current colleagues, company or boss. Instead use your interactions with difficult colleagues as examples of when you have had to influence people in a challenging environment.
Closing date for applications –Sunday 15th November 2009
Interview dates – 9th/ 10th/ 11th December
Start date of Placements – Monday 5th July 2010
Good Luck!