hy specific "uestions are bein# as$ed
• %o& to structure effective ans&ers'
• To practise ans&erin# specific "uestions'
 
forms(
• *ocus on re!evant areas
 
• Motiational
./p!ain &hy youre interested in a career in and in particu!ar, &or$in# for us' hat &or$ e/perience have you underta$en to demonstrate your interest( 20 &ords4 5est!e4
• !io"ra#$ical
 
• Industr% s#eci&ic
hat is the brand that you most admire in the &or!d( hy( dvertisin# a#ency, 10 &ords4
)n &hat &ays does ccenture use techno!o#y to he!p its c!ients improve their business( 3,000 characters4'
• Co'#etenc% (ased) loo* at #ast (e$aiour as a "uide to &uture #er&or'ance
;ive a recent e/amp!e of a team in &hich you have been invo!ved' hat &as your ro!e( hat cha!!en#es did you face( 100 &ords4
 
• *!e/ibi!ity and adaptabi!ity
• +o!!aborative
•-rive for resu!ts
•9earnin# and improvin#
• 7rands-irect are a &e!! estab!ished but e/pandin#
advertisin# a#ency !oo$in# for trainee account mana#ers to
&or$ &ith our e/citin# portfo!io of c!ients'
• hi!st no previous e/perience is re"uired, &e are !oo$in#
for #raduates &ho have a passion for this business' ?ou
must be ab!e to bui!d re!ationships, mana#e mu!tip!e
projects and ma$e the ri#ht decisions in &hat is a
stimu!atin# but pressured environment'
• )f you thin$ you have &hat it ta$es, convince us &ith
ans&ers to the fo!!o&in# "uestions''
 
Motivational:
Q1) hy do you &ant to &or$ for our advertisin# a#ency( 200 &ords4
Competency:
Q2) -escribe ho& you have achieved a #oa! throu#h inf!uencin# the
actions or opinions of others in a team' 1@ &ords4
For, each question, what criteria would you use to assess the
answers given? 
interest'
• ?our $no&!ed#e of'the companys products, services, c!ients,
va!ues'
• The research youve done( ho youve ta!$ed to(
• hat has the company done recent!y(
• hat does the press say about the company(
• %o& does it differ from its competitors(
 
hy do you want to wor! "or our advertising agency? #2$$ words)
Candidate %
 
Candidate &
) have researched 7rand-irects c!ientbase and am e/treme!y e/cited by the thou#ht of &or$in# for presti#ious brands such as +ontinenta! and 9Orea!' ) have been fo!!o&in# your recent campai#n for the 9Orea! 8aris brand &ith a #reat dea! of interest' ) am particu!ar!y attracted to the >creative hothouse reputation of the a#ency as described in Campaign Magazines a#ency profi!e of 2@ pri!'
My s$i!!s are a #ood match for the position of account mana#er' ) have recent!y been invo!ved &ith the innovative rebrandin# strate#y of the student union throu#h a diverse ran#e of media channe!s, &hich &i!! he!p me to assume responsibi!ity for hi#hprofi!e campai#ns from an ear!y sta#e' My or#anisation s$i!!s #reat!y improved durin# this time, &here ) &or$ed &ith a ran#e of co!!ea#ues to e/treme!y ti#ht production schedu!es' fter e/aminin# your &ebsite and attendin# your presentation at SOS, ) understand the va!ue of #ood or#anisationa! s$i!!s in order to successfu!!y mana#e c!ient campai#ns'
 
through in"luencing the actions or opinions
o" others in a team* #1+ words)
Candidate A
 
Candidate &
 t 9%S Mar$etin# in Bu!y 200C, ) assisted in the deve!opment of the ne& &ebsite' ) too$ it upon myse!f to conduct an audit of simi!ar sites and presented my findin#s to the deve!opment team, recommendin# the use of >popups to advertise forthcomin# events'
Mindfu! of industry scepticism re#ardin# their use, ) used the initia! project briefin# as an opportunity to find out e/act!y &hat others objections mi#ht be' 7ased on this, ) decided to ans&er those objections in detai!, researched avai!ab!e data on the area, prepared visua! desi#n ideas and presented my case' -espite the teams initia! concerns, ) persuaded them to a!!ocate funds for an initia! tria! period, after &hich &e &ou!d revie& the success of the pi!ot pro#ramme' This compromise seemed to &or$'
 
Candidate &
 t 9%S Mar$etin# in Bu!y 200C, ) assisted in the deve!opment of the ne& &ebsite' ) too$ it upon myse!f to conduct an audit of simi!ar sites and presented my findin#s to the deve!opment team, recommendin# the use of >popups to advertise forthcomin# events'
Mindfu! of industry scepticism re#ardin# their use, ) used the initia! project briefin# as an opportunity to find out e/act!y &hat others objections mi#ht be' 7ased on this, ) decided to ans&er those objections in detai!, researched avai!ab!e data on the area, prepared visua! desi#n ideas and presented my case' -espite the teams initia! concerns, ) persuaded them to a!!ocate funds for an initia! tria! period, after &hich &e &ou!d revie& the success of the pi!ot pro#ramme' This compromise seemed to &or$'
 
%o& to ans&er a competency based "uestion STAR
Situation) &hats the settin#6 bac$#round to the story(
Tas*: &hat &as the tas$6objective(
Action: &hat did you do( F e'#$asis $ere
&hat did you have to thin$ about
&hat &as your approach6 steps invo!ved
ho& did you overcome any prob!ems you encountered
pic$ up on >active verbs F e# p!anned, ne#otiated, !istened
Result F &hat &as the outcome(
 
p!an
 resources appropriate!y
/igh scores: 3 & 4
• too!s used to achieve e'#' mi!estones6 dai!y schedu!es
• anticipated resource needs and used effective!y e'#' de!e#ation
• consistent!y beat ti#ht dead!ines e/tra commitment if necessary
• copin# strate#ies &hen thin#s #o &ron#
0ell me aout a time when you showed good
organisational s!ills and the aility to plan e""ectively* 
 
;raduate Gesearch Trainee
Please use the space below to say why you think you are suited to this post and what
qualities you would bring to it Please add any other rele!ant in"ormation about your
interests and e#perience that has not been co!ered elsewhere on this "orm $Ma# %
words'
3peci"ic Competencies: Competency and de"initions speci"ic to this role*
Researc$ Met$ods: n understandin# of research methods that is consistent &ith
the function and !eve! of the ro!e
Co''unication: bi!ity to communicate c!ear!y, in different sty!es and for different
audiences inc!udin# reportin#4'
Pro+ect Mana"e'ent)  b!e to coordinate, mana#e and ju##!e a ran#e of project
tas$s'
Custo'er &ocus)  cts &ith c!ients needs in mind and va!ues the importance of
providin# hi#h "ua!ity customer service' 7ehaves professiona!!y and bui!ds
effective re!ationships &ith c!ients'
Tea' ,or*) )s ab!e to &or$ successfu!!y as part of a team and bui!d productive
re!ationships'
1C
• brea$ do&n the harder "uestions
• brainstorm possib!e e/amp!es and decide on most appropriate
• draft eva!uate F refine to $eep to &ord count
• #et a second opinion
1H
Top Tips
• be presentab!e and precise fo!!o& instructions e/act!y e# &ord count46 ans&er a!! "uestions or state 56
!ayout, hand&ritin#, #rammar = spe!!in# etc visua! appearance is important4
• be re!evant and specific more re!evant: more space,
dont &aff!e, no va#ue assertions e#s, facts, fi#ures, #ive evidence4
• be persona! provide o&n perspective rather than readi!y avai!ab!e information
detai! research sources
20
• &&&'careersta##ed'co'u$
• +ome in to the careers service and #et your app!ications chec$ed F
room ;12
si#nup on the day or by te!ephone 020@ CHC I114
MonTues 2'00I'30pm F +areer dviser 
eds*ri 2'00pmI'30pm F +J and pp!ication he!p