Our Recruitment Process

We use criteria listed in our job descriptions to shortlist candidates for interview. You can find the essential/desirable criteria in the job specific knowledge, skills and experience section. All vacancies will have a job description attached to the job advert. We encourage you to read this ahead of submitting your application. 

We ask that you apply online with CV and cover letter or personal statement. You will need to complete a short application form when you upload your CV. For some roles we may ask extra questions. These may be about essential skills or role specific qualifications. 

We understand writing CVs can be hard - here are a few tips to get you started or help you update your current CV:

• Structure -  set your CV out in a clear and simple way.  Try using bullet points or headers to make your CV easy to read.
• Order - list your work experience in chronological order (most recent experience first). Include any career breaks if applicable. 
• Personal statement - tell us why you applied for the role and why you think you have the right skills. Use examples to show this. For example, if you tell us you have excellent customer service skills, tell us how you've used them.
• Work experience - list job titles you have held, where you worked and how long you work there for. Explain your key skills, achievements or responsibilities. 
• Skills and experience  - our job descriptions list key skills and experience. Highlight how your skills match our essential criteria.   
• Jargon - avoid abbreviations or acronyms. It can be confusing and may not explain your experience in a clear way. 
• Long career history - list any jobs that are not relevant to the role you are applying for with less detail. For example listing job titles and length of service only. This can be helpful if you are making a career change and have a long career history in a different sector. Your personal statement is a great way to explain what transferable skills you have. 
• Keep it current - keep your CV up to date to help us understand your skill level right now. 
• Double check it! - check for any mistakes. Ask a friend or family member to read through it or use online tools such as spell and grammar checkers. 
• Be proud - this is your opportunity to show off! Tell us about the great things you have done. Your proudest work achievement, an award you've won, an article you have published or a time you were on the TV!

If you have any questions about submitting your application, please don't hesitate to get in touch. 

Shortlisted candidates will receive an email to invite them to interview. We will let you know the format of your interview, this will depend on the role that you have applied for.

We use a mix of methods for selection that is specific to the skills and knowledge required for the role. Including but not limited to;

• Competency based interviews (both online and in person)
• Online assessments (before or after interview)
• Video submission tasks
• Written exercises
• Practical hands on exercises (from dog training to cake baking!)
• Presentations
• Class planning and delivery
• Group assessments

Interview questions will relate to knowledge, skills and experience listed in our job descriptions.

Formal interviews will typically be competency based.  Hiring managers will ask you questions about your experience, knowledge and skills. They will ask you to give an example of how you approached a situation using those skills. This will give them an idea of how your past behaviour may predict your future behaviour.

You can answer questions like this using the STAR method by; 

• Outlining the Situation - give context to your example. What was happening? When did it happen? Why did it happen? 
• Explaining the Task involved - what was your responsibility? What were you tasked to do?
• Describing the Action you took - what did you do? How did you react? How did you address it?
• Explaining the Result of the action you took - what happened? Was it successful? If not, why?
  
  

You may be asked what you learned from your example or how you would approach it differently. 

The interview process is for your benefit as well. This is your opportunity to meet with us and ask any questions about the role or working for us. We want to ensure you have the time to decide if Canine Partners is the right organisation for you. 

We understand that interviews can make you feel nervous. We will do our best to enable you to showcase your best self and enjoy the time you spend with us. We encourage you to leave your nerves at the door. We won't ask any trick questions and we are excited to meet people who are passionate about what we do!