Thinking of applying for a job at Ordnance Survey?

Applying for a new position job can be a challenge, but we want to help you succeed

We're providing you with help and advice on your application, how to write a great CV, master online interviews and give you confidence when looking to secure your next role.

Top tips for writing your CV

It can sometimes be a challenge to present your best self on paper. Your CV is important to your application and here you can read our top tips when it comes to CV writing.

At OS, we receive thousands of applications from talented candidates for our vacancies every year.

We've pulled together our top tips for writing a CV:

Make your CV easy to read

By making your CV easy to read, you're demonstrating a valuable transferable skill from the outset: the ability to present information in a coherent, appealing manner. Think about structuring your CV in the following way:

  • A brief summary of where you are now and where you want to go
  • Short sentences and paragraphs
  • Clear headings for the standard parts of the CV
  • Good use of bullet points
  • Use a sensible easy to read font and size

Be concise yet informative

The standard length for a CV is two to three pages. You'll want to try and get the right level of information across but finding a balance is key. Try to condense your experience, career history, skills, and talents in the most effective way. Think about the requirements of the role you're applying for and adapt your CV to highlight these points in relation to your own experience.

Include achievements on your CV

What are you most proud of? What do you think we’ll be most excited to hear about? Include numbers or percentages against your achievements to really showcase your abilities. Remember your CV is an opportunity to sell yourself and if you have achievements in your career or education that will help secure you an interview, then we’d love to hear about it.

Tailor your CV to the role

While this may mean your CV may differ for every application and be time consuming for you, the smallest tweaks can make the biggest difference. It'll help demonstrate the skills and experience you possess specific to the role you’re applying for. Think about what is relevant.

Interviewing with Ordnance Survey

Here are our top tips when it comes to interviewing with Ordnance Survey.

Online interviews

Online interviews are becoming more frequent and can often be challenging even for the most seasoned interviewers. Try and treat online interviews the same as if you were coming to the office, with some additional considerations to make:

Check your connection

As with any interview, preparation is key. You’ll want to make sure your internet connection is working ok in advance of the interview. Try testing your connection beforehand to be sure.

Dress to impress

Your outfit should match what you would normally wear for a face-to-face interview. Smart casual is often fine but wear what makes you feel comfortable and confident.

Check your surroundings

Particularly if you’re interviewing while at home, ensure you can find a quiet space with no distractions to help best set you up to succeed.

Build rapport

Building a relationship virtually can be a challenge but demonstrating enthusiasm and a desire for the role, alongside ensuring you start to get to know the interviewers, as well as them getting to know you, is important.

Be yourself

Try and show off who you really are. This will help you feel more comfortable and ensure there is a mutual fit which are what interviews are all about.

Ask questions

Interviews are as much for you as the candidate, as they are for the interviewers. No question is a stupid question, and we want you to come away feeling like you’ve got all the information you need as well. Think about asking questions in relation to the role, the business, the team and the direction of travel.

Face-to-face interviewing

You should approach interviews in person much like online interviews. These are usually competency-based interviews, using questions which aim to find out how you have used specific skills in your previous experience and how you approach problems, tasks and challenges. Also called behavioural or situational questions, they are often used in first interviews.

These interviews are based on the idea that past behaviour is a good predictor of future behaviour. They are particularly useful for employers looking for talent, where prior skills and knowledge may be less important than having the right aptitude.

Preparation is key and we recommend you follow the guidance above to help with your chances of success at Ordnance Survey.

If you require reasonable adjustments for your interview, please let us know as part of your application or by contacting our resourcing team.

Feeling unsure about declaring a disability?

OS is a proud Disability Confident employer, and we’ll happily make adjustments to our recruitment process if you need us to. We’ll ask you at every stage of the process if you’d like assistance, so that you can perform at your best:

  • In our job adverts – we’ll tell you that OS is proud to hold Disability Confident Level 2 and that we’re keen to receive applications from a diverse range of candidates including from those who may have an illness, condition or disability.
  • At application – we’ll invite you to let us know if you have a disability, whether visible or not, or if you’re neurodivergent, or even if you’d prefer not to say. If you feel confident to tell us at this stage, we can take this into consideration as we review your application.
  • Before an assessment – if you need to complete an online test or psychometric – we’ll invite you to let us know if you have any concerns. This means we may be able to share more details about the assessment itself or give you more time to complete it.
  • Before your interview – we’ll ask you again whether you need any adjustments made before you meet with the panel. All of our interview rooms at our head office in Southampton are on the ground floor and we have allocated accessible parking spaces close to the entrance if you need one. Or if you use assistive technology, let us know and we’ll make sure we’re set up to give you the best experience possible.
  • If you’re successful at interview – we’ll work with you to get the workplace adjustments you need, whether that be furniture, technology or other support.
  • Plus, we have two vibrant employee networks focussed on Accessibility and Neurodiversity here at OS, with members you can share your experiences with and get support if you need it.

 We know it can be stressful and sometimes exhausting to navigate the recruitment process – but if you let us know we can help reduce the pressure.

If you’d like to contact a member of our Resourcing Team, just email careers@os.uk. They can call you back or respond by email if you prefer.

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