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Application hints and tips

We’re looking for passionate, motivated people from all walks of life. Whether you’re starting your career, making a change, or just looking for a new opportunity, there’s a place for you at Which?.

Everyone has to start somewhere and we are keen to set you up to get the best out of applying for roles with us, so here are some handy hints and tips.

Two colleagues leaving the Which? office at 2, Marylebone Road, London

Should I put a picture or my date of birth on my CV?

We value authenticity over formality. Our application process is designed to focus on your potential, so no, we don’t need to see what you look like to assess whether you’d be a good fit for the role. And you don’t need to put your date of birth on there either.

What’s the best structure for CVs and cover letters and how long should they be?

Your CV should ideally be no more than 2 pages long and set out your key strengths and previous experience and achievements in those roles. If you haven’t done a similar role before, be sure to pull out your transferrable skills.

Cover letters are only needed if the advert specifically asks for them.

The hiring manager will have many CVs to read, so be clear and to the point.

Get someone else to read it to double check your spelling and grammar.

For more hints and tips, check out the this guidance on the job site Indeed: How to write a CV.

What support do you give to candidates with disabilities and neuro diverse conditions?

Which? is a Disability Confident Scheme Leader and named a Top 3 Inclusive employer in 2024, so supporting candidates is important to us. Check out our guidance here: Applying via the Disability Confident Interview Scheme.

How do you decide who gets an interview and how long will it take before I hear?

How do you decide who gets an interview?

The hiring manager will invite to interview around 4 to 6 applicants who most closely meet the required and desired criteria in the role profile.

When you find a role that you want to apply for, download the role profile attached to the bottom of the job advert and make a note of the 'Key skills, qualifications & knowledge' section at the end. Where you have what is listed in that section, make sure you have specific examples of what you have done in your CV.

How long will it take before I hear?

You will have heard within two weeks of applying as our recruitment platform sends automated email messages out to everyone who applied.

What can I expect if I'm invited for an interview?

This is your chance to show us who you are. Don’t worry about having all the right answers – we want to see your passion and interest in working with us.

What format will the interview take?

For the majority of our roles, we have a one-stage interview process virtually on Google Meet. Here you will meet the manager of the team and one or two other colleagues who work in the team.

Some roles require a second interview, but we try to keep the process short.

How should I prepare?

Think about why you want to work for us. Have a look at our website and prepare to talk about what it is that attracts you to work for an organisation like Which?

Read Our Values and think about which ones appeal to your own personal values.

Re-familiarise yourself with the Role profile and how your skills and experience align to it.

Check you can get onto a Google Meet call.

What should I do if I don’t have access to equipment with a camera?

Please let the recruitment partner know, their name and email will be on the invitation to your interview and they can discuss with you alternative means of speaking to the interview panel.

What should I wear?

We don’t have a dress code for any of our interviews. Please wear whatever is comfortable and feels most appropriate for you

What happens if I can’t make it to my interview slot?

Please let the recruitment partner know as soon as possible. Their name and email will be on the invitation to your interview.

Interview questions

What type of questions will you ask in the interview and do you have advice on how to approach answering them?

Look at the essential and desirable criteria in the Role Profile and think back to when you demonstrated these. We often ask ‘tell us a time when you…..’, it is a good idea to structure your response using the STAR framework where you share the specific situation, task, action, and result of the situation you are describing. Read more about it here: How to use the STAR interview technique in interviews.

What should I do if I can’t think of an answer to a question?

It is perfectly normal to not always have an answer on the spot. You can ask for the question to be reframed if you didn’t quite understand what they were looking for, or you can ask to come back to it later in the interview. You could also ask for the question to be posted in the chat function so that you can read it yourself.

For some people it helps to have your CV or some examples in front of you if this helps to jog your memory.

What support do you give to candidates with disabilities and neurodiverse conditions?

We can make reasonable adjustments to support you, so please check out our guidance here: Applying via the Disability Confident Interview Scheme

Will there be an opportunity for me to ask questions?

Yes! Asking an interviewer to clarify a question you don't quite understand, or asking questions at the end of an interview demonstrates you are genuinely interested in the role and have prepared.

It gives you the chance to ask more about the role, what it is like in practice and what it is like to work at Which?, along with anything else you want to know, like more details about the benefits, hours of work or which days you have to be in the office (although we normally put this in the job advert).

It helps you think about whether the job will align with your personal and career goals.

We’d strongly recommend you think about what questions you’d like to ask the panel ahead of your interview.

Will there be any tests or a task?

Sometimes a very specific skill is needed for a role that is less easy to assess from a regular interview question. In this instance, there may be a test or a task for you to carry out.

You will always be given advanced notice if this is the case.

Typical tests and tasks include:

A formal presentation outlining your thoughts on a discussion topic.
A technical test assessing your ability to use a system or apply a skill.
An ‘inbox’ style test where you may have to prioritise or draft and email to assess your organisation skills and communication skills.

What happens if I get stuck during a task?

It is natural to get stuck, just move on to the next question or section and go back to it at the end.

If you can’t answer the question, you could talk about your approach to the problem instead.

If you are really stuck, contact the Recruitment Partner who invited you to the interview, can get answers to your questions.

Which? offers much more than just a job – we offer opportunities to grow, learn, and become part of a supportive community. Head over to our Rewards and Benefits page to read more.

You can also read how other team members, like you, started with little or no experience but are now thriving in their roles in the 'Meet our People' section.

This is what Natalie said about what attracted her to a role at Which?.

"I was attracted to the apprenticeship role at Which?, as it allowed me to get a foot in the door of the publishing world, whilst working towards a qualification. Working at Which? has given me a great transition from uni into working life, I feel fully supported and work in a great team, where I am given the opportunity to apply all my learnings in a work environment!"