University job supporting statement: cover each criterion

A university supporting statement answers the person specification one criterion at a time, with an example for each, under headings in the order of the specification. The four universities read here, Huddersfield, Reading, York St John and Worcester, each ask for one on the application form.

How universities ask for it

The University of Huddersfield says "As part of your online application you should include a supporting statement to demonstrate how your skills and experience meet the person specification for the post". The University of Reading form has a Supporting Statement section that "is not a cover sheet". It also takes a CV, and Reading says "attachments should not replace your Supporting Statement which must be completed". The statement or cover letter guide explains the difference. York St John says the section "asks you to provide evidence to demonstrate to the panel how fully you meet each requirement", and that the requirements "relate directly to the requirements of the role (outlined in the Person Specification)".

University	What it asks for	Limit	Document
Huddersfield	Headings in the order of the person specification, with a specific example for each criterion under them	"There is no word limit"	Guidance PDF, no date
Reading	Each essential criterion in the order of the person specification, with the criteria as headings	"a limit for 4000 characters (not words)" in each section	HR application page, no date
York St John	Evidence of how fully you meet each requirement	"there is no word limit for these answers"	Candidate guidance, reviewed October 2024
Worcester	Every element of the person specification, with examples	None stated	Careers leaflet, updated 22 July 2019

Each row is one university's document. The Worcester leaflet opens with "Read the instructions carefully", so check what your own advert and form ask for.

How panels shortlist

The Worcester leaflet says "You will be shortlisted against the criteria in the person specification". Reading says that if you do not show how you meet the essential criteria it "can significantly diminish the likelihood of being shortlisted for an interview", and that it asks you to "Include any of the 'desirable' criteria you also meet". Huddersfield tells you to "focus on the essential criteria". The shortlisting guide sets out Aberystwyth University's 0 to 4 scale and its cut-off on essential criteria.

York St John says applications "will be anonymised for the shortlisting exercise", and "The panel will use your answers to the supporting statements as an indication of your ability to meet the role's requirements". Huddersfield and Reading both say headings help the shortlisting panel. Huddersfield says headings "can make the text clearer to read for the shortlisting panel", and Reading says "It will be easier for the shortlisting panel to find each point that you are addressing".

What a university person specification looks like

Huddersfield's guidance prints an example person specification. It has four headings: Qualifications, Experience, Knowledge and Abilities, and Personal Qualities. Its Personal Qualities lines include "Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion" and "Demonstrable personal and professional commitment to the University's strategy, vision and values". It is Huddersfield's own illustration, so your advert's document may be laid out differently. Reading describes the document as the one that "itemizes the characteristics deemed 'essential' or 'desirable'".

Your examples need not all come from paid jobs. Reading says "If you do not have direct experience, you can use transferrable skills gained from outside of a work environment". York St John says that if you cannot answer a question from your previous work, you can refer to voluntary work or your own individual experiences.

The shape of one answer

The two criteria below come from the example person specification in Huddersfield's guidance. The short lines after "Made up" are invented to show how much each line holds. Use things that really happened to you.

Criterion: "Current experience of operating IT systems and using standard office applications."

• When and where: your current job and how long you have done it. Made up: finance assistant at a college, 2023 to now.
• What you did: the system and one task, with a number. Made up: entered and checked about 60 invoices a week in the finance system and kept the spreadsheet that tracks them.
• What happened: what changed for the team. Made up: the monthly report reached budget holders two days earlier.

Criterion: "Commitment to excellent customer service"

• When and where: the desk or service and the dates. Made up: a student services desk, 2022 to 2025.
• What you did: one enquiry you handled from start to finish. Made up: took a student's question about a missed deadline, found out who could decide, and phoned back the same day.
• What happened: what the person got. Made up: the student had an extension and the team added the answer to its list of common questions.

Before you submit

• Each essential criterion has a heading and an example, in the order of the person specification.
• You have checked the limit on your form. Huddersfield and York St John say there is no word limit, and Reading counts characters in each section.
• If the form takes a CV, the statement is still written in full. Reading says attachments should not replace it.
• You have read it again, with a spelling and grammar check. Reading suggests copying it into a Word document first, and York St John says it might help to ask another person to proofread it.

You can also check your draft against the person specification.