Applicant Resources

Whether you have already found the perfect job or are just starting to look for opportunities, you will begin the application process on the University of Idaho Careers webpage. Once you have located a position you are interested in, Click Apply for this Job at the top of the posting to start the application. You will be taken to the login screen to either create an account, or enter your account information if you are not already logged in.

• New Applicants: If you do not already have a PeopleAdmin account, you will need to create one to apply: uidaho.peopleadmin.com/user/new.

• Returning Applicants: You can log in using your applicant account username and password. 

Upon logging into the applicant portal, your application will be initiated, and the system will guide you through each application section as long as the position is still open. If you have applied for jobs with U of I in the past, information will carry forward into your application so please be sure to review this for accuracy. You can make any needed changes prior to submitting the application. All fields marked with a red asterisk (*) are required. You cannot submit your application until these fields are completed.

If an application requires additional documents such as a resume or cover letter, you will be prompted to upload those within the application. Information on document types has been provided in the Applicant Documents section below.

Once you have filled out all required fields and provided any required documents, you will certify your application and submit it. You will receive a confirmation email to the address provided on your application.

In addition to the online application, many job postings will require supplemental documentation be provided. Here are some examples of common documents you may be asked to provide:

• Resume: A resume is a brief outline of experience (including volunteering or internship opportunities), education, recognitions/awards, participation in professional organizations and affiliations, and/or certification/licensure. You should also include your contact information such as name, mailing address, phone number, and email address. It is often 1-2 pages. Do not include sensitive personal information such as date of birth, social security number, gender, marital status, ethnicity, race, or photos. Resumes are often tailored to the position you are applying for.

• Curriculum Vitae (CV): A CV is more lengthy than a resume, and most often used in academia, as it highlights all academic and professional experience. It should include all publications, presentations, projects, and any other accomplishments. A CV is often built upon year after year; therefore it is typical for it to be many pages long.

• Cover Letter: A cover letter should explain why an applicant is qualified for a particular position in brief, concise, paragraphs using specific examples. Often it is just one page but could be two. It can be addressed generically to the search committee.

• Letter of Qualification: A letter of qualification should address all required qualifications and any applicable preferred qualifications for the position, using specific examples from an applicant’s experience and education. It can be multiple pages. Departments will often provide instructions for the letter of qualification in the “special instructions to applicants” section of the posting. It also can be addressed generically to the search committee. For your convenience, we have provided a template to help you get started with writing a letter of qualification.

Letter of Qualification Template

The interview is your time to make a good impression and stand out to the committee. 

• Arrive early. Give yourself extra time to get there and allow for factors like getting lost or getting stuck in traffic. If you are unfamiliar with the area, ask where the nearest or best place to park would be.
• Dress professionally and appropriately. Choose clothing that will allow you to feel confident and also display a professional appearance.
• Carefully review the job descriptions before the interview. You should go into the interview with a good idea of what the position’s responsibilities and requirements are. Think about how your strengths will enable you to meet the requirements and fulfill the duties, using examples from your background. This will help you understand what is most important to the department when answering the interview questions.
• Learn about the department or college. Knowing the department or college’s needs and goals will allow you to brainstorm and connect your strengths to the goals. If the department or college has a website, the information posted there may provide you with some insight.
• Listen carefully and think before answering. Listen to more than just the words that are being spoken. Determine what the question is truly asking and make sure that you provide clear examples that provide the committee with the information they are truly seeking.
• Provide detail. A clear answer with many details showing the level of skill/experience you possess will assist the committee in determining your qualifications. Don’t leave them guessing about your abilities. For example, quantify how often you performed the task in question, or how many budgets you managed.
• Be prepared with your own questions. Have a few questions ready about the position responsibilities, opportunities for training or skill improvement and other questions related to the job. Do your research about the department and the university in general. You can also ask about what will happen next in the hiring process. Should you call to follow up, or will the department contact you? Self-Insight Questions are provided in the Sample Interview Questions section below.
• Promptly write a thank you note to the committee. You can write a handwritten note, or send an email if time is an issue. Make sure the note arrives as soon as possible after the interview, as committees often move quickly. It should be brief and demonstrate your continued interest in the position and offer gratitude for the committee’s time.

Decision Making/Critical Thinking

• Tell me about a good decision you’ve made and a poor decision you've made and your reasons for them. Why were they good or bad? What were your alternatives?
• What do you do when you are forced to make decision without enough information and/or time to fully evaluate the situation?
• Give me an example of a difficult decision you had to make, and the process you used to make it.
• Can you describe how you go about solving problems? Please give us some examples.
• Do you prefer to take your time to think things through or do you usually make up your mind quickly?
• Give examples of the kinds of decisions you make quickly and ones you take more time on.
• Have you ever had a great idea but been told that you could not implement it? How did you react? What did you do?
• Describe a situation in which you did “all the right things” and were still unsuccessful. What did you learn from the experience?
• What was the level of your decision-making authority in past positions?
• Give an example of a decision you made that turned out better than you believed possible.
• Describe a time when you made a decision in the absence of a clear policy regarding the issue.

Interpersonal Communication

• Describe the most difficult interpersonal challenge you have faced and what you did about it.
• When was a request for support you felt was important denied by a supervisor? Why was it denied? How did you deal with it?
• Tell me about what you have done to establish positive relationships with your co-workers. Your supervisor? Your customers?
• How do you deal with people who talk but don’t listen?
• How much or how little supervision do you feel is optimal?
• Describe what traits an effective supervisor has and what traits an ineffective supervisor has.
• What do you think your supervisor will say when you resign?
• How could your supervisor have done a better job?
• What are some of the things you didn’t agree with your supervisor about?
• Describe the relationship that should exist between supervisor and subordinate.
• What kind of supervisor do you prefer to work for?
• What constructive criticism would you offer for the way the company was run?
• Give an example of a potentially volatile situation or individual that you successfully calmed down and how you went about it.
• What did you do in your last job to contribute toward a teamwork environment? Be specific.
• What is the biggest conflict you have ever been involved in at work? How did you handle that situation?

Organization and Planning

• Tell us how you go about organizing your work. Also, describe any experience you have had with computers or other tools as they relate to organization.
• What steps do you take to make sure your priority projects are accomplished?
• What experiences or skills will help you manage projects?
• Think about an instance when you were given an assignment that you thought you would not be able to complete. How did you accomplish the assignment?

Previous Experience

• Tell me about your work history.
• What kind of work did you do?
• How did you like your prior job? What did you particularly like about it? What did you dislike about it?
• What were your wages at your prior job?
• Tell us a little more about your professional experiences, particularly those not mentioned on your resume.
• How frequently were increases given; what were they based on — merit, productivity or something else?
• Were you ever promoted in prior jobs?
• How were employee problems and complaints solved at your prior jobs? Did you think it was a good procedure?
• What are some dissatisfying job experiences you’ve had? What are some satisfying job experiences you’ve had?
• Why did you leave your prior job(s)?
• What kind of references would you receive from your former employers?
• What criticism was made of your work? To what do you attribute the criticism?

Self Insight

• What prompted your decision to apply for this job?
• Why are you interested in leaving your current assignment and why do you feel that this assignment would be better for you?
• Why should we hire you? What makes you a better choice over all our other applicants?
• What in your background particularly qualifies you to do this job?
• Do you feel this position is a promotion, a lateral move, a broadening of your professional experience, or just a change? Why do you think so?
• What are your major strengths and weaknesses?
• What was the most creative thing you did in your last job? How did it happen?
• What do you consider to be your chief accomplishment in your present (previous) job(s)?
• What are one or two of your proudest professional accomplishments?
• On the basis of the information you have received so far, what do you see as the major challenges of this position and how would you meet them?

Supervisory Skills and Leadership

• What do you see as the most challenging management task?
• Give an example of how you handled a situation where your guidelines were not being followed.
• What criteria do you use for delegating assignments?
• Tell me about a specific experience where you have delegated authority and/or responsibility and how it worked out.
• What are the characteristics that you prize most in an employee? What behaviors or characteristics do you find intolerable?
• Give me an example of when you went the “extra mile” to cooperate with a difficult employee or situation.
• What procedure do you use to determine the major strengths and weaknesses of employees?
• How do you think an effective supervisor should communicate with his/her employees? What do you think are the requirements to communicate well with one’s employees?
• What would you do if an employee was having personal problems that affected job performance?
• What is your basic leadership style and how do you practice it?
• What was the greatest accomplishment that displayed your quality of leadership?

Work Attitude

• Describe your ideal job.
• Tell us about your preferred work environment.
• How would you describe your attendance and punctuality?
• What do you consider to be good attendance?
• Do you know of any reason why you would not be able to get to work on time on a regular basis?
• What is most important to you in a job?
• Do you prefer a pre-established work plan (you provide input) or do you prefer a range of broad goals from which to select?
• Please share with us your philosophy about customer service in an academic environment.
• Tell me about a time when you personally, through extra effort on your own, ensured that a customer’s needs were satisfied.
• How do you feel about diversity in the workplace? Give us some examples of your efforts to promote diversity.

Some of this content is adapted from:
Lee, Christopher D. Search Committees: A Tool Kit for Human Resource Professionals, Administrators, and Committee Members, College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, 2000.

Read all instructions carefully

Reading and following the application instructions for each posting could mean the difference between getting a position or not. The special instructions to applicants may vary depending on the position.

Check your grammar

Express responses in complete sentences and do not use texting abbreviations or other slang. Observe formal communication guidelines such as capitalization and correct punctuation.

Be descriptive and thorough

Help the search committee understand the depth of your knowledge/skills/experience by using qualifying and quantifying language such as: 

…"accountable for tracking a $3,000,000 budget."

…"responsible for increasing productivity 23% in a three-month period."

Use positive language

Focus on your strengths and what you have accomplished, not what you are lacking. 

Example: "I have provided multiple-line telephone support for the past 6 months" 

Not: "I only have 6 months experience ..." 

Present your materials effectively

Formatting should be consistent throughout (indentations, alignment, margins, etc.) Remember, if you are submitting a letter, format it as a letter. Make sure you use the appropriate tense consistently throughout your materials.

Proof your work

Typos on an application will instantly contradict any claims of having attention to detail. Read through all of your application materials, and more than once. Having someone else look through them is beneficial as well. Do not depend on spellcheck on your computer as it might not catch everything. A word can be spelled correctly but be inappropriate for what you are attempting to communicate.

The Idaho Department of Labor provides the following resources to Idaho job seekers:

• Job search assistance including search tips, creating resumes and much more
• Job market information
• Job search workshops and networking opportunities
• Computers and online access for employment-related needs
• Career guidance and assessments
• Career training
• Specialized services for veterans, youth, adults, dislocated and senior workers.

Visit Idaho Department of Labor's Local Office Directory for information on reaching out to your local Idaho Department of Labor office.

University of Idaho Career Services provides career resources to U of I students and alumni, and is strongly motivated by one key goal: Your Future is our Mission. We also proudly support the concept of Once A Vandal, Always a Vandal. We accomplish both by offering all U of I students and alumni free services and resources that empower them as they make critical life decisions and pursue career success, by facilitating career exploration, experiential learning opportunities and access to employers. Whether you are a current student or alumnus, whether you are in Moscow, Idaho or Moscow, Russia, Career Services is only a call, click or email away. We offer the following services and appointments in-person, via videoconference, phone or email:

• Lifetime access to Handshake career platform (jobs, internships, connecting with employers)
• Resume, CV and Cover Letter Development and Reviews
• Major and Career Exploration
• Career Assessments and Inventories
• Help with Job/Internship Search
• Interview Prep and Practice Interviews
• Graduate School Applications & Preparation
• Personal Statements, Application Essays and Teaching/Research/Diversity Statements
• Salary & Benefit Negotiations
• Developing your Online Presence in Handshake and LinkedIn
• Portfolio Reviews
• Assistance with Applying for Jobs at U of I
• Federal Government Resume and Applications
• Resources for Working Internationally
• Workforce & Economic/Labor Data Resources
• Multiple in-person and virtual Career Fairs and Employer Connection Events every fall and spring

You can learn more about all of our services and schedule an appointment at our Student Career Services page.