What should you consider before you apply?

Glyndebourne’s location

Glyndebourne is situated in the heart of the countryside; to see how far we are from the surrounding towns, we recommend looking at a map. Our rural location makes working at Glyndebourne attractive and our free parking and bus service from Lewes address many challenges about getting to work. Nevertheless, before applying for one of our posts, it is advisable to work out the costs of daily travel, such as expenditure when running and fuelling your own vehicle. If your home location would allow you to commute via public transport, you will need to factor in these prices, for instance, a 12 month season ticket from London Victoria to Lewes costs close to £4,000.

Re-location costs are not usually covered, so if you live outside our commuter area, you should weigh up the impact of moving home. Renting a room in Lewes can cost upward of £400-£500 per month, while prices for renting a one bedroom property in the town start from £675 pcm.

What can I expect?

Our recruitment and selection processes are made up of several stages. The first step is usually to submit a written application. At Glyndebourne, we endeavour to acknowledge every application we receive in writing and we will let you know the outcome.

Check whether you are asked to apply by CV, application form or some other way and follow these instructions. If you are asked to apply on a form, fill it with as much relevant information as you can rather than sending your CV, because unless requested, the CV won’t be used. This might mean copying information across from your CV on to the form. Take care to adjust the information to the role you are applying for. Where a CV is requested, get good advice about modern CV layouts and appropriate content; there is a lot on the internet to help you make the most of this chance to demonstrate what you are offering Glyndebourne.

Don’t waste any opportunities to describe your suitability for the job in the application process – you want your application to stand out for the right reasons, not because it looks like you have nothing to say! However, don’t write too much – if there is a limit to the number of words you are asked to write, take note; similarly, a CV should not exceed 3 pages.

Read the job information we have provided carefully. Descriptions often state that specific qualifications or experience are “essential”; this means you won’t be considered for the job unless your application clearly demonstrates the essential requirements. It is best to explain your qualifications and experience in as much detail as you can fit on the form, rather than to assume everything is obvious. For some jobs, we receive dozens of applications and if you don’t tell us the information we need to decide to meet you, you may not get invited to interview. On the “Routes” form, we accept that you may not have much work experience to tell us about, but there is plenty of opportunity to write about your strengths and ambitions. Make sure you answer all the questions.

Next step – interviews

Occasionally, we may interview you over the phone, before deciding whether to meet you face-to-face.

If your application is taken through to the next stage, you will be invited to an interview at Glyndebourne. The interview may be with more than one person. At Glyndebourne, we don’t want to catch you out in an interview; we want you to demonstrate what you have to offer. We recognise that it can be hard to draw on work experience if you have not worked in a similar role before. If this is the case, we suggest you prepare for the interview by thinking of other ways you can demonstrate what you know and can do. Before you come, it can be useful to speak with someone who knows you well, to think of examples of things you have done and achieved, maybe at school, college, university or in your leisure time.

The interviewers will want you to present yourself well; this doesn’t mean you have to wear a suit! However, you should be punctual, clean and smart, and think about how to answer the interview questions clearly and fully. You only get one chance to make a good first impression. We also welcome your questions about the role and about working life at Glyndebourne. We are sometimes able to show you round our site, which will give you a better idea of what it’s like to work here.

It is important to have a realistic picture of how much hard work is involved and while there are many benefits to working at Glyndebourne, almost all your time will be taken up with the work described in the job advert. Make the most of any opportunity you get to talk to existing staff here or in other theatres, so that you know what to expect.

Other selection activities

Candidates are often asked to participate in other activities, which form part of the selection process. Examples would be

• online tests
• paper tests
• designing and delivering a presentation to one or more people
• a second interview with senior managers

We do not spring these on you – you will always know in advance if we are going to ask you to take part in any additional selection activities. When we let you know, take care to follow instructions on timings or deadlines. While these activities can seem daunting, it is another opportunity for you to meet potential colleagues at Glyndebourne and to show us what you are like and what you can do. It improves the match between the candidate and the role, which is more likely to result in a satisfying employment relationship for everyone.

What if I don’t get the job?

If you are unsuccessful after reaching an advanced stage of the selection process, we can often offer you some feedback to help you understand why you were not the most suitable candidate for the job. This can be particularly useful if you were thinking of applying for similar roles in the future.

Considered all of the above?

If you are unable to respond positively to all of the above, perhaps now isn’t the right time for you to apply. If you know how you will address each point that’s been raised, please apply!