Careers At British Council
The British Council was founded in 1934, and was originally known as the British Committee for Relations with Other Countries. Designed specifically with the idea of sharing the best of British culture with the rest of the world, the creation of the first overseas office in 1938 makes the British Council the oldest cultural relations organisation in the world.
British Council Jobs
There are many different roles at the British Council, from corporate roles in HR, finance and marketing to teaching and examining roles that allow employees to work globally - the British Council operates in more than 100 countries.
Another important part of the work that the British Council does is Cultural Engagement - working directly with individuals as well as governments and partners to share skills, knowledge and expertise about arts, education and society.
Many employees at the British Council provide tuition for English in foreign countries like Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
How To Get Hired At British Council
The British Council actively seeks employees who believe in integrity and the value of sharing language and culture with other nations, so they are looking for applicants who are open and committed, expert and inclusive, optimistic and bold.
The values of the British Council are:
- Valuing people
- Integrity
- Mutuality
- Creativity
- Professionalism
When you are looking for a role at the British Council, be sure to do your research about the position, the business and the wider industry of culture and language.
British Council Application Process
The application process at British Council is straightforward, and the steps that you will need to take will depend on the role you want to take.
British Council Online Application
All the roles at the British Council are on their careers page, and the search facility is quite useful to find a specific job via description or location.
Each job has a detailed description that includes the role and responsibilities as well the skills and experience that are needed.
To begin the process, you need to create a job profile and fill in all your contact details. There is an option to send through an up-to-date, bespoke CV or apply using your LinkedIn profile - you will need to be sure to highlight details from these that are relevant to the position.
There are some application questions in the form that you will need to answer; these are usually assessing your motivations for applying and ensuring that you have the right experience and qualifications (where needed).
British Council Telephone Interview
Once you have submitted your application, it will be reviewed by the recruitment team and if you meet the basic criteria you will be invited to a screening interview which usually takes place over the telephone. This is a brief “getting to know you” conversation that normally touches on the information you provided on your application form.
British Council Assessments
Depending on the role you have applied for, you will be invited to take a number of online psychometric assessments designed to test your inherent skills and knowledge.
These are sent to you via an email link so that you can complete them at home in your own time. Your results will be compared against other test-takers to determine whether you have the required competencies to be successful in the role.
British Council Numerical Reasoning Test
Although a numerical reasoning test is based on data and mathematical operations, it is not a maths test as such.
In this assessment, you will be presented with numerical data in the form of graphs and tables. You will need to quickly read, understand and analyse this information and then answer a question based on it.
The questions are straightforward and will require some basic math skills, using operators and things like percentages, ratios and fractions.
The answers are presented in a multiple-choice format, and the test is timed.
British Council Verbal Reasoning Test
In a similar way to the numerical reasoning assessment, the verbal reasoning test is designed to see how well you can read, understand and analyse information presented in written form.
You will be presented with a paragraph of information, usually written in formal or business language, and you need to quickly read it to answer the provided question. Each statement is based on the content of the paragraph, and you need to decide if it is true, false, or not enough information to say.
Some of the questions in a verbal reasoning assessment might be in connection with spelling, grammar or word usage, so it is important that you brush up on your English language rules too.
British Council Logical Reasoning Test
The logical reasoning assessment is designed to test your ability to make logical, reasoned deductions based on abstract information.
To assess this, you will need to be able to find patterns and rules in sequences of images or shapes, to find the next in the matrix. Each shape will have something that has changed or moved to make the next image, and this is the information that you need to choose the right answer from the multiple-choice options.
The difficulty comes from having to find a pattern in unfamiliar data to make a decision, and that is the perfect way for the recruitment team to see how well you can think outside the box and reach a logical conclusion.
British Council Situational Judgement Test
A situational judgement testuses work-based scenarios to assess the way you deal with problems and your behaviour when you are at work.
These scenarios are based on realistic situations that you might face in the workplace, such as complaints or integrity issues. A description of the problem is followed by a number of possible courses of action that you could take.
As a rule, there are not any right or wrong answers here, it is a chance for you to demonstrate how you would act in that situation at work. There are specific characteristics or traits that the recruitment team wants you to have.
British Council Interview
If your tests determine that you have the competencies, you will be invited to an interview.
This is a face-to-face interview that usually takes place via online conferencing so that applicants for roles in other countries can take part.
The interview will ask questions about why you have applied for this role, why you have chosen the British Council, and what your future plans are. There will also be questions about your competencies, where you will need to give examples of situations from your experience that demonstrate that you have the right skills to match the values of the British Council.
Tips to get hired at British Council
Prepare For The Assessments
Assessments are nerve-wracking, and despite the relative simplicity of the questions applicants often find them difficult to deal with. You can prepare yourself through practice and revision of the parts that you might struggle with more.
Practice will help make you feel more comfortable with the style of questions and the time limit that is applied.
Build Your Confidence
Confidence is key in this interview process, as the aim to share British culture and arts with the rest of the world means being confident and bold.
This confidence will help you throughout the application process, and you can build your confidence through efficient practice of the assessments and great preparation for interviews.
Practice Interview Questions
Interviews are always tough, but you can give yourself the best chance by practicing interview questions.
The competency-based questions will need a structured response to be most effective, and you can think of examples before the interview, based on the skills listed in the job description and the values of the British Council. Remember to be as concise as possible.
Do Your Homework
Research on the British Council and their position in the world is important. There is a lot of information you can use on the website, which is a great place to start, and you will be able to show that knowledge throughout the application process.
This shows that you are really committed to the position and the wider charity, which will make the recruitment team take notice.
