Get ready

Get ready to apply

Plain advice for applying, the same for everyone and free. For what a particular listing asks, open it: every listing has its own checklist.

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For everything you apply to

A job never asks you to pay to apply, to be interviewed or to start. A few other listings show a fee on the card, paid only to the organisation. Any other request for money is a warning sign. That includes a form fee, a training fee, a medical, a uniform or a visa deposit. Stop, and tell us.
Apply only on the organisation's own website or through the address it gives. Anyone who writes to you from a personal email or WhatsApp number offering to apply for you is not part of it.
Read the whole listing twice before you start. Check that your application gives everything the listing asks for.
Keep a copy of everything you send, and write down the date you sent it.

No CV yet

Our CV starter asks a few short questions and gives you back a plain CV to copy or save. It uses only what you type, and nothing you type is kept. Selling, tutoring, the family shop, volunteering and caring for relatives all count as experience.

Tips for each kind

General advice, the same for everyone. What a particular organisation asks for is on its own listing, under "Get ready to apply".

JobPaid work for an employer.

Applying

Match your CV to this job: put the experience closest to what it asks for first, and use the same words the listing uses for the same things.
For each thing the listing asks for, have one real example ready: where you did it, what you did, and what changed because of it.
Informal work counts. Selling, tutoring, running a family shop, volunteering and caring for relatives all built real skills; say what you did plainly.
If a cover letter is asked for, keep it to three short paragraphs: why this job, what you have done that fits, and when you can start.

If there is an interview or a test

Read the listing again the day before, and the organisation's own about page.
Prepare two or three short stories: a problem you solved, a time you learned something quickly, a time you worked with others.
Have one or two questions ready for them, for example what the first three months in the role look like.
For a call or video interview, test your data, battery and a quiet place beforehand. If your connection drops, call or write straight away.

InternshipA short period of work to learn, sometimes paid, sometimes not.

Applying

Check first whether it is paid. If it is not, work out how you will cover transport, food and rent for the whole period.
Say what you want to learn and why this organisation; interns are often chosen for interest and reliability more than experience.
School projects, clubs and volunteering count as experience here. Name what you did in each.
If it asks for a letter from your school, ask for it early; offices can be slow.

If there is an interview or a test

Expect questions about what you are studying and why you want this.
Be honest about when you are free and for how long.
Ask who you would work with day to day.

ApprenticeshipPaid or supported training on the job, learning a trade or skill.

Applying

Say why you want this trade, and anything you have already done with your hands or in this field, however small.
Show you are reliable: school attendance, a job kept, a role held.
Check the length and whether you are paid while you learn.

If there is an interview or a test

Some include a practical test. Ask what it covers if they do not say.
Arrive early. Punctuality is often judged from the first day.

Free courseSomething to learn, free, often with a certificate at the end.

Applying

Check how many hours a week it needs, and whether you have that time for the whole length of it.
Check how much data it uses. Videos use a lot; ask whether there is a download or text version, or use free Wi-Fi where you can.
Finish it. A finished course with a certificate is worth more on a CV than three started ones.
When you finish, add it to your CV with the name, who gave it, and the month you finished.

If there is an interview or a test

If there is a test to get in, ask what it covers and practise with any free sample they give.

ProgrammeA set period of training, support or work, run for a group of people at the same time.

Applying

Check the dates and the time it needs. Programmes often need you at set times, and missing sessions can mean losing your place.
Say plainly what you want from it and what you will do with it after.
If it asks about a project or business, describe what exists today, not only what you hope for.

If there is an interview or a test

Expect to be asked why now, and what you will do if you are not chosen.
Be ready to describe your project in two minutes, in plain words.

FellowshipA paid or funded period to work, study or lead something, usually with a group of other fellows.

Applying

Fellowships choose people for what they have already started. Lead with something you did, even small, and what it changed.
Answer each question they ask, in the order they ask it. Do not reuse an essay that answers a different question.
Ask your referees early, at least two weeks before the deadline, and send them the listing so they can write to it.
Have somebody you trust read your answers before you send them.

If there is an interview or a test

Expect questions about your motivation, your leadership, and what you will do after.
Know your own application well; they will ask about what you wrote.
Prepare one clear example of a setback and what you did next.

ScholarshipMoney or a funded place to study.

Applying

Check whether you must be admitted to the university first, or whether the scholarship and the admission are one application.
Get transcripts and certificates early. Schools and exam boards can take weeks, and some charge for copies; that is the school's charge, not the scholarship's.
In your essay, say where you come from, what you want to study and why, and what you will do with it at home. Use your own words and real examples.
Ask for reference letters at least three weeks before the deadline, and give your referees the listing and your essay.

If there is an interview or a test

Expect to explain your study plan and why this course and university.
Be ready to say how the scholarship fits with what you want to do after.

GrantMoney for a project, business or piece of work, usually not paid back.

Applying

Say what the money is for, exactly, and how much of it goes where. A simple budget in a table is enough.
Describe what you have done so far, with numbers you can prove: customers, people served, sales, months running.
Check whether they need your business registered, and in which country.
Answer their questions in their order. Reviewers score each one.

If there is an interview or a test

Expect questions on your numbers. Know them without reading them.
Be ready to say what happens to the project if you do not get the grant.

AcceleratorA programme for a young business: training, contacts, and sometimes money, sometimes in exchange for a share.

Applying

Check whether they take a share of your business, and how much. It is shown under the facts when the listing says.
Show traction: customers, sales, users, growth, even small.
Say plainly what problem you solve, for whom, and why your team.

If there is an interview or a test

Practise a two minute pitch and a longer five minute one.
Expect hard questions about your market and competitors. It is normal.

CompetitionA contest with a prize, often for an idea, a piece of work or a business.

Applying

Read the rules and the judging criteria first, and write to them.
Check who owns your work after you enter. The rules usually say.
Submit a day early. Upload pages are often slow near a deadline.

If there is an interview or a test

If there is a final or a pitch, practise out loud and time yourself.

LoanMoney you borrow and pay back, usually with interest or a fee.

Applying

Find the repayment terms first: the interest, the fees, how long you have, and what happens if you pay late.
Work out the monthly amount and check you could pay it from what you earn.
Check who is lending. A real lender never asks you to pay before you receive the money.

If there is an interview or a test

Be ready to show your numbers: what you earn, what you spend, what the money is for.

InvestmentMoney put into your business in return for a share of it.

Applying

Check what share they take and what they get to decide.
Show traction: customers, sales, users, growth, even small.
Say plainly what problem you solve, for whom, and why your team.

If there is an interview or a test

Practise a two minute pitch and a longer five minute one.
Expect hard questions about your market and your numbers.

Credits and toolsFree credits, tools or services for building something. They are not cash.

Applying

Check what the credits cover, how long they last, and what happens when they run out.
Check whether you need a registered business or a project to apply.
Say what you will build with them.

SubmissionYou send in a piece of work to be considered for publication, a showing or a prize.

Applying

Read the guidelines first: length, format, language and theme.
Check who owns your work after you send it. The rules usually say.
Send it a day early. Upload pages are often slow near a deadline.

ResidencyA funded period to make or research something, often in another place.

Applying

Describe the work you will do during the residency, and show recent work that makes it believable.
Check what is covered: travel, a place to stay, a fee to you, materials.

If there is an interview or a test

Be ready to talk about your work and why this place and this time.

NetworkA group you join to meet and learn from others in your field.

Applying

Say what you can offer the group as well as what you hope to get.

Common essay questions

Questions you may meet in scholarship and fellowship essays. A listing's own questions are on its own page. Answer those. Draft these once, then change each answer to fit.

Why do you want this scholarship or programme?They want to know: Whether you know what it is and why it fits you, not only that you want money or a place.How to answer: Name two or three things about this programme and link each to something you have done or want to do. Use its own words for what it offers.Avoid: The same answer sent to every programme. Readers can tell.
What are your goals, and how will this help you reach them?They want to know: That you have a direction, and that this step is part of it.How to answer: Say where you want to be in five to ten years, what you will do in the next two, and exactly how this programme closes the gap between the two.Avoid: Goals so big and vague that nothing could be checked, such as "change Africa".
Tell us about yourself.They want to know: Who you are beyond your grades: what shaped you, and what you care about.How to answer: Pick one or two moments that explain you, and say what you learned from them. Then connect them to what you want to do next.Avoid: Your CV in sentences. They already have it.
Describe a challenge you faced and how you overcame it.They want to know: How you act when things go wrong, and what you learned.How to answer: Keep the problem short and spend most of the words on what you did, step by step, and what changed. End with what you would do the same or differently.Avoid: Only describing how hard it was, with little about what you did.
Give an example of your leadership.They want to know: That you have made something happen with other people, at any size.How to answer: Leading a study group, a church or mosque youth group, a family business or a neighbourhood clean up counts. Say what you started, who you brought in, and what came of it, with a number if you have one.Avoid: Listing titles you held without saying what you did in them.
How have you served your community, or how will you?They want to know: That what you gain will reach other people too.How to answer: Describe something you have already done for others, then a specific plan for after the programme: who, where, and what you will do.Avoid: Promises with nothing you have already done behind them.
Why have you chosen this field of study or work?They want to know: That your choice is considered and that you understand the field.How to answer: Tell the moment or experience that drew you to it, what you have done in it so far, and one question in the field you want to work on.Avoid: Saying you have always loved it, with nothing to show it.
Describe an achievement you are proud of.They want to know: What you count as success, and how you got there.How to answer: Choose something you did yourself, set out where you started, what you did and the result. Small is fine when it is real.Avoid: Choosing a prize you won without saying what you did to win it.
Why do you need this support, and how will you use it?They want to know: That the award will make a real difference, and that you have thought about the money.How to answer: Say plainly what you cannot do without it and what it will pay for. Be honest about your situation without apologising for it.Avoid: Exaggerating hardship. Say what is true; it is enough.
What problem in your country or community do you want to solve?They want to know: That you see a problem clearly and have a realistic idea about your part in it.How to answer: Name one problem, say who it affects and why it persists, and what you, specifically, will do about one part of it. Use what you have seen yourself.Avoid: Taking on everything at once. One part, done well, reads as serious.

Before you send an essay

Most of this is from the advice Chevening gives its own applicants (its page is dated 25 May 2021, and we read it on 10 October 2026). The rest is our own advice. Nothing is graded.

It answers the exact question they asked, in the words they used.
It says I, not we: what you did yourself.
One or two examples told in detail, rather than a long list.
It adds to your CV instead of repeating it.
Full sentences, not bullet points, unless they ask for a list.
It says why you, why this programme, and why now.
The names of the organisation, university and course are spelled exactly right.
It fits their word limit, and you wrote it first in a notes app or on paper, so a form that fails does not lose it.
Every word of it is true.

Practise answering

No grading and nothing kept: say an answer out loud or write it down, then check it against the card. It needs no microphone and no data once this page is open.

Situation: Where were you, and what was going on? One or two sentences.
Task: What did you have to do, or what problem did you face?
Action: What did you do, step by step? Say I, not we.
Result: What changed because of it? A number if you have one.

Jobs, internships and apprenticeships

Tell me about yourself.
Why do you want this job?
Tell me about a time you solved a problem at work, school or home.
Tell me about a time you worked with someone difficult.
What is something you learned quickly, and how did you learn it?
Where do you want to be in three years?

Scholarships and fellowships

Why this programme, and why now?
What do you want to study, and what will you do with it at home?
Tell us about a time you led something.
Tell us about a setback and what you did next.
How has your community shaped you?
What will you give back?

Grants, accelerators and competitions

What problem do you solve, and for whom?
What have you achieved so far? Give numbers.
What will you do with the money, exactly?
Who else solves this problem, and why is yours better?
What happens if you do not win?
Why is your team the one to do this?

Check your answer

Did I answer the question they asked?
Did I give one real example, not a general claim?
Did I say what I did, not only what the team did?
Did I give a result, with a number if I have one?
Could I say it in about two minutes?
Is every word of it true?

A follow up message

If you have heard nothing two weeks after the date they said, or three weeks after you applied, one short, polite message is fair. Fill in the parts in brackets.

Dear [name or team],

I applied for [the title] on [the date]. I am still very interested and wanted to ask whether there is any news on the next step.

Thank you for your time.

[Your name]
[Your phone or email]

More messages to copy

Fill in the parts in brackets and send each one yourself. We never send anything for you.

Asking someone to be your referee

Before you name anybody as a referee. Ask two or three weeks before the deadline.

Dear [name],

I am applying for [the title] at [the organisation], which closes on [the date]. You know my work from [where you know them from], and I would be grateful if you would be one of my referees.

I have attached the listing and my CV. If you agree, they may contact you by [email or phone]. It would help most if you could mention [two or three things you saw me do, with an example of each].

Please tell me if you would rather not; I will understand.

Thank you,
[Your name]
[Your phone or email]

Thank you after an interview

The same day or the next, by the address they used to invite you.

Dear [name],

Thank you for speaking with me today about [the title]. I enjoyed learning about [one thing they told you], and I am still very interested.

If there is anything else you need from me, I am happy to send it.

Kind regards,
[Your name]

Accepting an offer

After you have read the terms. If the offer asks you to pay anything, stop, and tell us.

Dear [name],

Thank you for the offer of [the title]. I am pleased to accept. I understand the start date is [the date] and [the pay or stipend]. Please tell me what you need from me before I start.

Kind regards,
[Your name]

Saying no politely

When you choose something else. It keeps the door open for later.

Dear [name],

Thank you for the offer of [the title], and for your time. After thinking it over, I have decided not to accept. I hope our paths cross again.

Kind regards,
[Your name]

Before you say yes to an offer

Read an offer slowly before you say yes. Here is what to check.

Get the offer in writing before you say yes: the title, the pay or stipend, the start date, where you will work and for how long.
Ask about anything that is not written down, such as when you are paid, what is covered and what you pay yourself.
You do not have to answer on the spot. Asking for a few days to decide is normal and polite.
If you are waiting on another answer, you may say so and ask when they need yours.
Keep a copy of every message and the offer itself.
A real offer never asks you to pay anything, to them or to anyone they name. If this one does, stop, and tell us.

The advice on writing, time and records follows the Levels.fyi negotiation guide (dated 26 September 2025, read on 10 October 2026). It is written for tech jobs. The last line is our own rule.

When you are ready, the message for accepting an offer is above.

Signs of a fake

Any one of these is a reason to stop.

They ask for money: a fee, a deposit, training, a medical, a uniform, a visa, or a charge to bid for work. Paying to bid is paying to apply.
They offer the job before any interview, or the pay is far above the work.
The only contact is a WhatsApp number, a personal email, or a Telegram account.
They ask for your bank card, your PIN, a one-time code or your BVN.
They press you to decide today.
The web address is slightly different from the organisation's real one.
A scholarship you enter like a prize draw, or a site that wants your details to match you to awards. Some exist to collect and sell contacts; a real scholarship asks you to apply for it.

Check an offer you received

Where these signs come from

These pages back most of the signs above. The look alike web address, the paid bid and the prize draw scholarship are our own advice.

US Federal Trade Commission: How to spot the latest job scamsRecruiters who push you for money, ask for personal details up front, or write from a free email address.
US Federal Trade Commission: Job scammers are looking to hire youBank details asked for early, a free email address, and pressure to move fast.
US Federal Trade Commission: How to spot and avoid task scamsBeing paid to rate or like things online, then told to deposit your own money.
US Federal Trade Commission: The bottom-line on fake checks scamsA check sent to you with a request to send some of the money back.
Jobberman: Fastest ways to identify fake jobs in NigeriaAsking for money, a job you never applied for, an SMS and nothing else, free email addresses, no job title or a very wide experience range. It is written for Nigeria and says it was last updated on 8 February 2022.
LinkedIn: Recognize and report scams (LinkedIn Help)Payment or account details asked for, an offer too good to be true, checks and transfers, a push to WhatsApp or Telegram, and free email addresses.

We opened and read each page on 10 October 2026. The US pages are written for people in the US, and the signs hold anywhere.

A university or an English test that charges to apply is not a fake, but the fee can sometimes be waived. How to ask for a fee waiver.

If you meet one on something we list, tell us. We will look at it, and take it down if it is a scam.