I am applying for work

When you apply for a job, you are beginning a process that will enable you and the employer to decide whether you want to work together. They will be trying to establish whether you can do the job and you will want to establish both whether you can do the job and be happy working there. There are numerous opportunities for you and them to decide if this is or isn’t going to work out as you go through subsequent stages of the recruitment process.

Getting a job in a small company could be as simple as speaking to someone you know who is willing to give you a try. Bigger companies usually have longer, multi-stage processes taking months without a guarantee of a job at any stage.