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Making your CV
work for you.
Until your interview, you are only as good as your paperwork and perhaps
telephone manner. This makes your CV and covering letter crucial.
They are essential tools in most job searches. Like any marketing
document, a CV should help you sell yourself.
What should your CV include?
Preparation: Think about your
skills, competencies, qualifications and experience. What are your
unique selling points and strengths? Think in terms of what you have
achieved. If you are replying to a specific job advertisement, review
what key words and tasks were used in the advertisement. Which of
these words applies to you? Use these words in your c.v.
Helpful hints: Remember that you
want your CV to be read and responded to. Include enough information
to stimulate interest, but not so much that you bore the reader. If
you provide small, digestible pieces of information you stand a better
chance of having your CV read. Three pages maximum is preferred, every
word must contribute to the overall message - so keep it brief and
ensure that the content is relevant to the job you are applying for.
Ensure that your CV is well structured and well laid out; this gives
the impression that you think logically and makes it easier to review.
Remember - a CV that is hard to read is often put aside and forgotten.
When writing the CV, remember that self-opinion is best avoided. Aim
to include factual information or objective evidence and remember
to focus on the benefits of your achievements.
Pay close attention to reply instructions in advertisements (e.g.
spelling of a contact's name). Always have someone else on hand to
check your spelling and grammar. Nothing can ruin your chances of
getting a job faster than easily preventable mistakes. Avoid coloured
paper or fancy fonts, if you plan to fax or e-mail your CV, you'll
get a much better result with clean fonts and a simple lay-out.
The first page: This should contain
your personal details, your home address and contact details located
right at the top, followed by a brief summary of educational credentials
and qualifications. An overview statement should be included covering
your strengths in the relevant area, skills and experience and the
type of position sought.
Pages two/three: Here you should
highlight your employment history. Present this in reverse chronological
order (i.e. last job first) If you have only worked for one company,
break it down with an entry for each position or project dealt with.
For each position held, briefly describe responsibilities and work
undertaken. Do include achievements, not just regular tasks, if possible,
quantify them in sales, financial or production terms. Each professional
position that you've had must include at least one statement of accomplishment.
For your current and recent positions, you may want to have several
bulleted items under the jobs that list your most significant experiences.
List your hobbies and interests in no more than three lines. Any voluntary
or charity work or external posts you hold are worth including. Always
include any languages, courses or training you may have done, or any
professional memberships.
It is recommended that two referees be given - including the referees'
official titles, addresses and telephone numbers.
The 'Covering' letter: CVs are
seldom used alone, they should always be introduced by a letter or
a telephone call. The letter can really let your personality come
through. Remember recruitment consultants and employers read hundreds
of CVs, an interesting introductory letter can make yours stand out.
Your letter can be used to pick up points which modesty or space prevented
you from including in your CV (i.e. to highlight your key strengths
relevant to the job). An introduction letter can save you from having
to rewrite the CV each time you want to target your application to
a specific advertisement or sector.
Nevertheless, keep your CV up to date. Using an out of date CV looks
sloppy at best and may exclude you from consideration.
Interviews - How to make yours a success!
You rarely get a second chance to make a good impression on a prospective
employer, so at your interview it is important that you get it right
first time.
Preparation
Prepare yourself: Interviews are
two way meetings. Not only are they an opportunity for the interviewer
to find out about you and if you are a suitable candidate for the
position but they are also an opportunity for you to find out about
the organisation and if the position will provide you with the challenge
and job satisfaction you are looking for. Think about your skills,
qualifications and experience and ensure that you can talk confidently
about what is written on your CV. Particularly ensure that you can
talk about those skills that are relevant and valuable to the position
you are going for.
Prepare some questions to ask at the interview. At the first interview
it would be wise to restrict your questions to the details of the
job and the organisation. Salary and benefit discussions are best
left until a second interview or a job offer is made.
Do your homework: Find out as
much as possible about the company prior to the interview. A good
starting point is to look up their website and find out about the
products and services they offer, the location of the office/s and
the number of employees. Ask the consultancy if they have any extra
information on them.
Dress code and appearance: Ask
you're consultant what the client's dress code is. For office work,
smart business dress is a must. Ensure you are well groomed with tidy
hair, clean shoes and clothing. Do not wear too much perfume or aftershave
and keep make-up, jewellery and nail polish simple.
Travel and timing: Plan your journey
beforehand to ensure you arrive a few minutes early. Allow for possible
travel delays. Just in case of a major hold up, make sure you have
your contact's telephone number so that you can call if you suspect
you will be late.
The interview
What to expect: Interviews come
in many forms - panel interviews, one to one interviews, group interviews
etc. Ask your consultancy what form of interview it will be beforehand.
You may be asked to take a test before the interview, depending on
the type of organisation.
These might consist of either a psychometric or aptitude test. There
are many different interview styles and each interviewer will have
their own personal style. Some interviewers will fire questions at
you while others will start off with an open question such as "tell
me about yourself" leaving you to do most of the talking. The majority
of interviews will be somewhere between the two. Be prepared for any
style of interview.
Two-way communication: Make sure
the employer knows the benefits of employing you. It is important
to sell yourself by telling the employer details of your relevant
skills and experience that you have to contribute to the organisation.
Try not to monopolise the meeting - let your interviewer talk.
Find out what the key parts of the candidate specification are
so you can show how you meet them.
Ask how the job contributes to the success, efficiency and profitability
for the organisation.
Show that you have done some research.
Don't give negative information or bad news if you are not asked
for it and don't criticise employers or jobs. The key is to turn
negative information into positive information.
The next steps: Agree exactly
what the next steps will be, such as who will contact you to let you
know if you have been successful and by when. You should also find
out whether there will be second interviews and who will conduct them.
If you are really interested in the position make sure you tell the
interviewer.
After the interview: Tell the
consultancy how the interview went and get feedback from them.
Negotiation: Everything is negotiable.
If the final offer is not what you had hoped for, ask the consultancy
to talk to the client. Say that you like the job but the package is
not up to your expectations and ask if the company can be at all flexible.
GOOD LUCK!
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