Candidates
Interview Advice and CV Writing Tips
Interview Advice
It goes without saying you must present yourself neatly and professionally at any interview, always wear a suit and polish your shoes!
Be prepared - take a spare copy of your CV and spend some time investigating the company before your interview. Their website should be able to give you a good insight into the organization but your private research will make the difference. Find out about their competitors, market presence, any plans for growth, their origins and background.
Write down a list of intelligent questions and memorize them before entering the interview. This is the kind of preparation that will separate you from your competition.
Remember the interview is a two way process and it is crucial to take this opportunity to establish a firm dialogue. Avoid questions about money and annual leave, especially at an initial stage, as these appear very negative.
Most important be confidant and show you are a hard working reliable and trusted future employee!
CV Writing
The first step when considering a career move is to thoroughly and clearly assess your motivation for moving and to clearly establish where you are looking to move into and why? Once this has been established the next stage is to begin writing your CV.
Always keep your desired role and true motivations for moving in mind whilst writing your CV and structure it accordingly, tailoring it towards your new role.
Begin your CV with your name, age and contact details - then a mission statement or some concise statement of intent.
Follow this with a concise yet detailed synopsis of your current position and work chronologically backwards, keeping a full history evident. (If there are gaps in your CV then don't try and cover them up - be honest there must be reasons! - Gaps create an impression of dishonesty. Remember throughout, the intention of the document - to sell yourself to a potential employer.
Try and keep the document brief, 2 - 4 pages are suitable, any longer and it is unlikely to be read completely. It's also best to try and keep your CV free from any gimmicks. ((You can decrease the margins to be more economical with space and make use of bold headings and bullet points to draw the employer’s eye to key areas)) It always helps the employer to remember who you are by attaching a small passport size photo on the top right hand corner of your CV.
It is not in your interest to be dishonest about your experience or qualifications. An Employer will be able to easily discover any falsehoods or exaggerations in your CV at interview. It is also highly likely that a background check into your qualifications will be carried out. If you are concerned that your skills and experience are inadequate, simply make your best effort to present the qualities you do have in the best possible light and develop a strategy to improve on those skills which you feel you are lacking.
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