Advice Centre
CV Tutor & Help
Your CV is your personal marketing tool, so it has to be factual and perfectly produced.
How your CV is presented will determine how a prospective employer will perceive you.
It must look professional, contain relevant details only, be in chronological order and contain no grammatical or spelling mistakes.
It is always worth remembering too that you may need to make subtle changes to your CV dependent on the role that you are applying for.
The main points to remember are:
CV Presentation
How your CV is presented will determine whether your prospective employer takes notice of your application. The CV must look professional, consistent and easy to read. Make sure all of your dates/headings are in order and double check spelling and grammar.
Achievements & Skills
It goes without saying that you need to list your skills, work experience and education on your CV, but is equally important to list your achievements. This makes your CV more three dimensional and creates a real person for the employer. Don't forget your CV is a selling tool, so use this opportunity, and don't be afraid to blow your own trumpet.
Relevance to the Position
It is imperative that you carefully look at the job description that you are applying for. Highlight the most important aspects of the role and incorporate in your CV how relevant your experience is. This is what a future employer will be looking for.
CV Format
Put your name, date of birth at the top of the CV.
This should be followed by a brief synopsis of yourself. Keep it short, positive and concise.
Then list your qualifications. Include relevant training courses.
Then list your work experience starting with your most recent/current position and work back from there. Employers will be most interested in what you have done most recently.
At the end of the CV, list your general interests and hobbies.
Do not put on your CV
DO NOT :: put anything negative about previous or current employers.
DO NOT :: put reasons for leaving any role. This can wait until the interview, so be prepared and keep it positive, but honest.
DO NOT :: put too much unnecessary personal information about yourself, e.g. that you have three parrots, five guinea pigs, seven mearcats, communicate with aliens and enjoy naturist beaches!!!
Interview Tips
Your fantastic CV has got you an interview, so this is a chance for you to really shine and prove yourself. This is when you become a three dimensional person, as opposed to the one dimensional CV!
There are a few pointers that you need to note just before the interview:
Portfolios: (When Applicable)
Remember to take along a neat tidy portfolio showing a wide range of work/ skills. Think about the role that you are applying for and build your portfolio around this, eg if you are applying to a publishing house remember to include any magazine/ book work, layouts, adverts you have done.
Pre Interview Pointers
- Confirm the interview time and location, by telephone the day before
- Make sure you know where you are going. Obtain a map and directions from the company website
- Do your research about the company. Read over your notes again
- Make sure you have the correct name and the position of the person that is interviewing you
- Unsure that you know the format of the interview. Will it be a one on one, or a panel of interviewers? At least you are then prepared and there can be no shocks on the day
- Make sure you know all of the details that are on your CV as you are going to be asked questions on this
- Prepare for probable questions that may be asked about yourself and the job that you are applying for
Here are a few likely questions that may be asked:
- Why are you interested in this job?
- Why do you want to work for this company?
- Why do you want to leave your current position?
- What have you achieved in the past few years?
- What are your current responsibilities?
- Describe your average day at work?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- What interests do you have outside of work?
- Are you a team player?
- What are your goals/ambitions?
Having a list of possible questions to ask is also very useful.
Here are a few suggestions:
- Why has this position arisen?
- How many other applicants are you interviewing for this position?
- What sort of development training do you provide?
- What are the company's future expansion plans?
- Who will I be reporting too?
- How many people are in my department?
The Interview
As the interview ends and in addition to the questions that you have asked, demonstrate that you have done some research on the company, as this will definitely impress.
When the interview has actually come to a close, don't forget to ask what the next step of the recruitment process will be. This will confirm your interest in the position and will clarify how long you may need to wait, to find out when you will have either another interview or perhaps a job offer. It will also give you some indication as to how many other applicants they are seeing.
Here is a re-cap on a few pointers as to what you need to remember:
DO
- Be punctual
- Look smart and appear confident
- Speak clearly and think carefully before answering questions
- Know your own CV inside out!
- Do your research, be prepared
- Be honest and positive
- Ask relevant questions
- Ask what the next step is with regard to the recruitment process
DON’T
- Be late
- Dress casually
- Appear too confident, which can sometimes be perceived as arrogant
- Be unprepared
- Lie or pretend or give evasive answers
- Talk in a detrimental or negative way about others - e.g. former employees/colleagues
- Become aggressive or defensive
FOLLOW UP
Once the interview is over, it is a nice idea to either write a letter, or drop an email to your interviewer, to say how much you enjoyed the interview experience. This will make you stand out from the rest and remind the potential employer of your character. Doing this very small gesture, will never fail to impress.
If you have not heard anything within the timeframe that was given at the interview, then put a call into the company to see where they are with the process.
If you are successful, then CONGRATULATIONS!! However if you are not, then it is always a good idea to again write a small note to thank the company for their time and to ask to be considered for anything else, if it happened to arise in the future. You would be surprised how many employers actually offer the position and the favourite candidate turns it down and if your letter hits at the right time, it might be your job after all!!
If you don't succeed in your first interview, DON'T GIVE UP!!! Look at it as a dress rehearsal. Something will definitely come along.
Always remember
POSITIVE ACTIONS
A POSITIVE MIND SET
AND AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE
will always get you further in life than anything else!!!
And finally, - NEVER, NEVER ,GIVE UP!!
Presenting Yourself
How you present yourself at an interview is extremely important, as you must convey a demeanour of efficiency, professionalism and competence.
A potential employer will make assumptions and decisions on how you appear visually. A positive or negative perception will be registered within seconds, so it is imperative to get it right!!
Follow these simple steps to make a lasting and positive impression:
Your Appearance
Choose A dark colour
Psychologists have proved that the best colour to convey professionalism is navy blue. However, any other dark colour, like charcoal grey, black, green or brown is also very acceptable.
Wear A Suit
Wear a suit or a smart skirt or trousers (dependant on gender of course), with a simple top. Ideally a crisp white shirt with a dark suit always conveys professionalism and a tie for the men. NO cartoon characters or Winnie the Pooh please!!
Personal Grooming
Make sure your hair is neat, tidy and clean. Make sure your nails are well manicured and neutral. Keep make up and jewellery to a minimum.
Body Language
Although you may not be feeling confident, LOOK CONFIDENT! Stand up straight, shoulders back and walk tall!! By using positive body language it will help to increase your inner confidence and in turn your perception to your future employer.
Here are a few simple reminders that will help on the day.
Good posture
Good positive posture conveys confidence and promotes inner confidence. Do not slouch. Slouching will make you look lazy and uninterested.
Smile and think positively
Walking into an interview with a positive mental attitude will set the tone for the entire session. Enjoy the experience and your potential employer will do so too.
Firm handshake
A good firm handshake creates a good impression. Don't give a limp handshake, people really dislike this.
Eye contact
If you maintain good eye contact (and that does not mean staring all of the time as this will have the opposite effect) it conveys the fact that you are open and honest.
Research the Company and Job
When you are looking for a new job or you want to do some research on a company that you have a forthcoming interview with, then you need to do the following.
Company Website
Most companies have their own websites, which contain detailed information on what they do and where they operate. They usually contain some information on the company history too.
It is good to mention that you have visited the website at your interview and it is impressive to print off some relevant pages from the website and take them to the interview with you, along with your other relevant notes.
Company Literature
If you find that the company does not have a website then call the company in question before your interview and ask if they can send, or perhaps you could collect, some information on the company. Failing this, visit your local library and see if they hold any information on the company. They will probably have a copy of an annual report.
Company Location
It is imperative that you know where you are going for your interview and that you plan your journey, carefully, before the actual interview day.
Call the company for detailed directions or visit their website and print off a location map. Leave yourself plenty of time to get there, as there is nothing worse than getting stressed before an interview!!
In a nutshell, if you are knowledgeable about the company, its location, know the name of the person that is interviewing you, know your CV inside out, are perfectly dressed, then you will feel more confident in the interview.