Career Advice

Job hunting isn't always about easy, and when you do find the perfect job for you, you don't want poor preparation to stand in between you and your perfect career. This section is designed to help you prepare effectively for an interview, and to present yourself in the best way possible to prospective employers.

Writing a good Curriculum Vitae...

Your CV is your chance to make a great first impression on a prospective employer. By following these guidelines, you can significantly improve your chances of getting that important interview.

A good CV should be well-written, concise, and ideally no longer than two pages [employers don’t want to trawl through pages and pages of text].

A key mistake many people make is having only one CV version. You should always adapt your CV to suit the position you are applying for. For example, if you are applying for a Sales position, expand on the sales and customer contact aspects of previous positions. If you are applying for an Order Picking position in a Warehouse, expand on previous stores experience, obviously, you should include all the positions you have previously worked in, but try not to concentrate too much on those positions that have no bearing on the position you are applying for.

Include a Personal Statement at the beginning of your CV, concentrating on your strengths as an employee and your aspirations for the future.

When recounting your Work History, always list previous positions in reverse order [most recent/ current positions first].

Your Education and Qualifications section should include names and dates of schools and colleges you have attended along with qualification you have gained. Also include any additional professional training you have done either independently or with previous employers).

Remember to include any Technology you have used in previous positions eg Software / Hardware / Switchboards / Machinery

As much as possible, try to avoid long sentences and paragraphs. Keep the information simple and to the point.

Sell yourself, but make sure that the information you include is factual and honest.

Use your achievements and experiences with previous employers to demonstrate what you can do for your new employer. Where possible, support your claims with facts and figures.

Avoid jargon as this can make your CV unreadable to others.

You should avoid complex formatting, like shaded areas, stylised fonts and boxes. Stick to regular fonts such as ‘Times New Roman’ or ‘Arial’ as these are easy to read and look professional.

Do not include a photograph of yourself

Avoid including salary expectations in the body of your CV, as this may dissuade employers at the outset. You should only include this in your covering, and only then if the employer requests it.

Never state your reason for leaving positions, as this can be covered at interview stage.

Avoid including any information that has no impact on your ability to do the job ie Marital Status, Religion, Children etc.

Finally, use a Spell checker before printing your CV. Ensure that there are no grammatical or spelling mistakes, as these create a poor impression.

Interview Tips

If you are to be successful in an interview, you must prepare for it effectively. Interviewers are more likely to be impressed if you can show that you know something about the company you are applying to join — their history, how many employees they have, what their philosophy is.
Learn as much background information about the company as possible through their web site or company brochure, if they have one

Try to find out about the industry they are involved in through trade magazines

Think about the sort of questions you might be asked, and put together some responses
For example:

Which positions have you most/ least enjoyed in the past and why?
What have you achieved or learnt in past positions that will stand you in good stead for this position?
Why do you want this position?
What is important to you in a job?

On the day of the interview, take a copy of your CV and references with you.

Arrive well ahead of your interview time, and allow time for possible delays

On a practical note, dress smartly and make sure you are well groomed, as your appearance will undoubtedly influence the outcome of your interview

When you meet your interviewer, shake their hand and wait to be invited to take a seat

Maintain eye contact with the interviewer and make sure that you speak clearly, as this will convey confidence. Don’t worry if you are nervous - an interviewer will half expect you to be, So if you feel that your nerves are getting the better of you, don’t be too concerned about letting the interviewer know

Don’t be afraid to sell yourself’ after all, it’s you that has achieved what you have achieved.

A good interview is all about give and take, so feel free to ask questions, making sure that you don’t simply talk about yourself non-stop

Listen to the questions asked, and keep your response simple - don’t ramble on about things that are irrelevant to the job

Ensure that your responses are honest and can be verified if necessary

At the end of your interview, thank the interviewer for seeing you