CV Tips

The first step on the way to landing your ideal job is to get an interview. Your CV is your brochure, a sales tool to help you sell yourself and to show the employer why you’re right for the role. So make sure it gets you noticed!

 

Follow our handy hints to setting out a great CV:

 

Personal Details

List your name at the top, followed by your address, telephone number and email address.

 

Personal Profile

Sum yourself up in one sentence. Your personal profile should provide the employer with a snapshot of you and your career. Include qualifications relevant to your career and aspirations, any work experience you have had and a key achievement in your last position.

 

Key Skills

Your CV is a selling tool, telling the employer what you can do and why they should employ you. As well as your career history, list the skills that make you right for the job.

 

Career History

So what did you do? Use this section to write a brief job description for each role you had. Start with your latest job and work backwards. Clarify each company’s activities and your contribution.

 

Education & Qualifications

Clearly state your qualifications and grades together with any professional qualifications and certificates gained. Be prepared to back this up with written copies of your achievements.

 

Other Interests

Include hobbies and interests; highlight any team sports showing you work well with others.

 

Basic Styling

Keep your CV short (two pages maximum) and to the point. Ensure the structure progresses logically and just use one type font throughout to keep it clear, simple and easy to read.

 

Keep it Clean

Allow plenty of white space on your CV, and use headings and section breaks. If information is hard to find, the employer may quickly move on to the next applicant.

 

Proof Read

Check it through carefully. The most common mistakes usually involve spelling and grammar.

Interview Tips

90% of people who go for an interview do so without sufficient preparation. Make sure you’re one of the 10% who prepare thoroughly and give yourself a big advantage - it’s a fact that people who are less experienced but better prepared will have a far greater chance of securing the job!

 

Take a look at our top tips for being prepared:

 

Do your research

Get as much information as possible about the company you’re visiting, and make notes. Prepare a list of questions to ask about the company, the culture and the role.

 

Get organised

Put together a personal presenter. This should include a copy of your current CV, any industry and education certificates, letters of praise, copy pay slips or P60s and any other validation of earnings, appraisals, performance league tables or commission tables, internal magazine articles mentioning you and any other documentation that shows you in a good light.

 

Plan ahead

Think about questions you are likely to be asked and prepare thoughtful responses. Employers often ask about your strengths and weaknesses, so think about how to convert your strengths into benefits to the company. Also think about how you control your weaknesses - what have you done to overcome weaknesses and develop your skills?

 

Check the details

Make sure you know exactly where the interview is being held and how to get there. Leave plenty of time.

 

At the interview

When you attend an interview, you are being judged not only on your qualifications and experience but also on how you present yourself and the impact you make on the interviewer. So use all your skills as a salesperson to sell the product - YOU!

 

Good luck!