What an Ideal CV would Contain:
- Personal details :
- Name
- Address
- Home and work telephone number
- If you require a work permit it would be helpful to add here whether you have a current work permit.
- Education details :
- List your academic qualifications in chronological order, starting with the most recent qualification first.
- Professional qualifications :
- Order your professional qualifications in the same order as your education details.
- Skills :
- It’s important to include all of your software skills and languages. Make sure you specify your skill level i.e. conversational French, fluent German.
- Employment experiences :
- Start with the most recent role.
- Include the company name, your position and the dates of your employment.
- Provide full job details that are relevant to the job you are applying for.
- List your duties, responsibilities and achievements.
- Show how you have contributed to the company, giving evidence of the value you have added. Include any extra involvement you have had in projects and task groups.
- Show how you can handle pressure and tight deadlines; demonstrate your accuracy and initiative at work.
- Be 100% honest in your CV, a good interviewer will quickly find out if there are any gaps.
- It is good to include your reason for leaving as it is often a question that is asked.
- Provide brief descriptions for the jobs that are not relevant.
Interview Techniques
Interviews are the critical element of the selection process and it is essential to be prepared. We will always brief you in detail about the company and the position on offer and how the interview will be conducted.
- Do your homework
- Don’t ever attend an interview unprepared
- Confirm the time of your interview and make sure you know how to get there
- Be prepared with who you are going to see and contact numbers should you be delayed
- Research the company so you are well versed in their locations, market sectors, size of company and products and services
- Prepare some good questions so the interviewer can see how interested you are in the position. Good questions include asking about training and development programmes, what a successful candidate would bring to the role, plans for new products and services etc.
- Get your answers prepared for the typical questions that will be asked. Questions include what kind of job you are looking for, what are your strengths and weaknesses, why do you want to work for us, where do you see yourself in 3 or 5 years time, describe a problem you have handled well, what do you spend your time doing outside of work
- Be punctual, look smart
- Try not to be too nervous – they have invited you to interview because they want to meet you
- Smile and be confident. Maintain eye contact with your interviewer
- Look interested and listen carefully to each question you are asked
- Respond to questions, taking care to answer the question asked, clearly and concisely.
- Give enough detail but don’t keep talking once you have given an answer
- Relate your experiences to the questions asked and try to give examples wherever possible
- Give honest answers and be positive
- Make sure you ask the questions that you have prepared
- Ask the interviewer at the end of the interview, what the next stage is and thank them for their time
- Discuss the interview with your consultant, who will ask any questions you didn’t get answered on the day and raise any queries that have come up since
- Discuss any feedback from the client with your consultant and apply to future interviews should this be required.