CV Tips & Interview Preparation

Your CV

• The most effective CV'S are usually between two and three pages of A4 paper. The average time spent is approximately 10 seconds reviewing a CV – if you send them a range of detailed knowledge of your career to date, they won't find the information they want. Keep it to the point and save the details for the interview.
• Always try and adapt your CV to each role you apply for. Always research the company and use the job advert to determine exactly which skills you should specify and which aren't perhaps so relevant to the position.
• Include a personal statement on your CV a recruiter may not always see a connection between your experience and the job; your personal statement should be an affirmation of you as a professional. It will be the first thing the employer will read. For example "I am an effective team-player" which sounds more positive and confident than "I like working as a member of a team.
• Try not to leave gaps, if you have been out of work always try to be positive with your reasons.
• Always keep your CV up to date, even if you are not actively looking for a job. Try to add or record anything new to your CV (e.g projects completed, new skills, training/education completed, any experience gained, new interests and always try and improve existing lines.
• The first rule is never lie on a CV as the chances of getting caught are greater these days, as companies take a closer look at the candidates they hire, scrutinizing backgrounds and checking references.
• You should try and set out your key personal achievements in each role, try and highlight your personal contribution; increased sales, Targets gained, budgets managed, policies developed, changes implemented.
• Spend time on the layout of your CV. Only use bold, underlining, and italics to a degree use bullet points and keep sentences short. Do not use graphics or images and keep the layout so it is easy on the eye.

Preparing for your Interview

• It is important that you know as much as possible about the job and company for which you are being interviewed.
• Make sure you have correct time and date for your interview, you know how to get to the venue and how long the journey takes, confirm your travel arrangements and leave in good time in case of any delays.
• Dress appropriately, it is important you look smart for your interview, but you also need to feel comfortable, employers are looking for motivation from the candidate you attitude reveals a lot about you, always look the interviewer in the eye and try to answer as confidently as possible.
• Think about yourself and how much you match up to the job specification, most employers will point out the particular skills they want for an individual post and in addition there are core skills which every employer is looking for.
• Always try to prepare your answers, but avoid sounding as if you have rehearsed them, if you have the right attitude, enthusiasm, a positive outlook and honesty then these are always the best policies to have.
• It's important to let the employer bring up the topic of salary, so hold tight and let them lead the way. If you are asked for salary expectations then offer a salary range.
• Always prepare a few questions to ask the interviewer as this is your chance to find out more about the position/company and this gives you the opportunity for you to
• End of the interview is the perfect opportunity for you to make clear any points of doubt e.g. career progression, training opportunities, targets.
• At the end of the interview thank them for their time, say that you look forward to hearing from them soon, say goodbye in a friendly manner and leave the room.
• If you prepare well for your interview the more confident you will be and the more success you will have. Good Luck.