I assist my company in recruitment, so here's my take.
Last year we placed an advert in Nottingham Evening Post & got over 250 applicants ' seemingly fierce competition just to get an interview, but don't be disheartened as over 200 of the CVs were utter crap. Many suffered from poor grammar, punctuation & spelling. Others were badly composed, confusing & just outright boring. This is time to meta-game & understand the mentality of who will be reviewing your paperwork. I'm overworked so I'll give a CV (& covering letter) no more than 30 seconds before I place it in 1 of 2 piles. I'll more seriously review the chosen pile, culling according to the business's & my requirements. I'll bin the rest. Run it by my Manager for the final cut. This might seem brutal, but if you can catch my eye straight away, your ½ way there.
You'll need a concise covering letter expressing your interest in the job & your availability for work. Don't pontificate, keep it crisp, make it professional & use decent paper. If you are still in work when you apply - mention it. 2 paragraphs is enough. More is waffle.
This should be addressed to who's managing the recruitment. If no name is given in the advert, call the company to get this information. It will be remembered.
Create a generic CV as an operational platform, do research on the company & tweak accordingly.
A standard listing would be:
Name & Contact details (Address, phone numbers & email)
Qualifications (Professional, Academic, Vocational)
Job Experience (Role, dates, list responsibilities, achievements)
Interests (list)
2 References. (Available on request is fine ' if possible get one from you current employer)
Neatly section each category. One successful applicant used light grey separators with appropriate titles. He also introduced unobtrusive Headers & Footers adding graphical distinctness. Stands out!
Use a spell checker.
Don't let a paragraph spill from one page to the next.
Print the CV out & check it again - always looks different on paper as supposed to on a monitor.
Use a spell checker.
Interview tips:
Get an early un-intoxicated night's sleep
If you have gaps in your CV work out how to explain this.
Wear your best suit & tie, polish those shoes & iron that shirt.
Attend 15 minutes before the set time ' sends an instant good message. It can be hard to find offices in industrial areas so don't leave finding the site to chance.
If you are offered a drink, water is OK but only sip & don't finish the drink. It subliminally sells you as confident & in control. Nervous applicants usually finish the drink. We look out for it, especially when it's there final act of the seated interview.
Answer the questions appropriately & concisely. Use positive words such as 'can' or "will" as supposed to wishy-washy words such as 'would' or 'maybe'.
Prepare your top 3 selling points for questions such as 'what can you bring to this corporation?' Accurate, diligent & experienced for example. Make certain you can support these 3 assertions & build on it if requested.
Have your own questions prepared based on your earlier Intel. A good interviewer will deliberately leave gaps for you to probe, so an accurate question can impress. Don't ask questions on pay & perks; let the interviewer broach this subject 1st.
Always leave something in reserve to show professional or personal depth. An interviewer might privately query what other hidden skills you have. If they show interest it's a good sign.
Also be aware of your body language, crossing arms, tie straightening or tucking your feet into the chair legs is defensive & will be noted. Don't touch your face when talking - it looks insincere. Mentally note you're interviewer's chosen initial posture ' if they become more relaxed or lean forward, then you're impressing. If they cross their arms or appear distracted when you talk, then you'll need to win them back. Look for unforced good opportunities to turn it around. If you think the interview is lost, then either relax and practice or take an end game gamble to turn the tide.
Finally you can lightening up & show positive personality traits but always remember to retain a professional composure. It shows confidence and competence.
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