All rights reserved. You may circulate this book, free of charge, to friends, family and work colleagues, as long as you do not edit it in any way. All contents remain copyright of Clare J aques and Interview Stuff. Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 1
Table Of Contents
1. What A Great CV Or Resume Can Do For You.............................................................. 5 Evaluate My Current CV...................................................................................... 6 Get Someone Else To Write It?......................................................................... 10
2. The 12 Powerful Questions........................................................................................... 12 What Is My Unique Advantage?........................................................................ 18
3. Why Should I Customise My CV / Resume? ................................................................ 23 Who Am I Writing This CV For? ........................................................................ 26
4. Do Your Homework ..................................................................................................... 30 Where Can I Look?............................................................................................ 36 What The Recruiters Really Looking For ......................................................... 39 5. What The Recruiter ReallyLooking For......................................................................... 39 Reading Between The Lines ............................................................................. 42 Collect Ingredients For My Master CV.............................................................. 47 6. Collect Ingredients For My Master CV.......................................................................... 47 Main Elements Of Your Master CV................................................................... 48 CVs Use Unique Grammar................................................................................ 56 Common CV Problems...................................................................................... 69 7. Common CV Problems ................................................................................................. 69 How To Handle Problems ................................................................................. 70 8. The Worst CV Mistakes And How To Avoid Them....................................................... 77 The Worst 5 CV Clichs.................................................................................... 77 Top 10 CV Mistakes.......................................................................................... 79
9. Getting The Words Right............................................................................................... 84
10. Finishing Touches....................................................................................................... 89 Keys To An Easy-To-Read CV.......................................................................... 90 What To Include................................................................................................ 95 Which Bits To Chop Out.................................................................................. 102 Pulling It Together ........................................................................................... 104 Getting A Second Opinion............................................................................... 105
11. Compelling Cover Letter ........................................................................................... 107 Excellent Cover Letter Resource..................................................................... 115
13. And Finally............................................................................................................. 121
14. Exercise Templates................................................................................................... 123 Sample CVs And Resumes............................................................................. 140
Its up to you whether you work through CV Confidence in sequence or just pick the exercises that seem most relevant to you. Bear in mind that some of the exercises build on previous topics, so you may need to go back and do some background thinking. The instructions make it clear where this is the case. Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 2
Introduction
By being focused and having a structured approach to writing your CV, it can be much easier and less stressful than the traditional last-minute panic at 2 a.m., the night before the submission deadline.
You can find the evidence you need to support your job application even if you need to get creative and look outside of your standard work experience.
CV Confidence takes you through a structured process for creating your interview-winning CV and starting your interview preparation.
Although the term CV is used, most of the information applies equally well to a resume or job application form.
Where specific resume resources might be useful, weve included links to relevant websites.
Interview Stuff Supports Action Against Hunger CV Confidence is available free of charge. It's important to us that you can get hold of the advice you need, whenever you need it. It's also important to us to support our nominated charity, Action Against Hunger. So if you've find this guide useful, we invite you to make a donation to Action Against Hunger. Of course, it's entirely your decision and there's no pressure. We simply offer this option because some people like to "pay it forward". CV Confidence takes you through the four basic stages for writing an interview-winning CV:
Lay the foundations Review your current CV (if you have one), work experience and qualifications from the point of view of your target audience (the recruiter). Learn how to predict what a recruiters really looking for.
Pull together your Master CV This document will be like the store cupboard of ingredients for any job application. It makes it much quicker to pull out the relevant evidence for each job you apply for. This section also covers the typical mistakes people make that cost them interviews and show you how to avoid them.
Finishing Touches If youve laid the foundations and pulled together your Master CV, then tailoring your application for a specific role becomes an easy process. This section gives you advice on how to select what to include and what to chop out.
Creating a Compelling Cover Letter Many a CV has been let down by a bland, formulaic cover letter. This single-page is your chance to create a great first impression and get the reader interested in you. That gives you a huge advantage over other candidates.
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1
What A Great CV Or Resume Can Do For You
Your CV is so much more than 2 sheets of paper or 1000 words.
Make it do its job and get you the interview.
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1 What A Great CV Or Resume Can Do For You It gets you the interview.
Why its so much more than 2 sheets of paper and 1000 words Your CV will introduce you to your potential new employer and get them interested. It will get them curious before the interview. They read hundreds of CVs. Make sure yours is one they will remember! It can get you onto the A list as the number 1 preferred candidate, before the interview. What will this do for you? It can make the interviewer positively biased towards you. They are more likely to look for the positives in your interview, overlooking the negatives. Isnt this the kind of competitive advantage youd like to have? Your CV is designed to get you an interview. But its impact can reach so much further:
Your self-confidence will soar as you start to focus on what you have done well, rather than dwelling on negatives. This can also help you improve your working performance, getting you even better annual reviews.
Your customised CV will show your potential employer how you can meet the needs of their organisation. It will demonstrate what you can add to the role. It will also give them an idea about how you would fit in with the team and how you can rise to the challenge of making the role your own. A generalist CV wont do this for you. Your CV helps you prepare for the interview. As you read through it beforehand, you can pre-empt the questions they will ask. You can influence this further by deliberately writing your CV to provoke certain questions! This helps you prepare for the interview and feel more confident. It often becomes a script that forms a basis for interview discussion.
A great CV can cut weeks or even months off your job-hunting process. It saves you not just time, but effort, money and painful disappointment. You will only be applying for jobs you really want and will stand a much greater chance of getting them. If your current CV hasnt got you the job you want, then its costing you cash; both in lost pay rises and in attending interviews for jobs youre not getting.
When you get the job offer, you can use your CV as leverage to optimise your position, once negotiations start. A great CV could even lead to a 10%+pay rise and an increase in benefits package. A poor CV has been shown to lead to a smaller pay rise. Can you afford to have a poor CV and throw away that extra income?
Your CV is an investment in your future. A great CV can help you create the future you want. Are you ready to start creating your future now?
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Evaluate My Current CV Time to be objective
What is a CV? Curriculum Vitae =Latin for Course of Life A brief account of ones education, qualifications and previous occupations (Oxford English Dictionary) An employers first contact with you. (Note: their second is often your voicemail, so check out your message!) A 1-2 page summary of the key skills, achievements and competencies you have developed so far, tailored to the job for which you are applying A summary of your professional history An honest, free-flowing, positively phrased account of your suitability for a particular position A tool to sell you to the recruiter
What a CV is NOT Your entire life history All the details about every job youve ever had A novel A boring and predictable list of events A blanket, formulaic, one size fits all application
What is a CV for? Marketing your strengths, not shouting your weaknesses Making the most of what you have achieved Getting you the number one position on the interview pile. Dont just aim for an interview. Why not aim to be the number one preferred candidate at the start? It makes an amazing difference. Giving you confidence when applying for jobs, because you know youre suitably qualified Inspiring you to perform at your best in interview, where your CV will often be used as a basis for discussion Encouraging the interviewer to be curious about you and wanting to get to know you better; inspiring the recruiter to want you on their team Giving the recruiter strong enough evidence that you could do the job theyre offering Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 6
Do you already have a CV? For the purpose of the next exercise it doesnt matter if its a bit out of date. The point of this is just to get a sense of what its like to review a strangers CV, so you can start to rewrite your CV from the recruiters perspective. This means youll be including the information they need in the way they want to see it. It gives you a big head start over other candidates. You may find it easier to have a trusted friend or colleague review your CV for you it can be quite difficult to step outside ourselves and review a document about our personal history.
Exercise 1: Evaluate Your Current CV Dont worry if some of your answers to these questions leave you feeling your CV needs to improve: its going to! These questions are simply designed to help you see where you need to make changes and to help show you how much your CV will have improved, by the end of this process. J ust give the exercise your best shot whichever questions you complete, they will help you improve your CV.
Imagine yourself as the recruiter or HR executive. Imagine opening the email or envelope and starting to read your CV. Bear in mind that it has a matter of seconds to make an impression. Click here for a blank form
What would your first impression of the candidate be?
How easy is it for you to find the information youre looking for in the CV?
What does the CV show as the candidates strengths?
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As a potential employer, what might your concerns be?
How would you rate this CV? (Marks out of 10) /10
What would your overall impression of the CV be?
How likely would you be to remember this applicant, in general?
What is the 1 thing you would remember about the applicant?
Would you call the candidate for an interview? Why is that?
Well done for completing this exercise. Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 8
Some people find this the hardest exercise in this book, because you have to be objective about a document that you have spent hours preparing and were often not used to critiquing a CV. It can be difficult for us to accept that our hard work in pulling the document together might be hindering our chances of getting interviews and job offers. Accepting that you need to improve your CV is the first step towards creating a great CV that will get you the job you want.
Its useful to capture what you have learned from this exercise, before moving on to the next section. So spend a few moment answering the next two questions.
What surprises or insights did you have from this exercise?
Are there any areas on your CV that you want to pay particular attention to, when we get to the next phase of preparation? Write them here, to make it easy to remember.
Would you like a second opinion?
Steve Holmes from CV Services offers a free CV review to job hunters.
Career Assist offer a resume review service.
Having reviewed your current CV, were ready to move on to structuring the new, improved version.
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Get Someone Else To Write It? Tough Decision
Writing your CV or resume yourself is undoubtedly the best option.
However, there are times when you want or need outside help.
The positive side of using a bespoke CV writing service is that you will get a CV that does justice to your experience and could increase your chances of getting an interview.
The potential risk is that your CV or resume isnt written by an expert, but is churned into a formulaic template by a typist.
Here are some top tips for using a CV / resume writing service:
1. Ask to see samples of the company's work. 2. What background does the writer have? Make sure its not just typing, but includes copy-writing or recruitment, if possible. 3. Make sure you understand how they create your CV. Bear in mind the finished product will only be as good and interesting as the information you provide. 4. Make sure you know your CV inside out. It could be really embarrassing to get to the interview and be "found out" for not having written your own CV. 5. Get advice on how to tailor / customise your CV for each role. If the agency doesnt recommend this, dont use them! 6. Expect to pay for quality. You should get at least 30-60 minutes on the phone, so they can get to know you and your experience. 7. If youre not happy with the results, use the companys refund guarantee and go somewhere else. Never send off a CV youre not happy with.
Steve Holmes from CV Services is an expert who has written thousands of job interview winning CVs. His approach can be somewhat blunt and is definitely down-to-earth, but he knows what hes doing.
Ryan Healy is from Professional Resume Writer has a proven track record in creating resumes that get job offers.
At the end of the day, only you can decide who to ask to write your CV / resume. Trust your instincts!
The next section takes you back to basics; thinking about your key strengths and helping you uncover what you have to offer a future employer. These questions can be quite a confidence boost, as they allow you to focus on the positive aspects of your career to date, writing about your achievements and what value you added. Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 10
2
12 Essential Questions
The 12 powerful questions that make CV writing simple
How to include your spark and get the readers attention.
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2 The 12 Powerful Questions That Make CV Writing Simple
(and theyre great for interview preparation)
Most people write their CVs by producing a list of relevant jobs, responsibilities and qualifications and trying to squeeze them onto two pages.
Thats ok, as long as you dont mind having a CV that looks the same as the other 100 the recruiter is reviewing.
Time and again we ask recruiters what theyre looking for in a CV, when deciding who to interview. The answer comes back:
A spark something that gets them intrigued; makes them want to find out more.
In fact, even a candidate who doesnt have the textbook experience for the role might get an interview if their CV gets the reader hooked.
Recruiters tell us theyre often prepared to consider taking on someone who is under- qualified, if its clear theyll add something to the team or develop their role.
Aside from the function-specific skills and experience you will be expected to demonstrate, recruiters are looking for a more general understanding of your personality and character. But its important to be subtle about how you do this; your own, personal spark might be work related or to do with your hobbies. The next few sections will help you identify it and include it professionally in your CV.
The following 12 questions make writing your CV much easier and faster. It is worth spending time thinking about your responses, because you will find they form a fundamental part of writing your CV.
By knowing the answers to these, you will find yourself easily able to identify key achievements for your CV and being able to give quick, compelling answers in an interview.
J ust imagine never again having to endure the embarrassing silence, as you desperately rack your brains for an example to illustrate your skills!
Think about being able to impress the interviewer, as you clearly stay relaxed under pressure, where other candidates would be fighting for answers. Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 12
Exercise 2: The 12 Questions Take a few moments to think about your responses. You may need more space than is provided. Click here for a blank form 1. Outline of my career so far:
2. My strengths are
Exercise continues on next page Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 13
3. My development areas / weak points are
4. Which key things have I learned (either concrete skills or about my personal attributes)?
5. What have been my biggest achievements?
6. What wouldnt have happened, if I hadnt worked in my current / previous roles?
Exercise continues on next page Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 14
7. What do I have to offer my next employer?
8. What evidence can I provide to back up my claims?
9. What will my current boss miss about me when I leave?
10. What will my colleagues say about me when I leave?
Exercise continues on next page Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 15
11. What will my direct reports say about me?
12. Why do I want to change jobs?
The answers you have given will have started to trigger thought processes that will make writing your CV much easier and faster. They can provide a framework for the examples you want to give, illustrating what you bring to your new employer.
At this stage, its a good idea to reflect on your responses.
Go back through the previous 12 questions and use a highlighter or coloured pen to mark any significant points or surprises.
Think about how you might want to weave some of these into your CV or cover letter. As you are marking the key points, keep in mind the context of the industry or profession in which you want to work and think about which parts of what you have written would particularly appeal to potential employers. Make sure you have focused on positives for this exercise.
There may be some negative aspects that have surfaced, but the aim here is to concentrate on identifying what you are doing well, to make it easier to get the job you want.
If you find you have written down too many negative things (i.e. you arent feeling confident and optimistic at the end of the exercise), then re-do it, only writing down positive, supportive comments.
Notice how much difference that makes. Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 16
Whats next?
The next stage is to pull out what it is that you have to offer that separates you from other candidates.
In todays competitive job market, applying for a job is just like marketing a product. As top marketers say, you have to differentiate (prove how your product is different from your competitors) or your product doesnt stand a chance.
In this case, the product you are marketing is you.
If you cant show that you are different from the other candidates, you are less likely to get the job. You need to be able to quickly and easily show what you have to offer the company that no one else has.
And its a fact:
you have a unique blend of experience, job skills and personal characteristics, which no one else can offer.
Thats your Unique Advantage.
So how can you work out what your Unique Advantage is?
The next exercise guides you through this process.
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What Is My Unique Advantage? How to capture that spark
Imagine you bumped into the manager recruiting for the job you want in a lift or on an escalator. You have 30 seconds to explain why they should recruit you, rather than all the other applicants.
What would you say? The last thing you want to be is tongue-tied.
These days, with fierce competition, you need to differentiate yourself from other applicants. Theres a strong chance that a number of candidates will have suitable qualifications and experience for the job, so how can you make sure they choose you, above the others?
Help them see the advantages of recruiting you.
What is it that makes you different?
When you distil these advantages into a phrase or a few short phrases, they can guide you through the CV and cover letter writing process. Its critical that these concepts are captured in the words of your application.
These essential words will potentially form part of the opening paragraph of your CV. They may appear in your cover letter and they can be the essence of you that is cleverly woven through-out your application, so its worth giving them some thought.
How do I work out my Unique Advantage?
You need to work out what it is that makes you the person that you are. And how you are different from other people.
Its not always easy to work out, if youre just sitting and thinking, so the next exercise guides you through a process that produces results. There are many ways to find your Unique Advantage, but this is one of the simplest.
You may find it easier if you have trusted friends or colleagues to ask, to help stimulate ideas. You could also refer back to previous appraisals or performance reviews.
Think back to feedback youve had from people. What did they say when they told you that you were doing well? Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 18
Exercise 3: Unique Advantage Go through the 12 questions from the last exercise (2: The 12 Questions) with a coloured pen and mark the things that are unusual in your skills. What sets you apart from other people? What in your history could provide that unique spark that will catch the recruiters attention? When you have pulled out the key points, jot them on index cards or in the boxes below. Click here for a blank form
If you employ me, you get If you employ me, you get
If you employ me, you get If you employ me, you get
If you employ me, you get If you employ me, you get
If you employ me, you get If you employ me, you get
Exercise continues on next page Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 19
When you look at the boxes of your differentiating attributes, which seem most compelling? Note: it may be different for different jobs, so you may need to revisit this exercise for each application.
Relax and jot down some short sentences or phrases that would capture the key points you have highlighted.
Phrases that capture the real me and my talents:
Which of these phrases grab your attention? Which sum you up the best? These are the features that form your Unique Advantage. If you want, you can distil them into a single phrase or sentence. Write them in the box below or on a separate card. Keep them in front of you whenever you are working on your CV. They will help you keep focussed on the real you, which will help your key selling points shine through every section of your CV and will get you closer to the job you want. Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 20
My Unique Advantage is:
Keep this in front of you whenever youre working on your CV or interview preparation.
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3
Why Should I Customise My CV?
Sure-fire strategies to make sure your CV doesnt end up in the bin.
And it only takes a couple of hours
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3 Why Should I Customise My CV / Resume? How to max your interview chances
By this stage, you should have a clear idea of the kind of role or the type of company you would like to work for.
There are two main ways of submitting your CV for a job application:
1. Have your CV on a CV database (usually through a recruiter or job search engine), so the same CV is sent for all applications. 2. Submit a unique, tailored CV for each job application, which highlights your specific experience thats relevant for that role.
If you have the choice, we recommend option (2) tailoring your CV for a particular application.
Why?
Because each job is different, requiring different skills and experience. If you subtly include the most relevant information in your application, you increase your chances of getting an interview.
We were involved with the recruitment process for a Head of Market Research vacancy with a major household brand. The job advert attracted over 100 responses, which was high for that level of position. Some applicants had sent relevant CVs, clearly focusing on the company and the specific roles requirements. Almost all of these made it into the consider seriously pile. Some applicants had sent blatantly standard CVs and cover letters even addressed to Dear Sir, although the female HR advisors name was in the job advert. Many applicants were interested in Marketing, rather than Market Research, and had no relevant experience they hadnt bothered to check the job description in the advert. They had simply seen Market in the job title and probably wanted to work for the company, rather than do that particular job. None of them got interviews. Yet, had they explained why they wanted to transfer into Market Research and highlighted their relevant experience, they might have got through. One candidate included an opening paragraph that included the sentence, Ive always wanted to work in IT procurement Instant rejection. This type of mistake is not uncommon, when blanket applying for jobs. If you wont go the extra mile to check and subtly tailor your CV, then a potential employer wont believe you will put in the extra effort if you worked for them and youre less likely to get the job.
Employers want to feel that youre interested about them and their business; and not just trying your luck with every job ad you come across. You can make things much harder for yourself by giving the impression you cant be bothered to make even an hours effort to fine- tune your CV.
If theyre not taking us seriously, why should we bother with them? was a quote from one HR manager. Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 23
Even with option (1) database submission, theres more flexibility now than there used to be. Many sites will allow you to submit multiple CVs, because they understand that you want to bring out the best in your experience for each role you apply for.
If the agency youre applying through requires a standard CV, remember that this to makes their job easier and speed up the recruitment process. If theyve got a client banging on the door for CVs now, then they might not want to hang around for you to spend a week polishing your best prose.
In this case, the best start is to customise your CV as much as possible for the industry and types of role for which you want to apply.
If the recruiter comes to you with a particular job in mind, you can usually persuade them to accept a tailored CV by explaining to them that it is in their best interests: they get paid for filling the vacancy if you provide a tailored CV, you are more likely to get the job and they are more likely to get their fee.
By completing the Pull Together Your Master CV sections of this book, youll be in a position to produce a professional, well-tailored CV in just a couple of hours, so you wont be slowing down the recruitment process.
Will they really notice? We recommend you write your CV with a specific role or company type in mind. Why?
Because a recruiter can spot a one size fits all CV from a great distance. In todays tough job hunting world, there can be hundreds of applicants for each position.
Employers arent just looking for someone with the right skills and experience. They also want someone who will fit in to the companys culture and who is enthusiastic about working there. If they see a standard CV and cover letter, it means your CV will have to work even harder to overcome the less favourable first impression.
Spending a little time preparing, before writing your CV, can make the difference between ending up on the maybe reserve pile or the must interview list. Where would you rather be?
But doesnt tailoring my CV take time? Yes. The solution? Only apply for jobs you actually want.
It may sound strange, but thousands of people apply for jobs they dont really want. It can happen quite easily. When job hunting, you can get into a frame of mind where you think that the more roles you apply for, the more job offers you will get.
In the unlikely event that this happens, youll probably get offers of jobs you dont really want. And the time you have spent at interviews for these positions is time you could have spent focusing on and following up applications you were excited about.
This is a particularly common theme when job- hunting via the internet. Often you cant even Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 24
tell which company is offering the vacancy. In these situations, it pays to try to find out more, before applying.
Usually, if you contact the agency direct and can show youre a highly suitable candidate, they will give you more information.
Sometimes they have had to introduce a policy of not telling candidates the companys name, because people have bypassed them, by applying direct.
In these situations, you should use your best influencing skills to reassure the recruiter and find out who the company is. After all, no matter how attractive the description, you wouldnt agree to buy a house without seeing exactly where it is. Similarly, the most appealing job at the wrong company wont meet your needs.
You will save yourself so much time, worry and energy by only applying for jobs that you are interested in and where you can demonstrate a number of the skills required.
Do you really want to have to keep taking days off to go to interviews, only to find you are wasting your time?
Selecting which jobs to apply for takes a little time, but it pays dividends because you will have a more enticing CV, get more interviews, perform better in those interviews and get job offers for positions that you actually want!
How can I work out which jobs to apply for? There is a great online test you can take, to help you decide which jobs would be most suitable for you. Its been developed by MAPP at Assessment.com.
All you have to do is fill in a questionnaire and theyll email you a free report on the career and roles that would most suit you.
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Who Am I Writing This CV For? Writing for your audience is essential
Are you writing a CV with a particular position in mind? Are you writing a CV with a general job function or category in mind, to tailor if necessary? We dont recommend writing a generalist Ill do anything CV. If youre still not sure what you want to do, then its worth having some 1:1 coaching to help you discover the types of role you would enjoy and which would move you closer to your dream job. Even if your generalist CV is excellent, there will be plenty of other applicants who have written their CV with a specific role or at least job function in mind. Do you really want to give them a head start?
Are you writing your CV in response to a particular ad? If yes, then work through the next sections as they are written, based on the job advert you have chosen.
What Do I Do If I Havent Found An Ad Yet? Before writing your CV, you should at least have a good idea of the type of position you want to apply for (e.g. finance, marketing, sales, manufacturing, engineering design, management), or its more difficult to write a good CV.
You can use the rest of the exercises in this section to find out more about the qualifications, experience and characteristics required by key employers for these markets. This is a great start for preparing your Master CV, prior to job hunting.
With each exercise, think more generally about the profession you want to work in. Apply the questions to your ideal company. This will help you prepare your CV and will be good background research for interviews.
Its a good idea to read through the company- specific sections anyway, as these will help you prepare for your job interviews. Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 26
You have seen an advert or job specification that interests you. What next?
Exercise 4: Vetting A Job Advert Make a note in the table below of what specifically excites or intrigues you about the role. This may be something about the function, the challenges offered, the benefits package, having a team to manage or the companys image, or many other reasons.
Would this job move you closer towards your outcome? Its important to ask this particular vetting question, because you can almost guarantee that, at some point, the interviewer will ask you where you see yourself in 5-10 years time. They want to see how this role fits into your career plan. If it doesnt, they might think youll only do the job for a short time, before leaving to work elsewhere. This is likely to reduce your chances of getting a job offer.
Click here for a blank form
What, specifically, interests, intrigues or excites me about this role?
Is there anything I dont like or disadvantages about this role?
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Being honest, is this role a good match for what I wanted to do next?
How does this position fit with where I want to be going long-term? Would this choice support my 5- 10 year vision? *
Do I still want to apply for this job? Yes No Not sure
Be honest with yourself! If this job wont move you closer to your outcome and doesnt support your 5-10 year vision, then you need to review what it will give you. Or maybe you need to reconsider what youre looking for? * This is a critical question, because it should be the driving force of your applications. Review it for every application. Its effectively your long-term goal.
Once you have decided you want to reply to a job advert, many people would draft a quick cover letter and send off their CV. You can dramatically improve your chances by doing some detective work first.
Its time to research the company. Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 28
4
Do Your Homework
Why researching the employer is so vital to your job application.
How to use the information to help you get an interview..
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4 Do Your Homework Why doing your homework is so important
Youve decided to apply for a position in a particular company. You have the job advert or description and could start to write your CV now. But spending a little time finding out more about the company will deliver seven main benefits:
1. Help you better understand what the companys ideal employee would be like, so you can make sure your CV illustrates your suitability (big head start!).
2. It can help you decide whether you want to work for the company.
3. You should have a good idea whats important to you about a working environment. Its important to check out whether a potential employer will be able to satisfy these needs, before you apply. Imagine going through the whole recruitment process, being offered the job, then realising you dont want it. That would be a waste of time, effort and money, which could have been better spent chasing a job you actually want. Worse still, you might even accept the job and quickly find you werent happy, causing you to start the job hunting process again and have an awkwardly short job to explain on your CV. 4. You can get more excited about your application and put more energy into it, if you have researched the company and really decided youd like to work there. This will shine through in your CV, cover letter and any contact you have with the company. Employers like people who are enthusiastic about their business.
5. Understanding more about the company culture can even influence the layout of your CV. Some companies want a more conservative layout than one for, say, a graphic design agency. Bear in mind the culture and expectations of any intermediary (e.g. a recruitment agency).
6. Knowing more about the company can influence how you handle the interview and the types of questions you will ask the interviewer. It gives you a head start over other candidates, because you will be able to give examples that are relevant to the companys market and competitive environment. Showing an understanding of the companys potential business challenges is one of the easiest ways to impress in a cover letter or an interview. It shows enthusiasm and business insight.
7. The interviewer will expect you to have done your homework , if you are applying for a professional position, for which there has been much competition. You can disadvantage your application by claiming to be passionate about the company and its brand, but not even bothering to look through its website.
8. You never know when your CV might lead to an impromptu telephone screening interview so, if youre serious about a job, its worth being prepared! Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 30
Dont worry if you cant answer all the questions. Some of them may not be relevant to the industry you work in. Its a good idea to refer back to this exercise and add to your answers, as you discover more about the company or industry. Exercise 5: How much do you know about the company? Depending who youre hoping to work for, chances are you already know quite a lot about them. Maybe they are a household name. Maybe theyre a local employer and you know people who work there. Whatever your level of awareness of the company and its market, its worth spending a few minutes brainstorming what you already know.
If you dont know much about the company yet, potential research sources are given later in this chapter.
The questions below are a starting point. Feel free to add questions of your own. Click here for a blank form
What is your current impression of the company? What do you like or dislike about it, based on your current level of knowledge?
What is the public reputation or image of this company?
What is the main business of the company?
Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 31
Do you know anyone who works there who you could talk to about the company? Do you know anyone who knows anyone who works there? Make the most of your contacts!
What size is the company? (number of employees, turnover, international subsidiaries, etc)
How is the company currently performing? (e.g. market share, profits, other relevant measures, are there any plans for expansion / takeovers)
Where would the advertised role fit within the companys structure and plans?
Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 32
What do you know about its culture?
Does the company have a published vision or mission statement?
What do you know about what its like to work there?
What is the likelihood of your top values being satisfied by working there?
Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 33
How would the company describe its ideal employee? What types of skills and characteristics would they have?
Are there any buzz words that the company or industry uses in its literature. (You might include these in your interview).
What would be the pros and cons of working for this company?
Question: Do I still want this job? Yes No Not sure Be honest with yourself! Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 34
What Do I Want To Find Out The importance of narrowing your research
Do you want to find out more about the company, before making a decision? What did you learn from completing the previous exercise? You dont need to know everything, before applying for a job or going for an interview. Time is often a constraint, so its important to find a balance between researching the company, preparing for the next stage of your application and maintaining your performance in your current job. Go through your answers to Exercise 5 with a highlighter pen highlight the questions that particularly interested you or were important for the job application. Do you have adequate answers to all the questions you highlighted? List below the areas you still want to research. This will help you maintain focus and make sure your research doesnt turn into too large a project!
Essential:
Nice to have:
Remember youre only at the application stage.
You want to find out about the company, but you may want to wait until youve actually had an interview offer, before you go into too much detail.
Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 35
Where Can I Look? Essential sources of information
With the internet, finding out about a company has never been easier. This section covers some of the sources of information that are readily available. If you dont have internet access at home (and cant surf to research future employers at work), then it is available at internet cafes and in local libraries.
Research Resources Contacts who work at the company Family & friends Telephone the recruiter Company reports Company website & Specialist websites Newspapers and magazines Mystery shopping (e.g. in-store / telephone / product research)
Telephone The Recruiter Its perfectly acceptable to phone the recruiter, before applying for a job or going for an interview. If youve applied through a recruitment agency, they may well have good insight into the recruiting company. However, if you can, it may be better to talk directly to the prospective employer.
Company Literature & Website Brochures Sales letters Adverts These may be available in magazines and newspapers, in the shops, from their website or by phoning their customer services team. If its a company that markets directly to the public, then friends and family may have seen adverts or sales letters and might be able to help. The companys own website is often your best initial port of call. Most large companies have a press office, which will send out relevant background information, if you call them. Bear in mind, however, that their response can be slow.
What Do I Do With The Information?
Decide whether you still want to go ahead with your application? Is the company one you want to work for? Go through your research notes and pull out any information that you think is not common knowledge. These facts may be useful in a cover letter or interview situation, because they will help you give more relevant replies to questions and show your business intelligence. Use the information to conduct a SWOT (Strengths / Weaknesses / Opportunities / Threats) analysis (or similar) of the company or the market. This will help you turn the information you have researched into insight and will put you head and shoulders above other candidates.
In summary: Researching the company you want to work for is easier than ever before. It doesnt have to be in great detail, prior to applying, but it is useful to complete properly, if you are offered an interview. Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 36
By learning more about the company and the market, it enables you to subtly include the right buzz words in your CV and show a greater understanding of the contribution you could make, when writing your cover letter. It gives you an advantage over candidates who havent bothered to find out about the company.
Researching a company (and subtly showing your knowledge) demonstrates that you are a motivated self-starter with plenty of initiative: characteristics valued by the majority of employers. Showing you have these skills is important and compelling to a future employer, rather than just writing them as potential clichs in your CV.
Small companies are well worth researching too, as you are likely to know less about them and will want to decide whether you really want to work for them. So much less is publicly known about them that few candidates will be able to show the knowledge you will accumulate. This will count positively for you in your CV and at an interview.
Whats next? Youve decided to apply for the job and have researched the company. Now its time to discover how to work out what the recruiter is really looking for. Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 37
5
Whats The Recruiter Really Looking For?
Find out how to second-guess their needs.
Make it easy for them to choose you.
Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 38
5 What The Recruiters Really Looking For Make it easy for them to choose you
Who is the recruiter? The recruiter in this context is the person who is vetting your CV. It might be someone in a recruitment agency, drawing up a short- list of candidates. Or it might be someone in the potential employers Human Resources team, your potential future manager or even the person you are replacing. Or it can be all of these.
What are recruiters really looking for?
Despite what candidates might think, recruiters are human.
They want to work with real people, not robots.
As well as the deciding whether youre the right person for the job, a recruiter will want to like their chosen candidate. This may not be a conscious need. But theyll be reading between the lines of your CV to assess whether they would want to work with you.
Thats why its such a waste that so many CVs make their owners look either unprofessional (due to careless mistakes) or like robots (due to a list of facts, with no human side).
The key to a great CV is being both professional and human, whilst subtly telling the compelling story of why you are right for the job.
Recruiters want to see the real you; not hype, exaggeration or image.
Recruiters, like most of us, dont like making decisions.
It can be a difficult and stressful process. The recruiter is choosing a single person from many applicants and is responsible for choosing the right person. They have to live with that decision. Many people dont like making decisions and recruiters are no exception.
Make it easy for them to choose you for interview! Help them easily assess your suitability and show them quickly how you match the profile they are trying to recruit.
How?
By writing your CV from their point of view, giving them the information they need, in a way thats easy for them to pick out..
Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 39
What are the big questions a recruiter will be asking themselves, during the 30 seconds in which they scan your CV?
Do you demonstrate the skills and characteristics the position needs? Its not enough just to write the keywords in your CV, you need to prove that you have those skills, through the examples you give.
Do you have relevant experience?
Can you back this up with evidence?
What other transferable skills do you have?
What value did you add in your previous roles?
Will you fit in with the team and the company?
Can you adapt to the role?
What benefits will you bring with you?
Will people like working with you?
What makes you different from other candidates?
Nobody is a perfect candidate. And if your CV made out that you were, the recruiter would probably be suspicious. Most recruiters are looking for someone who can grow and adapt to the role, who shows a spark that makes them different to the other candidates.
The exercises in this book will help your CV achieve that for you.
Your aim is not just to secure an interview, but to reach the preferred candidate position, prior to the interview, to be at the top of the A list.
Why is the A list position so important? Research has illustrated this. Two classes of average-grade students were picked for this experiment. One class was given to a teacher who was told they were the brightest, highest potential students in their year. The other class was given to a teacher who was told they were under-performing, low achievers. At the end of the school year, the higher class had dramatically out-performed the lower set.
Why is that?
Our brain receives an estimated 2 million pieces of information at any time: from the stuff we consciously notice, through to things like the air pressure and our breathing rate. It has to filter this information to prevent us from being overwhelmed. These filters operate at many levels from the physical data the body collects through to the words people use. It impacts the way we think and the way we feel about others, too. Once you have formed a belief or opinion about something or somebody, your brain tends to filter out or dismiss the information that doesnt support that belief. This impacts what we think and how we behave.
Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 40
So in the example of the school teachers, they had been given beliefs or opinions about the ability of the students. Their brains then started noticing things that confirmed these beliefs, so the situation became a self-fulfilling prophecy.
A similar thing can happen in job interviews.
If a recruiter is interviewing someone whose CV put them on the reserve list or a CV with careless mistakes in it, the candidate has to work much harder to avoid rejection.
This is because the recruiter has a less-than- wonderful impression of the person and will probably be less well-disposed towards them than other candidates. They might not even be consciously aware of this. They will be more likely to notice the wrong answers and mistakes you make, out-weighing the positives.
Similarly, recruiters will normally have a short-list of A list candidates to interview; their favourites, who have a head start in the interview process.
The recruiter is more likely to feel relaxed, curious and positive towards you. Any mistakes you might make are more likely to be dismissed or given the benefit of the doubt, while positives are amplified. You are more likely to sail your way into the job. No matter how hard a recruiter tries to be objective and unbiased in an interview, these subconscious filters will be running.
We have actually seen this happen.
During the CV screening process in a major British manufacturing company, the manager of the vacant role came across a CV that had a spark. The candidate had some unusual work experience that made him memorable and interesting, convincing the manager he would fit well in the company and role. His qualifications and skills werent the strongest in the pile, but he still entered the interview process as the preferred candidate on the A list. In the interview, he performed well. However, all three short-listed candidates failed the assessment centre. The recruiting manager was so convinced that his preferred candidate was ideal for the role that he called him back for a second assessment centre, whilst the other applicants were rejected. The A list candidate got the job.
Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 41
Reading Between The Lines How to decode a job advert
How to read between the lines of an advert and pull out what theyre really looking for.
How do you know what they want and what evidence do they want to see?
The following exercise helps you see through the jargon and hype of a job ad and work out what the recruiter is really looking for.
It means that you will have the opportunity to demonstrate the competencies and experience they want, whilst other candidates are merely regurgitating the clichs from the job description, with little evidence to back up their claims.
The exercise ties together both the job advert and the research you have done on the company and its market.
It forms the basis for deciding which information and examples to include in your CV and cover letter, meaning the reader will be drawn to your application.
You will be one of the few candidates who is actually writing from the recruiters perspective, rather than the candidates.
Exercise 6: How To Read Between The Lines Of A Job Advert
What are the key skills / talents / experience they are looking for?
There are key words or phrases that a recruiter will be looking for in your application. In an ad, these give hints as to the skills that are needed and the evidence they might want to see. Re- read the job advert, your notes from your research phone call and your company / industry research.
If you dont have a specific job advert in mind, research the function you are interested in and find out information about potential employers.
Use this information to make a list of the key characteristics and experience the job requires. Brainstorm a list of the key skills, qualifications, experience and characteristics, then complete the exercise below.
Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 42
Skill Essential / Optional Key Words / Phrases to include in your CV What Evidence Are They Looking For? How Can I Demonstrate These Skills? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 43
Skill Essential / Optional Key Words / Phrases to include in your CV What Evidence Are They Looking For? How Can I Demonstrate These Skills? 8. 9. 10. 11. Clare J aques 2006 Interview Stuff 44
When you have completed this exercise, imagine you are the recruiter and critically review your Evidence column.
Would the recruiter agree with your conclusions?
This exercise is a good way to pull out the needs of your potential future employer and think about how you can prove you meet those needs.
Most candidates dont bother to do this, instead sending off a CV that is their best guess.
There are few things more flattering than someone who has taken the time to understand what you really want and then shows how they can meet those needs. Wouldnt it be great to do that for a recruiter?
Theres a lot of truth in the saying, They dont care how much you know, until they know how much you care.
By working out how you can help them, you are showing them you care and getting them emotionally hooked, wanting to meet you. People buy on emotion and support that decision with logic.
The output from this exercise enables you to confidently create a CV that will arouse curiosity in the reader, making them want to know more and putting you on the A list.
We will come back to this later in this book, when you will use your thoughts to decide which information to highlight in your CV and cover letter, ensuring it makes compelling, relevant reading; speaking to the recruiter.
Congratulations on finishing laying the foundations for your CV. The next stage is to compile all the information you need for your Master CV, to make tailoring job applications painless.
Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 45
6
Collect My Master CV Ingredients
How to make it easy to tailor your CV to each application.
Spend an evening itll save you days of work!
Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 46
6 Collect Ingredients For My Master CV Make it easy to customise quickly
How do I pull together my Master CV?
Were going to do this section by section, including all the major topics you would typically be asked for in your CV, to allow you to pick and mix for any job application.
The order in which the sections are covered works well as a CV format. However, there are no strict rules and the best format will depend on the type of role for which you are applying, as well as your level of experience and your personal preference. After all, its your document.
For example, some people prefer to include the Achievements section within their career history, whilst others like to separate it, to give it greater prominence.
For the purposes of compiling a Master CV, we have included it under the career history, because it is easier for you to work with it in that format, during the drafting stage.
You can pull out key achievements to include as headlines earlier in the CV, if you want to.
If you choose this option, make sure you remember to provide a context and evidence for each achievement and make them relevant to the application. Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 47
Main Elements Of Your Master CV Essential items to include
Main elements of your Master CV 1. Page Header 2. Contact Details 3. Personal Summary 4. Career History / Professional Background / Professional History / Professional 5. Skills and attributes 6. Training 7. Professional Memberships and Qualifications 8. Education and Qualifications 9. Additional Skills 10. Personal 11. References
Note: If youre doing a resume instead of a CV, you might want to check out these online resume format resources, then return to this document to find out what to put in each section.
Ronan Kennedys resume and cover letter samples.
Career Assist offers resume templates. Neil Williamsons Resume Layout Pro will help you with your resume design.
Quick reminder: what a CV is NOT
Your entire life history A novel A boring and predictable list of events A blanket, formulaic, one size fits all application Difficult to write
Whats my objective? This wont be included in your CV, but its useful to have it at the top of your Master CV, to remind you what youre aiming for and help you stay focused on whats relevant. You can use input from all the previous exercises to help you write your objective.
For example, say you dont have the textbook perfect skills for a role, your objective might be to convince the reader that you area a fast learner and would soon pick up what you needed.
If, on paper, youre over-qualified, your CVs objective might be to show how your additional skills could support the team in the role. Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 48
My objective for my CV is
Remember: the purpose of your CV is to arouse curiosity and get you a preferred candidate interview. Be genuine, human and ruthless your CV is not the place to start practising your novel-writing skills: not even in the Master CV.
If its not relevant, dont include it.
The wording you use in your Master CV will be used in your final CV, so this is the point where you take the time to get it right.
1. Page Header Your page header needs to include your full name, in a bold font, typically 2 points bigger than your main text.
Its up to you whether you align it left, right or centre. Make sure your name is shown in the same way, in the same place of both pages of your CV. Although you might send it in stapled, it is highly likely to be photocopied and you want to avoid the risk of confusion between your CV and another candidates.
There is no need to add the words Curriculum Vitae or CV, because it is obvious what the document is for.
2. Contact Details Make sure your contact details are on both the front page of your CV and in your Cover Letter. Many people like to put these at the bottom of the second page. However, you want a recruiter to be able to contact you easily, to call you for interview, so save them the effort of turning pages and include your address, email and phone number at the top of the front page. You can save space by avoiding the standard address format and writing it in one line. See the example on the next page.
Its worth avoiding using your work email for contact, as this can be perceived as unprofessional and catch you out if your email is monitored. Hotmail, Yahoo and other email accounts are free and easy to open. Make sure your email address conveys a sense of professionalism. For example, J ohnSmith@mail.com would be fine, but Funky123@yahoo.com might convey the wrong impression in a professional job application.
If youre giving a phone number with voicemail, do a quick check on your outgoing message and make sure its one youd want a potential employer to hear! Make sure anyone you share the phone with (e.g. at home) knows you might be getting a call from a recruiter, so they can answer the phone appropriately. Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 49
John Smith Home Address 22 My Street, Anytown, Midfordshire, GL51 4XX Direct Lines 01285 XXX XXX / 07735 XXX XXX Email J ohnSmith@XYZ.com
3. Personal Summary 3. Personal Summary This section is optional. Some people like it, others hate it. This section is optional. Some people like it, others hate it. However, whether or not you include it in your final CV, its worth drafting for your Master CV. It might help you with your cover letter and is certainly useful for interview preparation. However, whether or not you include it in your final CV, its worth drafting for your Master CV. It might help you with your cover letter and is certainly useful for interview preparation. Many recruiters find it useful, giving them an overview of the candidate, before they read on into the detail. However, it must be well-written and avoid using clichs (see the section in this book on the Top 5 Clichs and How To Avoid Many recruiters find it useful, giving them an overview of the candidate, before they read on into the detail. However, it must be well-written and avoid using clichs (see the section in this book on the Top 5 Clichs and How To Avoid Them). The personal summary is the opening paragraph of your CV and is a 4-5 line synopsis, selling your Unique Advantage. Its effectively a mini advert for you. Its purpose is to get the reader hooked, before they even get to the detail of your CV.
This summary is written from the preparation you did in the sections: The 12 Questions That Make CV Writing Simple (Exercise 2) Unique Advantage (Exercise 3) Values Your recent work appraisals
You include the top selling point(s) that make you ideal for the job. It is worth spending time getting this right; drafting and editing it. Ask a trusted friend or colleague for their opinion.
This is the point to let your true communication skills shine through.
Distilling your Unique Advantage into 4 or 5 inspiring lines is a challenge that illustrates your skills much more effectively than the phrase Im an expert communicator ever could.
The summary needs to flow and have memorable hot buttons in it, to grab the recruiters attention and make them want to know more.
One option you have in this section is to consider writing it in the 3 rd person (as though someone else were talking about you). Most people currently use 1 st person (I am; I did; talking about yourself). This is entirely personal preference. Its important that you are comfortable with this paragraph, or it wont flow properly.
Recruiters can get bored of reading I and my all day, causing all CVs to blend into one. If they havent consciously registered your name at the top of your CV, there is a risk that days later they will attribute your excellent summary profile to another candidate. Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 50
By writing it using your name, rather than I, it helps them remember who you are. It also saves you having to include the item gender in your personal information section.
You can also use the present tense for much of this paragraph, particularly when describing your personal qualities. This gives the reader the subliminal (and true) impression that these are characteristics you still possess, which will be transferable to your new role with them, rather than being restricted to your current company.
For example:
I did this, I did that, I am the other. My achievements are
could become
J ohn did this, he did that and J ohn is the other. His achievements are
You dont need a title for this paragraph.
Opinions are mixed on the use of titles such as Personal Summary, Objective or Profile. Some think theyre modern, others think theyre clichs. So its probably best to avoid using a title. Its obvious to the reader that its an introduction and summary, so save yourself a line and miss out the title.
4. Career History / Professional Background / Professional History / Professional The title given to this section can be quite varied. The examples above are typical choices. Whilst deciding what to include in this section, you should remember that some people prefer to include the Achievements section within their career history, whilst others like to separate it, to give it greater prominence. For the purposes of compiling a Master CV, we have included it under the career history, because it is easier for you to work with it during the draft stage.
Many CVs are too function- and duty-based, focusing on the day-to-day content of the historical roles. Recruiters often arent as interested in your job title as they are in what you actually added to your company. This is because the job functionality might not be transferable, but your skills and attributes are. The exception to this rule is recruitment where specific functional experience is expected. The readers of your CV are interested in what you achieved, delivered, learned and added to your team, as well as what was written on your business cards. Be aware of this when writing your career section.
Another challenge is that job titles can be confusing. For example, the term Executive can be used for anyone from a Chief Executive to a Sales Executive and no longer gives an understanding of the true nature of the role and its responsibilities. Someone working as a manager in one company may be called a director or a technical expert in another. Therefore it is important to briefly explain what your role was, if there is any possibility of Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 51
confusion. Dont expect a recruiter to be able to mind- read or understand the jargon specific to your previous employers.
Chronological vs. skills-based CV? If you are writing a traditional format chronological CV, i.e. one where your skills and achievements fall under the Career History section, then this will be the longest section of your CV.
A traditional format CV is easier to write if you are continuing with your current career and want your CV to tell a chronological story.
However, if you are writing a skills-based CV, your Career History will just include the outline of your positions, as the majority of your skills and achievements will already have been listed in a separate section. A skills-based CV is useful if you are changing career direction and want to illustrate your transferable competencies, or if you have considerable work experience and want to pull out your key achievements more obviously.
Click here for example CVs
The key items you could include in your career history section are:
Job title or role description (subject to the comments above) Date job started and finished. Month and year are sufficient. For a long career, often just the year will suffice. Company outline. For a lesser-known company or a division of a well-known company, it can be helpful to set a context by briefly telling the reader, for example, the companys main product, its annual turnover and the number of staff. Keep this to one line, maximum. Functional description: what, specifically, were you responsible for? What was the context of your role? Achievements. Make sure you provide context, evidence and relevance; written in punchy bullet points.
It doesnt have to be daunting. Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 52
Exercise 7: How To Select Your Evidence
Look at each of your historical jobs or positions with a company in turn, starting with the most recent.
If you had more than one role within a company over time, split the jobs into whatever chunks seem most appropriate.
Stand back and ask yourself the questions below, providing evidence for your claims, wherever appropriate.
This will give you a great head start in writing your Master CV, allowing you to market your skills and achievements in a way that is relevant and compelling to a future employer.
Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 53
Click here for a blank form J ob Position & Company e.g. Director of UK Marketing, XYZ Widgets How did my involvement add value to my team / organisation? Developing team to self-sufficiency in advertising procurement, from briefing to campaign evaluation. What changed as a result of me being there? New strategy for print ad space buying, leading to 20% reduction in costs.
Which major challenges / achievements was I involved in? What was my contribution? Launch of new brand XYZ. The brand manager was working for me. I took the role of mentor. What were my (teams) greatest successes? What was I accountable for? Innovative TV ad campaign came in 10% under-budget, increased brand awareness 8%, grew market share by 20%. Initial TV idea was mine. My role: developing / supporting team to implement project. Responsible for final approval. Which skills did I develop in that role? Budget management, mentoring and coaching, departmental strategic planning, team succession planning. What was I the driver for? Challenging assumptions and bringing in systems to measure the impact of our work on market share and bottom line profit. Where did I excel? Staying calm and level-headed in a crisis. Which personal attributes did I develop? Dealing with politics, evaluating my personal performance with minimal feedback, delegation. Exercise continues on next page Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 54
How did I shape my role? Started as a marketing manager with 5 direct reports and finished as a Director, with a team of 15, due to 2 promotions. Which of these are most relevant to the positions for which I am applying? Marketing Director: TV ad campaign Strategic planning Mentoring & succession planning Headline (see the next page for help on writing this) Developed the marketing team from tactical thinkers on a declining brand to strategic planners, producing increased market shares in all segments, in a challenging consumer environment.
You should complete this exercise for each of your major career roles.
It takes a little time, but will give you almost all the information you could possibly want to include in your Master CV, making job applications and interviews easier and less stressful.
Once you have compiled this information (also great interview preparation!), it is useful to write a headline, to summarise the value you added to each role. You can then follow this with a few bullet point lines, giving more detail.
Why do I need a headline? Recruiters often scan your CV in less than 30 seconds. They make a preliminary interview decision in that time. Giving them clear headlines will help them scan your CV, meaning they at least catch the key benefits you offer.
Practise writing headlines that get the reader interested enough to want to read the rest of your paragraph. They dont have to be as short as a newspaper headline. Its more important that theyre interesting and convey the essence of what benefits you bring to your new employer, as a result of that role. 17-21 words is a useful maximum length.
An example of a headline for the example in the last exercise is:
Developed the marketing team on a declining brand from tactical thinkers to strategic planners, producing increased market shares in all sectors.
What would your headline be for the job you worked with in Exercise 7? There is no right or wrong. Its just a way of grabbing the readers attention, making them want to find out more. Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 55
CVs Use Unique Grammar Know when to bend the rules
Its easy for a CV to end up full of I and my, which can be repetitive. The good news is that CVs are allowed to bend some of the grammar rules that apply to other business documents.
In your CV, it is quite acceptable to use bullet pointed lists with incomplete sentences, to avoid the repetition of I and to save space. The key to giving these impact is to start the bullet point with a verb (an action).
Your bullets need to provide:
Context What was the situation / environment? Where? With whom? Why?
Relevance Does it add to your application? If not, ditch it.
Evidence How can you prove your contribution? Can you measure it? Is there evidence? Can you demonstrate it?
For example, I ran a customer satisfaction survey that measured the change in levels of customer satisfaction after we had made a product instruction manual change.
could become
Designed and implemented a customer satisfaction study, which quantified the impact of improved communication materials.
How would this change your impression of the candidate?
This type of change will make the recruiter ask questions, which they can follow up in interview. You can pre-empt these questions, which will give you more confidence in the interview.
It also shows the skills you demonstrated as being transferable. This helps the recruiter start to imagine how you could apply them within their company, rather than thinking your skills are only relevant to, in this case, instruction manuals.
Once they can imagine you working for their team, youre half-way to the job offer! Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 56
Exercise 8: Bullets And Headlines
What bullet points could you write for the job you worked with in exercise 7?
What headline would you write to capture the essence of what benefits you bring to your new employer, as a result of that role?
Complete this for each of the roles on your CV. These answers will allow you to quickly and easily pick the relevant points from your Master CV to produce a tailored CV for each application. Keep copies of your notes, because they are great for revision, prior to interviews. You can almost guarantee that the type of questions asked in these exercises will come up in your interview . Preparing in this way means you can answer much more confidently, giving more relevant examples than other candidates. Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 57
5. Skills and Attributes What are the key competencies, skills or attributes required by the role for which you are applying? (Review Exercise 6). These are the critical characteristics or types of experience that an employer is hoping to find in the person they recruit.
For a chronological CV, these should be covered in your opening summary paragraph and throughout your career history.
Its worth ticking them off on a list, as you cover them in your CV, to make sure you havent left any out.
For a skills-based CV, these can be listed as a separate section, in which case they usually come before the Career History. You want to pick the top 3 to 5 competencies. You can present them in whatever format seems best for you. A typical format might be:
Skills-based CV example: Team Development And Strategic Management Developed the marketing team on a declining brand from tactical thinkers to strategic planners, producing increased market shares in all segments, in a challenging consumer environment. Coached the team to develop and implement Brand Ys 2002 TV advertising campaign, leading to an 8% increase in brand salience1 and a 20% growth of market share. Introduced structured marketing planning and budget review processes, which directly contributed to a 20% reduction in print ad space costs and allowed for departmental succession planning.
Remember:
Context
Evidence
Relevance
1 Note: brand salience is used in marketing to describe brand awareness. It is an industry- specific word. It is up to you whether you include this type of word or rewrite them in common English. Bear in mind, however, that a marketing director may take words such as salience as evidence that you are comfortable with industry terms. Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 58
Remember the guidelines about context, relevance and evidence. This is a great opportunity to show the transferable qualities you would bring to your new role.
Make sure you avoid clichs: if you think laterally (or use a thesaurus), there is always a way to rewrite a sentence, avoiding overused phrases. See section The Worst 5 Clichs And How To Avoid Them for hints on steering clear of the clichs that make recruiters cringe.
6. Training This is your opportunity to tell a recruiter about any significant training you have completed. The key is to present only training that is relevant to the position.
For soft skills training (e.g. interpersonal skills or meeting facilitation), simply stating that you have been on the course is unlikely to be enough to tick the box, as most recruiters will have had experience of colleagues getting through training courses without actually changing their behaviour afterwards. If you list such courses, it is worth backing them up with evidence in your Skills / Attributes section or subtly illustrating your use of them in your achievements.
The best courses to list are those that led to qualifications, particularly if these are recognised outside your current organisation.
When listing training, you can give the topic, the key skills, the training provider and the course date and duration (if 3 days or more).
For example:
Six Sigma Black Belt Training, XYZ Company, 4 months, winter 2000.
Space is limited on your CV, so beware of falling into the trap of listing every course you have ever attended. Providing evidence of the new skills you gained from the training creates a much stronger CV than one that is light on achievements and high on training.
Remember to be strict about what you include. No matter how interesting it was for you, a recruiter doesnt want to know about the -day health and safety induction you did when you started your first job!
Be ruthless and apply common sense to this section.
Only include what is going to add value to your CV.
If there are courses which are expected in your industry, they should included. Bear in mind that talking about training takes up space on your CV, so make sure it adds to your appeal. Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 59
7. Professional Memberships And Qualifications Many professions have professional governing bodies. If you are a member of any of these, it is essential to list them in your CV, along with your membership level, as it gives the recruiter an indication of how seriously you take your career.
If you have any non-academic qualifications that are pertinent to the role, this is the place to list them.
For some careers, these qualifications are essential or at least highly advantageous, e.g. Chartered Accounting qualifications, CIM exams for marketing professionals, CIPD qualifications for HR professionals, Chartered Engineer status for engineers.
Make sure you have done your research, so you understand which professional memberships might be expected in your chosen profession.
8. Education and Qualifications The longer you have worked, the less detail you need to include in this section.
The guidelines are: Put your major qualification first. Highlight the subject and education level in bold. Include the awarding school or college, the date of the qualification and the grade. Include the title of any thesis or research only if it is relevant to the position for which you are applying.
Its important to be consistent. For example, if you include your A level grades, but miss out your degree grade, it will probably make a recruiter suspicious.
You would normally write the subjects you studied back as far as A level, but unless your work experience is less than 3 years, you would not normally include your GCSE / O level subjects, instead just stating the number of passes.
Education BA (Hons) Business Studies and French University of Cardiff (with study year in Lyon, France) 1992, Class 2.1
A Levels German (A), French (B), Maths (B) Anytown Sixth Form College, Anytown, Midfordshire. 1988
GCSEs 9 Passes at grade A-C County High School, Anytown, Midfordshire. 1986 Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 60
9. Additional Skills Most people have other skills, relevant to their job application. These could include:
Driving licence Useful to mention for roles which state they require travel, such as sales positions.
Computer literacy Include the names of the packages and your skill level. Make sure you spell the softwares name correctly its common for candidates to claim to be expert at Excel, but spell it without the c, which can cause a recruiter to doubt your ability.
Languages Include languages that you speak at a functional level
3 words of Greek learned on holiday doesnt count and you never know where a little exaggeration might lead!
You can classify your proficiency as fluent, excellent, good or basic knowledge.
Use your common sense to decide which Additional Skills to include. If there are competencies that you identified in Exercise 6 but havent yet demonstrated in your CV, check whether there is anything you can add to this section.
10. Personal This is one of the most contentious sections in CV writing. Opinions vary on the inclusion or exclusion of the topics below.
Date of birth Sometimes people are concerned that their age might influence their application (either too young or too old). Whilst you can omit your age from your CV, a recruiter can usually work this out from your work experience and your school dates. So its up to you. If you want to include it, then write it as a date of birth, rather than giving your current age.
Gender Again, people can be nervous about how their gender will influence their application. If you have a name whose gender is not obvious, it can be useful to include your gender, simply to save embarrassment later in the process. However, if you have written your summary paragraph in the 3 rd person, then there is no need to include this extra information.
Marital status There is no need to include either marital or parental status on your CV.
Nationality Again, you are not obliged to include your nationality. However, if you require a work permit or visa to work in the country in which the job is based, you should mention this at some point in either your CV or your cover letter.
Relocation Willingness to relocate either nationally or internationally can be a useful addition on your Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 61
CV, if its relevant to the job. Use your judgement to decide whether you should include this. If it is a selling point, then it may fit more comfortably in your cover letter. Only write it if you mean it.
Current Salary Dont include your current salary or future salary aspirations in your CV, unless specifically requested in the job advert. In this case it may be appropriate to include it in the cover letter. Be aware that many employers check with your old HR department what your current salary is, so dont exaggerate. But do include all benefits and bonuses.
Hobbies To include or exclude? Debate rages. There are those who say that work (CV) and home (hobbies) should be separate and that extra- curricular activities play no role in the recruitment process. However, they can start to show your human side and can be an ice- breaker in an interview. We recommend completing Exercise 9, to help you decide which hobbies to include and how to make the most of them.
If youre going to include your pastimes, then you should make it deliberate and use them to your advantage, rather than just writing a potentially dry list of words. The reader may make assumptions about your personality, based on your hobbies, so be aware of this before you write.
How can I make my hobbies work for me on my CV? The traditional way to write about hobbies in your CV is usually: Hobbies Mountain bikes, reading, travelling, yoga, photography.
This list may arouse curiosity in the mind of the reader, but doesnt really tell them much about you and may be considered a waste of two precious lines of space.
Its much more effective if you use your hobbies to demonstrate key competencies required by the position for which you are applying.
How do I decide which of my hobbies to include?
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Exercise 9: Getting Value Out Of Your Hobbies This exercise helps you identify the skills you have developed in your extra-curricular activities and use them to your advantage in the job-hunting process.
Review Exercise 6 How to read between the lines of a job advert and review the key skills / competencies required for your job application. Pay particular attention to any which are in need of a bit more evidence. List them in the table on the next page.
Then think about what you enjoy doing outside work. What exactly do you do? Which skills do you use? Write them in the table on the next page. For example, your mountain biking might actually involve organising weekend trips for friends to try out new routes.
Reading might actually be a way of proving your language skills, if you regularly read foreign language books and magazines. This can be particularly useful if you learned the languages after leaving school and hold no formal qualifications in them.
Being treasurer of a local club or society could be the key to proving your commercial and financial awareness, if you havent had the opportunity to demonstrate this in any of your formal work experience. Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 63
J ob Competency Hobby
The next step is to look across and see which hobbies fill in the skill gaps from the rest of your CV. Draw lines to link them.
See the next page for an example: Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 64
J ob Competencies Hobby
Staying calm in a crisis Mountain biking Running competitions Arranging weekends away for friends and the France trip for the last 3 years.
Organisational skills Photography: taking & printing black & white photos Patience Creativity Attention to detail
Financial & commercial awareness
Reading: English, German and Spanish novels
Fluency in European languages Cricket Treasurer of local village club Playing in the team
Yoga Meditation Physical fitness Concentration
Review the list and rewrite your hobbies in a similar manner to the Skills and Attributes section.
So, for example, if your evidence of organisational skills needs a boost, look at which of your hobbies show those missing skills:
Mountain biking
could become Mountain biking: organising and competing in off-road events and co-ordinating European trips.
Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 65
The key is to take a fresh perspective on your hobbies and be subtle in how you link them to the jobs skills, or the impact will be lost.
A word of warning: beware the urge to exaggerate.
It will make you nervous in the interview and could cost you the job! If you include items such as reading, cinema or theatre, then be prepared to be asked what you last saw / read and what your opinions are about it.
Err would not be a useful answer!
This method is particularly useful if you are looking to change career or maybe on paper are under- qualified for a role, maybe at the start of your career or after a career break.
Its an opportunity to prove your suitability through the transferable skills you have developed outside work. So although it takes up more space than a traditional list of hobbies, it can add significant value to your CV.
Another good reason to include a hobby is if it is unusual.
It can give your application a spark, helping you stand out from the other candidates and making the reader more likely to remember you. However, do bear in mind the possible negative impact of some hobbies!
Be cautious about including too many extra- curricular pastimes, as this can be (usually unfairly) interpreted as meaning you dont spend enough time thinking about work!
11. Referees Details of referees available upon request.
You shouldnt include the contact details for referees, unless specifically required in the job advert, in which case it is appropriate to include them at the end of the cover letter, saving space on your CV.
It is perfectly acceptable to provide details only once you have been offered the position.
However, every company has its own preferences, so make sure you have asked your referees permission to use them, in case they are contacted sooner than you expected.
It can be useful to give your referees a copy of your CV and let them know which jobs you are applying for, so they can tailor what they say to support your application. Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 66
These 11 sections form the basis of your Master CV. Once you have completed this, the task of tailoring your CV and cover letter for each specific job application becomes simple. It is worth spending time getting the phrasing right on your Master CV, so you dont have to rewrite anything when you pull together your custom CV.
Congratulations!
Youve completed most of the work needed to pull together a Master CV. By now, you should have a comprehensive document, which you can easily tailor for individual job applications.
To help you create an even more powerful Master CV, the next few sections cover some techniques for getting the words right:
Common CV problems and how to handle them The worst 5 CV clichs and how to avoid them The 10 most common CV mistakes
Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 67
7
Common CV Problems And How To Handle Them
Make sure you avoid the CV-trashing mistakes that could cost you the interview.
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7 Common CV Problems And how to handle them
No one has a perfect CV history.
Most of us have either had something about our working career that we want to brush over or a skill we couldnt demonstrate as well as the recruiter might wish. This section covers the most common CV problems and discusses what you can do about them.
The key tips for this section are honesty, combined with common sense. Theres no point in lying on your CV. Even if you dont get found out, itll make you nervous in the interview and youre likely to ruin your chances of getting the job. The way to get round CV problems is to avoid putting up signposts to help the reader find them. Theres a lot you can miss out, if you need to. Or you can include problems, as long as you have a plausible explanation.
The main areas covered in this section are: Too little experience for the role Too much experience for the role No degree or low grades Gaps in working history Currently out of work Redundancy Fired from a previous job Career history not obviously relevant (e.g. change of career)
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How To Handle Problems Essential Not-To-Be-Missed Advice
Too little experience for the role
Maybe you think youre too young or too inexperienced to apply for a job that you want.
Rather than worrying about this, submitting your CV anyway and having it rejected, take a moment to step back and objectively review the situation.
Am I really too young? What is it that makes me think that? Is the experience required in the job advert reasonable? (Sometimes the required years of experience can be flexible). What makes me want this job, even though I suspect I might not be considered? Can I demonstrate having previously risen to a challenge that people thought was beyond my experience level, yet succeeding?
If, after answering these questions, you really want to apply for the role, then contact the recruiter and ask them whether they would consider you.
If you do decide to apply, there are plenty of tips on hobbies, which will help you show how transferable your skills are, despite the potential lack of formal experience. Emphasise other characteristics that are desirable for the role and dont shout about your perceived lack of experience. If you get an interview, you are in a strong position to justify why they should consider you.
Think about other areas of your life where you can exhibit the skills required, such as socially, at school or college or at home. Youll be surprised how easy it is to demonstrate worthwhile skills, if you use a little lateral thinking.
In situations such as this, it may be advisable to use a skills-based CV, which focuses on your attributes and skills as opposed to your work history. A chronological CV (time-based description of your working history) would emphasise the gaps you are trying to cover up and is not advised. (See examples).
This strategy works.
We worked with someone who had 10 years experience in Finance, who wanted to move into Strategic Planning. He had no formal experience, so knew he would have to give a compelling reason to be considered. By following the steps outlined above, he successfully applied for a managerial role.
Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 70
Too much experience for the position
There can be many reasons for feeling you are over-qualified for a position. Sometimes its personal choice, e.g. wanting to improve work- life balance, other times its not. Either way, this shouldnt be a barrier to getting the job you want.
The key in this situation is to pre- empt the recruiters questions, concerns or objections and address them either in your CV or cover letter.
It is critical that you explain why you believe you are suitable for the role and why your additional level of experience makes you the ideal candidate. You should also explain why you want the job.
Maybe youre looking to spend more time with your family and therefore want to step down from an executive position? Maybe youre looking to change industries and want to cement your skills? You know why you are choosing to apply for the job, so make sure it is obvious to the recruiter. They might be worried that you will accept the position as an interim solution and keep job hunting, leaving them in the lurch a few months down the line.
Or maybe theyre concerned about how you would work with a line manager and peer group which is potentially younger and less qualified than you. Be prepared to have strong answers to these questions in an interview.
No degree or low grades
Some professions require university qualifications. Obvious examples are medicine and dentistry.
However, sometimes a degree is requested because it is usual in that company. The requirement may or may not be flexible. The recruiting manager may be open to employing someone with great experience and skills but no degree or a degree grade below the threshold requested.
Follow a similar approach to the too little experience section.
Look for what you can offer the company instead of a degree and contact the recruiter to discuss your application.
Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 71
Gaps in working history
For whatever reason, gaps in career history can feel awkward on a CV. The worst thing you can do is try to hide them. Recruiters arent stupid and they can add up. Its a guaranteed way to miss out on a job interview.
If you get the job and they subsequently find out, then falsifying information on a CV may be used as grounds for failing a probationary period and hence dismissal.
So what can you do?
One option, which works for a long career with only a few months of non-working time, is to miss out the months on your career history, showing only the years. This instantly conceals short gaps. However, be prepared to be challenged on this in an interview.
If the gaps are legitimate, you could simply explain them. Think about what you were doing during that time. Were you developing any new skills that might be of benefit to future employers?
Work gaps or career breaks are more acceptable in todays commercial climate than in the past. It is becoming common to take a sabbatical to travel or study. Women routinely return to work after maternity breaks. Redundancies at all levels mean that more people have experienced unemployment in this challenging job market.
The key is to show what you did with your time. Think about the new skills you learned. There will be some: just think laterally. What added value or personal characteristics can you offer an employer as a result of being out of work?
Work through Exercise 7 How To Select Your Evidence.
Although it is suggested as a tool to identify what you achieved in your different jobs, the exercise can be successfully used for drawing out what you have gained from being out of work, to show your situation in a more positive light. It may also do wonders for your self- esteem.
Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 72
Currently out of work
This is something that you need to be honest about.
You dont want your CV to shout it from the rooftops, but if you do the standard fix of writing start date to present, you will get caught out at some point..
Depending on how long you have been out of work, this technique can make your CV seem dated and may count against you. This becomes more obvious if your CV includes lots of dates for your achievements and they suddenly dry up.
We once reviewed a CV from a lady who claimed to have been working as a buyer for a major supermarket at the time of writing her CV. Her credentials were excellent and she was invited for interview. At the time, the supermarket was under threat of a controversial take-over by one of its competitors. During her interview, when she was asked how it was affecting morale, she gave convincing answers.
However, when she was asked to comment on how she thought it had impacted her departments buying strategy, she admitted that she hadnt worked there for six months, since before the take-over news. Employers like to recruit people with integrity, who they can trust. She didnt get the job, mainly because she had covered up the truth.
The suggestions above for gaps in working history apply equally well to currently being out of work and can show an employer how you are making constructive use of your time.
There are plenty of things you can demonstrate you were doing. Maybe you were self-employed, if you have been doing temporary contracts. J ust think about the adaptability you had to show to make the contracts work!
The key is to think laterally about the extra benefits you could bring to the company, as a result of having been out of work.
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Made redundant
Whatever you may feel, there is no shame in this.
Some people feel there is a stigma attached to redundancy. The only way this will be a problem in job hunting is if it is a problem for you.
There is no need to mention it in your CV or cover letter.
Be prepared to talk about it, if asked, during an interview, but make sure you have a positive attitude and explain the situation objectively.
This can actually show high levels of commercial awareness and maturity, which are skills valued by employers.
Fired from a previous job
Having been fired doesnt need to be mentioned in your CV or cover letter. However, it may come up in interview. If it does, its important that you have a good explanation.
Most people are fired due to personality conflict. If this was the case for you, then be prepared to show a recruiter how you have objectively analysed and learned from the situation.
If you were fired for a reason such as gross misconduct, then you need to think carefully about the events that led to the situation and be able to convince a recruiter that it wont happen again.
There is no point in trying to cover up being fired, because your future employer will check out references and probably find out.
Even if they dont, industry is a small place and interesting news travels fast. You never know just who your future employer knows.
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Career history not obviously relevant (e.g. change of career direction)
Do you want to convince the recruiter that they should give you a chance to apply your skills to a new career? This is easier now than it used to be, but still requires some subtle influencing.
The main advice would be:
Thoroughly research the potential occupation, so you have a good understanding of the skills, qualifications and characteristics required. Assess which transferable skills you have developed in your career to date and emphasise these with a skills-based rather than chronological CV. If you can, get yourself some official training in the profession even if it means home study. It shows your commitment. Make it easy for the recruiter to see why they should consider you. Provide evidence of being adaptable and a quick learner. Show your compelling motivation in your cover letter, where you should explain why you want to change career and illustrate your commitment to your new direction. Use the word because, rather than but or despite. Convince them why they should give you a chance because of your unusual background, rather than despite it. Believe in yourself and your ability to take on your new career. These are the main CV problems. The common theme is that by staying positive and thinking laterally about the skills you have developed as a result of the problem, none of these need to be an issue on your CV. A bit of lateral thinking usually provides an answer.
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8
The Worst CV Mistakes And How To Avoid Them
Make sure you avoid the CV-trashing mistakes that could cost you the interview.
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8 The Worst 5 CV Clichs And How To Avoid Them
What do we mean by clichs?
Clichs in CVs are phrases that any candidate could use to mean almost anything.
They are often copied from the job advert and are rarely substantiated with evidence. Theyre overused and they dont do you justice.
This section covers some of the most commonly overused clichs and gives tips about how you can show you have that characteristic, but without getting your CV marked down.
The top fix for removing CV clichs is: Dont say it, show it!
1. Responsible for This is overused and can often be meaningless. Responsible for what? Did you really do it all on your own? It can make you look like youre taking the credit for your teams work. If you led the team, then thats a more powerful statement to make. Only use responsible for if you back it up with proof. It can be a useful phrase when setting the context for your achievements and showing your role in the project. Use with care! 2. Team player What does this actually mean? Do you expect a recruiter to suddenly believe this, just because you have used the words? They will be looking for examples that show you are a team player. Make the most of your achievements as an opportunity to illustrate this. Or maybe you play a team sport outside work? Its also useful to balance it with proof that you can work independently, if the role requires this. Think, before you throw in this phrase. 3. Good communicator This ones a bit like marking your own exam papers! The recruiter doesnt care how good a communicator you think you are. They want to be convinced. The problem is that many people think they have good communication skills, but the people they are communicating with might disagree. The best way to show your communication skills is with a beautifully-written CV and a great interview performance. 4. Self-starter Again, this one is a bit too much of a self- evaluation. How do you know youre a self- starter? Yet its easy to prove it, through subtle hints given in the main body of your CV. Allow the recruiter to draw this conclusion from reading your CV and meeting you, rather than writing it on a poster for them. 5. Highly motivated If this description has been used on your performance review, by all means quote it. Otherwise, avoid this clich. Your motivation and enthusiasm should shine through, from your CV and cover letter. You shouldnt need to say it.. Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 77
Can you think of any more clichs that you have seen or used in job applications? Make a note of them here and think about your plan to avoid them.
Clichs I want to avoid:
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Top 10 CV Mistakes That most applicants make
How many of them does your CV have?
The majority of CVs have at least one mistake in them. This can be the fastest way to get your CV rejected.
This section includes some of the most common mistakes that recruiters spot in CVs.
Simple mistakes irritate recruiters.
They expect candidates to be professional when applying for a job. That means careful proof-reading and attention to detail.
If you make any of the 10 mistakes listed here, you may be judged accordingly.
Some recruiters will give you the benefit of the doubt if you have made one or two small mistakes. Others have strict rules about rejecting CVs that include even one mistake; particularly if the particular role requires attention to detail.
1. Spelling mistakes, sloppy grammar and inconsistent punctuation. When applying for a professional position, basic spelling, grammar and punctuation are expected to be good, particularly if you have used a computer to type up your CV. Mistakes here will make you look lazy, careless or poorly educated.
Typing errors may not be picked up by your computers spell-checker. Common examples are form instead of from and off instead of of. The only remedy is to proof-read your CV before sending it. A good way to proof-read a document you are familiar with is to read it backwards, sentence by sentence, so you arent tempted to skim over it. It works!
If these are areas you find difficult, you should make full use of grammar and spell-checkers and then ask someone you trust to proof-read your CV.
These mistakes can send your CV on the fast- track to the shredder.
2. Phonological ambiguities or words that sound the same, but have different meanings
Spell-checkers wont spot words that sound the same, but mean different things. Make sure you proof-read carefully. Common problem words are: where / were / wear their / theyre / there hear / here its / its see / sea piece / peace some / sum Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 79
3. Inconsistent Formatting Choose a format for your CV and stick to it. Make sure your margin sizes are the same throughout the document and that your layout makes it easy to read. If your CV appears to be disorganised, it will be harder to follow and understand. Remember, you may only have 30 seconds to impress.
Check your use of capital letters, for example, in titles. Decide how you will use capitals and be consistent use them correctly. Also be consistent on whether you put full stops at the end of bullet points. Inconsistency shows a lack of attention to detail and a hurried, carelessly written CV.
4. Format gone AWOL Some formatting can print out differently on different computers. Consider saving your CV in an earlier version of Word, rich text format or even Adobe Acrobat (free trials on their website), to preserve your formatting. Using indents or tables, rather than spaces, to create layouts, can help preserve a professional format..
5. Vague with details Recruiters read hundreds of CVs and become experts at spotting what youre trying to make disappear. Obvious cover up strategies include inaccurate or missing dates and inconsistently omitted exam grades, e.g. giving your A level results, but not your degree classification. It can look like youre hiding something. 6. Hard to work our why youre best for the job You may have only 30 seconds to make your impression and a recruiter is unlikely to go through your CV in great detail on the first reading. Theyre more likely to be scanning it, looking for key skills and hot buttons.
Make it easy for them to put you in the A list pile. Remember: when buying a product or service, a confused mind always says no.
Make sure your CV makes it clear why youre a good candidate to interview.
7. Generalised, not customised for the role The best way to get your CV dismissed as having insufficient experience is to send a standard CV for every job. Sometimes it will work. But usually it wont. You know that your skills havent been clearly communicated when you dont get an interview, even though you thought you were perfect for the job. Its always worth spending half an hour checking your CV contains evidence of the requirements listed in the job ad, even if you dont spend time researching the employer.
The other option you have is to at least make sure your cover letter is customised, explaining why you are suitable for that particular role. If you dont do either of these, then the recruiter may perceive you as someone who sends out blanket applications on a random basis. They might assume that you dont care about their company. And employers like to recruit people who are enthusiastic about their organisation. Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 80
8. Under-qualified candidates Recruiters can spot under-qualified candidates at a great distance. They know that, for every job they advertise, they will get a pile of people with little relevant experience, who havent even made the effort to explain how their transferable skills would make them a suitable candidate. This wastes recruiters time and can make them annoyed.
A Blue Chip UK brand was trying to recruit researchers into its Market Research team. Of the 100 applications they received, 60 of them had no relevant experience, having marketing, IT or sales backgrounds. They had never been to a focus group, let alone managed research projects. They didnt even make an attempt to explain this in their CV or cover letter and the applications showed a complete lack of understanding of the profession. Their CVs went straight in the reject pile. It was clearly a case of applying for any job at the company, because they wanted that brand in their career history and would probably want to move within the organisation, as soon as a more suitable post came up.
If you suspect you might be under-qualified, read the section on for effective strategies. Above all, be realistic.
9. Too job-ad focused Recruiters get thousands of CVs that focus on the candidates needs, rather than the recruiters.
Think about who your audience is, when you write your CV. Its not an autobiography to pass down the generations in your family, so only include what is relevant to the person to whom the application is addressed. But avoid just regurgitating phrases from the job advert.
Your CV should go beyond the job description and restating the words in the ad. It should make it easy for a reader to understand what you would bring to the role and how that meets their needs. This is a chance for you to shine and show off your excellent written communication skills.
10. Rushing it It really shows when you pull your CV together in super-quick time. Think about the consequences
If you have completed the Master CV, then its realistic to edit your CV and cover letter in less than an hour. Otherwise, it will usually take much longer.
Recruitment agencies may need to demand your CV now, or youll miss your chance. This may not actually be reality. J ob applications tend to have set closing dates which rarely run to half hour accuracy.
If you need a few extra hours, ask for them. The deadline may even have been created by the agency, rather than the recruiting company. We all have deadlines to work to, but most people will find slack in their timetable for a strong candidate. Even if you want an extra evening, which means you would miss the deadline, try contacting the company directly and explain that you have just seen the job advert and would like to email / fax / post your CV the next Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 81
day. Youd be surprised at how often they say yes, particularly if you do a good job of arousing their interest on the phone. Recruiters arent stupid: if they think they can get their ideal candidate by waiting an extra day, they normally will.
Now you know the 10 mistakes, you can be prepared. You know what youre looking for! So theres no excuse to include any of them in your CV or cover letter. This gives you an advantage over other candidates.
You can concentrate on avoiding these mistakes and have the opportunity to use this list as a checklist, prior to sending off your application.
Top tip: Proof read your CV one last time before you send it off even if youre already bored of reading it. That way youll know you havent let yourself down by making any of these mistakes!
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9
Getting The Words Right
Using the right language in your CV.
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9 Getting The Words Right Make your CV easy to read
Have you ever had the experience of reading a book and realising you have read a particular paragraph 3 times, but still not understood it?
It can be frustrating, because the language used is perfectly simple, but it just doesnt seem to go in! Do you want your CV to be like that?
Often the cause of the problem is the use of long paragraphs and over-long sentences, which may be spell-binding for the writer, but require considerable concentration from the reader.
But before we go any further, we want to dispel a common myth about CV reviewers.
Will your CV be reviewed by someone carefully reading every word, giving it their full attention? No. Is it more likely to be reviewed by someone with a desk drowning in paperwork and a phone that never stops ringing? Or maybe someone who has taken 100+CVs home, to review in front of the TV? Yes.
The first reading of a CV is usually a 30 second scan, which puts candidates into one of three piles: yes no maybe
Which one do you want to be in?
Having sorted out your content with your Master CV, what can you do to increase your chances of getting in the yes pile?
The first step is to put yourself in the position of the reader, even if it means you have to sit in a different chair and use a posture you wouldnt normally use!
Why?
Because this will help you keep your focus on their needs, rather than yours.
This subtle change of emphasis can make your CV dramatically more appealing, because you are writing from their perspective. Very few candidates do this. Most are writing from their own perspective, thinking about what they want and need, with little thought for the end reader and recruiter.
The language tips in this section are designed to help you automatically tell your story the way the reader wants to hear it. However, it is always worth taking a step back in your final review, to notice how the recruiter will perceive your application. Youd be surprised what changes when you do this.
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Language
The language you use in your CV should be intelligent and elegant. It should have impact, telling your story in a way that grabs the readers attention.
Its not a Booker Prize entry, which makes things easier, because you can use abbreviated sentences to keep it simple and punchy.
It should subtly explain why you are the candidate they need, without seeming to be arrogant or overly confident. It needs to arouse curiosity in the mind of the reader, rather than making them want to yawn.
Your CV is your chance to share your individuality, your unique creativity and your excellent communication skills. Dont say it, show it! You can express your abilities and demonstrate your true potential.
So how can I do all that? There are 5 main things you can include: Headlines Concise, appropriate language Short sentences and paragraphs Relevant industry terms Answers from the CV preparation exercises
What you want to avoid: Verbose and boring paragraphs Formulaic, meaningless clichs Overuse of I and my Irrelevant details
Remember:
A confused mind always says no.
So your number one priority has to be communicating in a way that is so easy to understand, it leaves no room for confusion.
The good news about using the right language for your CV is that youve already done most of the preparation, if youve worked through the exercises in this book.
All you should need to do at this stage is a little brushing up of key phrases and headings. Do all of this in your Master CV, so that the changes will automatically carry through to your tailored CV.
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Headlines
Headlines catch the attention of the person scanning through your CV.
Headlines in a CV arent like those in a newspaper. They are actually short sentences that you put in bold font, to make them easy to find.
As a rule of thumb, they shouldnt be more than 21 words long. Your headlines are your chance to distil your main messages into concise statements that you know will be read, even if the person only spends 30 seconds looking at your CV.
Practise writing them and ask an appropriate friend or colleague for feedback.
A good headline is interesting enough to make the reader want to read the following paragraph.
You should have all the headlines you need, if you have worked through Exercise 8 in the section on Master CV preparation.
Concise, appropriate language
Your CV isnt the place to be demonstrating your ability to write poetic prose or technical reports.
Avoid over-use of adjectives and flowery descriptions of achievements.
A CV is a business document that is read by the hundred, so the recruiter wont thank you if you make them wade through pages of verbose commentary, no matter how interesting or relevant it is.
Your language should be: Concise chopping out words makes it easier to read; also saves space! Factual imagine your CV is a legally binding document avoid ambiguity Focused be ruthless about only including what is strictly relevant
A concise, yet informative, CV is the ultimate demonstration of your ability to assimilate and summarise information, combined with excellent written communication skills. Employers value these skills highly.
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Short sentences and paragraphs
If you think a sentence might be too long, it is. Find a way to split it in two.
For fast, easy reading, sentences should average about 17 words.
Paragraphs should be short, consisting of no more than 3-4 sentences.
Where possible, break up information with bullet points, to add impact to your comments. Bullet points can break the traditional rules of English grammar by starting the phrase with a verb (action word), rather than I or my. This makes them easier to read, understand and remember. (See Exercise 8).
At all times, bear in mind the short attention span of the person reading your CV for the first time, as they are wading through the pile of applications. Do everything you can to make it easy for them.
Relevant industry terms
Subtle use of this terminology can show knowledge of the field, but overuse could worry a recruiter, as they might think you cant communicate using normal English. So dont overdo jargon and do explain any abbreviations you use.
The first person to scan through your CV might be someone in, say, the Human Resources team, who might not be familiar with the acronyms that are common in specialist roles.
However, some companies even do computerised searches for key words, to filter through large numbers of applicants, so you have to include them.
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10
Finishing Touches
How to make your CV look professional and easy to read.
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10 Finishing Touches Nearly there!
Congratulations on completing the Master CV section. Youre now in a position to quickly pull together an interview-winning CV for any job you want to apply for.
This section shows you how.
It covers: Top tips for an easy-to-read CV What to include Which bits to chop out Pulling it together Getting a second opinion
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Keys To An Easy-To-Read CV Make it easy to understand
Many a great CV is disadvantaged by being hard to read. It doesnt matter how amazing your achievements were or how great your personal qualities are; if the recruiter cant read them easily, they might never find them and you wont get the job.
In the last section, we covered the language tips that give a CV impact, making it compelling reading. In this section, were concentrating on the way your CV looks on the page. This has almost as much influence over readability as the words you use.
Have you ever experienced reading a book that was printed on that rough, slightly grey, cheap feeling toilet paper, where the Times New Roman type font seems to smudge into the page? Did you find that book easy to read?
Or maybe youve come across a report that was written in such a small font and cramped style that there were no spaces between the very long paragraphs and the sentences were really long with improperly long words and by the end you felt like you needed to come up for air because it was all so hard to understand?
How would you feel if you only had 30 seconds to make a major decision, based on something formatted like either of those examples? Would you like to avoid your future employer being put in that position?
The five top tips for an easy-to-read CV will help you make sure you never put the recruiter in that position.
1. Layout 2. Fonts 3. Shading and borders 4. Sample formats 5. Paper
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Layout
Your CV should be no more than 2 pages (plus 1 page cover letter), unless it makes compelling reading and you really have more to say. If a third page will make it clear that you have had a long career and have the skills and experience for a job, then use it. Otherwise dont!
Its tempting to over-run, but being able to pull out the core information and summarise it succinctly is a skill valued by employers. A cramped CV is hard to read and may be rejected.
Decide on your CV layout and stick to it.
Make sure its appropriate to the role / profession. For example, some occupations or companies might prefer a more conservative layout whereas others, for example where youre expected to show your creativity, might require something more unusual.
Margins
Your margins should be the same width throughout. They would typically be 2.5cm (1 inch), but this isnt compulsory. Youre unlikely to want them to be larger, as this costs you space. But make them much smaller and the page might feel cramped.
Bullets
Bullets should have the same indentation throughout. Choose a format that looks elegant, professional and clean, which flows well, being easy on the eye. Keep your paragraphs short and use bullets to break up blocks of information.
Indents
If you are using indents regularly in your CV, consider using the indent button on Word, rather than spaces, as these can produce strange results when printed from someone elses computer. You might even consider using a table, if you are having problems with formatting.
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Email Considerations
If you send your CV by email, you can either do it as a file attachment (most likely to preserve formatting, but may get lost) or send it in the main body of the email.
If choosing the attachment option, consider saving your CV in an earlier version of Word (check the Word help file), as this is then more likely to be supported by the recruiters PC.
Make sure your filename includes your full name
its easy to forget to do this, but helps the recruiter. Its also useful to include the company name, so you can keep track on your system of which CV you sent to whom!
If sending your CV in the main body of your email, this can be easier for the recruiter, as they dont have to open a file. However, it is likely to destroy your formatting, which makes it harder for the recruiter to read.
Your lines should be no more than 60 characters long, or they will truncate, with full- line-partial-line being separated by > signs. It can look terrible and be difficult to read. If this is the route you need to take, then design your format for this, rather than trying to adapt a carefully honed document retrospectively.
Fonts
Your CV is not the place to get creative with fonts. Simple and readable are the keys here.
Choose at least 10 point font. 11 point can be easier to read in some fonts. If your CV is likely to be faxed, go up 1 point size.
There is no approved font for a CV. However, simple sans serif fonts, such as Arial, are easy to read and some say it can photocopy or fax more effectively than Times New Roman. Its down to personal choice. Some more modern fonts, such as Tahoma, arent available on everyones PC and can format differently on different computers, meaning your hours of careful formatting suddenly look awful on someone elses screen.
You might want to avoid using italics, as some people find these difficult to read. It can better to use bold or underlined type face to highlight key phrases.
If you use bold or underlining to highlight key points, this can make your CV easier to read. However, use them sparingly and deliberately.
Make sure you have a scheme for how you use them and stick to it. For example, dont use bold for one headline and underlining for the next. It looks messy and shows poor attention to detail. Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 92
Shading and borders
Opinion is divided on this, with some people feeling that clever formatting is trying to hide poor content, whilst others believe it shows computer literacy and creativity.
There is no reason why you shouldnt use shading and borders on your CV, if you have time to play with the formats and you feel more comfortable with its appearance. It is one way you can make your CV stand out visually.
Bear in mind that your CV will be photocopied for interviewers, so make sure that any shading doesnt make the text illegible, once it has passed through several iterations of copying or even fax machines. This also applies to coloured fonts: be aware that they may not copy well.
Sample formats
There are many sample CV formats available from books, the internet, recruitment agencies, your local employment office or careers advisory centres. You can even turn to the Resume Wizard in Word.
Use these for inspiration, to create your own style. Some of these may be over 10 years old and you dont want your CV to look dated. Also, blatantly copying them may mean you may have what you think is an unusual format CV, but thousands of others are also using it.
The key is to pick something that works for you and the information you want to include.
Here are some useful, up-to-date online resources.
Steve Holmes offers sample CVs, complete with a really useful critique and explanations of how to do things better.
Car eer Assist offers both resume and cover letter templates.
Neil Williamson has developed these useful resume layout tools.
Ronan Kennedy offers plenty of sample resumes to provide inspiration.
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Paper
Always print your CV on good quality paper with a good printer.
There are those who say that its the content that counts, but first impressions are important and show that you are taking the application seriously.
Coloured or highly textured paper can be difficult to photocopy, so its worth restraining yourself and use 90-100g/m 2 non-textured white or pale cream. Armed with these simple CV tips, combined with the preparation you have put into your Master CV, youre now ready to complete the final phase: writing your CV.
The work you have already put in means this becomes a simple, potentially fun task, pulling out key points from your Master CV and tweaking them to flow well in your final version.
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What To Include The final edit
As a reminder from Collect My Master CV Ingredients, here are the typical sections you might use in your CV: 1. Page Header (your name) 2. Contact Details 3. Personal Summary 4. Career History / Professional Background / Professional History / Professional 5. Skills and attributes 6. Training 7. Professional Memberships and Qualifications 8. Education and Qualifications 9. Additional Skills 10. Personal 11. References
The first thing you should do when writing your final CV is decide on your layout. This may change, as you complete your CV, but it gives you a framework to start with, which will impact your decisions on what to include or exclude.
The next step is to decide what information you must include, but which isnt specific to the job application you are working on. For example, contact details and personal information fit in this category. Type this information in your CV first. Why? So you know how much space you have left. The 2-page rule isnt a law, but its strongly recommended, unless you have a long career. You can only squash the essentials so much. By allocating them space first, it makes sure you dont spend ages composing your main body, only to find its too long.
Which sections might fall under the essential information category? Review the list of generic items below and tick those which are essential, needing to be included in your CV.
Page header (your name) Your contact details Professional memberships and qualifications
Education and Qualifications University College School
Additional skills
Personal Details Date of Birth Gender Marital status Nationality Relocation Current salary Hobbies Other
References Available on request Referee contact details Put these in the cover letter Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 95
Copy and paste these items from your Master CV into your tailored CV. Take a moment to make sure they are not taking up too much space and that you are comfortable with your chosen layout. It is worth spending time getting this section right, because it can remain unchanged on all future applications, so you only need to do it once.
At this stage your CV might look something like the one below:
John Smith Home Address 22 My Street, Anytown, Midfordshire, GL51 4XX Direct Lines 01285 XXX XXX / 07735 XXX XXX Email J ohnSmith@XYZ.com
MAIN BODY OF CV (Work experience, achievements, etc.)
Professional Membership CIM Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing
Education BA (Hons) Business Studies and French University of Cardiff (with study year in Lyon, France) 1992, Class 2.1
A Levels German (A), French (B), Maths (B) Anytown Sixth Form College, Anytown, Midfordshire. 1988
GCSEs 9 Passes at grade A County High School, Anytown, Midfordshire. 1986
Additional Skills Languages French (fluent), German (excellent), Spanish (basic knowledge) Computer Good working knowledge of MS Office packages and industry databases Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 96
Personal Information D.O.B. 08.08.72 Nationality British Gender Male Marital status Single Relocation Willing to relocate worldwide
Hobbies Mountain biking: organising and competing in off-road events and co-ordinating club European tours. Cricket: Team member for league matches. Treasurer of village club; responsible for financial planning and maintaining management accounts. Reading: French, German and Spanish novels and magazines. Travelling: recent trips include Argentina, China and New Zealand.
Referees Details available upon request.
How much space do you have left?
Are you comfortable about your essentials taking up as much space as they do?
Is there anything you want to change, before you move on? If you look at the format in J ohn Smiths CV, there are things he could compress, if he needs to. For example, he could make his education take up less space by combining lines.
Instead of using 10 lines for education, the reformatted version could use 5 lines, with 2 of them having line spaces after them, to help break up the text, making an equivalent of 6 lines. This means J ohn has 4 extra lines spare, which might allow him to include 2 extra achievements in the main body of his CV.
He could also compress his personal information into 1 line, by using 3 columns and assuming that the reader will know his gender from his opening summary paragraph. His willingness to relocate (assuming this is relevant to the position) would have more impact if mentioned in the cover letter, than in his CV.
Further space could be saved by cutting some of the detail from his hobbies. For example, does he need to include his mountain biking, if he can also illustrate his organisational skills in his cricket hobby?
These are the types of questions you can ask yourself, to make sure your CV is elegant, but concise, making it easier to scan read. Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 97
J ohns space saving essentials could become:
John Smith Email J ohnSmith@XYZ.com Phone 01285 XXX XXX / 07735 XXX XXX Home Address 22 My Street, Anytown, Midfordshire, GL51 4XX;
MAIN BODY OF CV
EXTRA SPACE SAVED BY REFORMATTING NOW AVAILABLE FOR OTHER INFORMATION
Professional Membership CIM Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing
Education BA (Hons) Business Studies and French, 1992, Class 2.1 University of Cardiff (with study year in Lyon, France) A Levels German (A), French (B), Maths (B); Anytown College, Midfordshire. 1988 GCSEs 9 Passes at grade A; County High School, Anytown, Midfordshire. 1986
Additional Skills Languages French (fluent), German (excellent), Spanish (basic knowledge) Computer Good working knowledge of MS Office packages and industry databases
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Personal Information British
Hobbies Cricket: Team member for league matches. Treasurer of village club; responsible for financial planning and maintaining management accounts. Reading: French, German and Spanish novels and magazines. Travelling: recent trips include Argentina, China and New Zealand.
Referees Details available upon request.
By keeping the tab formatting consistent, J ohn has saved 10 lines of space, but kept a readable CV.
Once you are happy with the format of your essentials, you can decide which other headings you want to include.
Which extra items from the list below do you want to include?
1. Page Header 2. Contact Details 3. Personal Summary 4. Career History / Professional Background / Professional History / Professional 5. Skills and attributes 6. Training 7. Professional Memberships and Qualifications 8. Education and Qualifications 9. Additional Skills 10. Personal 11. References 12. Other
It can be useful to complete the sections on your career, skills and training, before editing your personal summary (3). This is because you will often find inspiration in sections 4, 5 and 6 that would change what you write in 3. If you put the finishing touches to your summary first, you are likely to want to change it anyway.
To decide what to include in sections 4, 5 and 6, its time to review some of the CV preparation exercises.
The best exercises to revisit are:
Research phone call Company research How to read a job ad How to select your evidence
As you go through these, make a note of any important points you want to make sure you include in your CV, to save you worrying about remembering them. These might be key achievements, main competencies, industry terms or good phrases.
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Exercise 10: Deciding What To Include
Important items I want to remember to include:
Having reviewed the job you are applying for against these exercises, print out your Master CV and go through it with a coloured pen or highlighter, marking the elements you want to include.
Copy and paste these across to your tailored CV file.
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Exercise 11: Identify Potential Gaps Scan through your CV against the criteria you analysed in the exercises. Is everything covered? Are there any potential gaps?
What could you do to fill those gaps?
Add any extra evidence you need to, to ensure you are demonstrating the benefits of employing you as clearly as possible.
If you make any changes to the text of your CV at this stage, consider whether they are changes that only apply to this particular CV, or whether it would be wise to make them on your Master CV, too, to save doing them again next time.
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Which Bits To Chop Out Or how to be ruthless!
At this stage, your CV may be too long.
The next step is deciding what you could miss out.
This is possibly one of the hardest things to do, because all the achievements and characteristics you have included required so much hard work, that it can be frustrating, not to be able to include them.
But they dont have to end up on the cutting room floor. You can use these extra gems to make your cover letter compelling. Rather than deleting them, simply paste them into a separate file, so theyre there when you come to write your letter. Or you can refer to them in your interview.
How do I decide what to miss out? There are three reasons to cut things from your CV: 1. Not relevant to the application 2. Duplicated elsewhere 3. Need to save space / its getting long- winded
The first thing to do is to scan your CV for duplication. The reason for scanning rather than depth reading is because its easier to spot duplication at an overview level, than when working with detail. If you spot any duplicated examples of experience or skills, think carefully about whether you need both of them. Do they add to each other, reinforcing your message? Or do they make your CV seem repetitive?
If they are repetitive, take one of the examples out - or see if there is some way of combining them.
Remember that you can always fall back on your additional examples in your interview.
It makes a much stronger impression in an interview situation if you can come up with examples that arent on your CV. It makes the interviewer realise that your CV is the tip of the iceberg of your abilities and the interviewer will start to automatically expand your answers.
Review what you have included under training, hobbies and additional skills. Can you justify everything you have written as being relevant to your application?
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How to be ruthless
One way of helping yourself to do this objectively is to imagine that every word in your CV costs you money, say 1, and you only have 1000 to spend. Its up to you how you spend it. Your aim is to maximise the power and impact of your CV. So is there anywhere that you could save 50, to better spend it somewhere else?
Can you really justify every single entry?
Are your Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award from 20 years ago and your school violin exams really relevant to the job? Be strict with yourself over this.
If youre still struggling, then go through each of your examples and rate then from 1 to 5, with 1 being a poor example and 5 being outstanding.
Dont include any example that scores less than 3/5. Remember that the purpose of your CV is to highlight your strengths, not lay open your weaknesses.
If you still need to cut space, then go back to the essentials section. Is there anything here that could be abridged or deleted?
If you have tried all this and your CV still wont fit on 2 pages, then consider altering your format, to give yourself more space. But beware making your CV look cramped, cluttered and difficult to read. If your career has been more than 10-15 years, then you may feel you need a third page. If this is the case, then consider it a last resort. It is, however, better to use 3 pages than to compress your CV into 2 pages that are hard to read.
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Pulling It Together Making it flow
The next step is to critically review the flow of your CV.
Reading it out loud is a great way of doing this.
If you find you are stumbling over words or phrases, then the recruiter will, too. Does it make sense? Do you need to make any changes, to make it easier to scan?
Is it interesting?
Are your headlines and bullets still appropriate?
This is the stage to be brutally honest with yourself or ask a suitable friend or colleague for input.
The flow of information should be logical, not jarring.
When you have tweaked this, re-read your CV, paying attention only to the headlines (imagining youre scanning it for the first time). Do the headlines make sense? Do they flow? Do they convey your key selling points? If not, then work out where the gaps are and consider editing them. The final step of pulling together your CV is to tweak your personal summary.
You should have drafted this in your Master CV preparation, but you may wish to change it slightly, to illustrate the qualities you bring to the specific job for which you are applying.
What impression would the recruiter have of you, if this were the only section they read?
If you notice anything that doesnt work as a section in your CV, then remember to change it in the Master CV, too, so you dont have to rework it again next time.
When you have finished your tweaks, save your CV, print it out and take a break.
You will need a fresh mind for the final reviews.
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Getting A Second Opinion How to spot mistakes
Getting A Second Opinion
Now you should have a CV that meets the needs of the recruiter, looks great and fits tidily on 2-3 pages.
So surely you just send it off?
Not quite.
Remember The CV-Shredding Mistakes? Check your CV in detail for these. Ask a trusted friend, relative or colleague to do the same, if possible.
You could throw away your hours of hard work and your chance of getting the job you want, just because you didnt spot careless mistakes.
It can be really hard to see them, because our mind naturally skips over mistakes and corrects them for us. An extreme case of this was proven by a British University.
Read the paragraph below for an insight into how readily our mind compensates for mistakes.
Aoccdrnig to rseearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosnt mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt thnig is taht frist and lsat ltteer is in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. This is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by itslef but the wrod as a wlohe.
So how can I spot the mistakes in my CV? Do this from a printed version of your CV, rather than a computer screen.
One technique that works well is to read it backwards, sentence by sentence. Start at the end and read each sentence in turn. Why does this work? Because it breaks the pattern of auto-pilot scan reading of a document we are familiar with, which can trick us into missing errors.
Once you have done this, you have finished your CV!
Congratulations!
Time for a short celebration, then you can put your CV on one side and move on to write your compelling cover letter.
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11
How To Write A Compelling Cover Letter
Your cover letter is the most important part of your job application.
How to use it to make a great first impression.
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11 Compelling Cover Letter How to make a great first impression
In this section you will cover:
What is a cover letter? Why is it so important? How do I prepare my cover letter? What should it include? Great cover letter language Mistakes to avoid How to add extra finesse
If this is all too much at this stage, check out J immy Sweeneys really useful cover letter resource.
Imagine receiving a piece of advertising through the post. The deal theyre offering you might be great, but unless they have written it in a letter that grabs you and makes you realise how much you need and want their product, their offer will go straight in the bin.
Your cover letter faces a similar challenge.
It includes a powerfully written description of why you are ideal for the job. But if you send it with a formulaic, uninteresting cover letter, then youll be making the job harder for yourself and cutting your chances of getting an interview.
The good news is that a cover letter is simple to write, if you have completed the preparation in the earlier sections of this book.
What is a cover letter?
Your cover letter introduces you to the reader.
It gets them curious to read your CV and can help switch on their positive filters (see "What The Recruiter's Really Looking For").
Its so much more than Hi, my names J ohn. Id like to apply for the job; CV attached. Thanks.
Why is a cover letter important? It is usually a recruiters first contact with you. Its your first chance to market yourself. It should speak directly to them, treating them as a person, selling the benefits of employing you at both the logical, rational level and at an emotional level.
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How do I prepare my cover letter?
Start by thinking about your objective for your cover letter? What do you want it to do for you, in relation to this specific job application?
My objective is:
Whats your Unique Advantage? Review your answers to Exercise 3 and write your Unique Advantage for this role. Make sure it is truly relevant to the position for which you are applying. My Unique Advantage is:
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Exercise 12: Three Reasons To Consider Me
Imagine the ideal person they are looking for and show how you fit their needs. What are the top 3 reasons why they should consider your application for this particular role?
1.
2.
3.
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Preparation completed!
Now its time to move on to writing the content of your cover letter.
What should my cover letter include? A cover letter typically includes 5 sections: 1. Correctly addressed to the named recruitment contact 2. J ob reference and source of advert 3. A strong opening 4. An explanation of why you are interested in and suitable for the position 5. An action close
1. Addressed to the named recruitment contact
The format of your letter should match your CV (e.g. font, margins, line spacing, etc). Start by including your contact details in standard business letter format at the top of the letter. You could either include these centred or left aligned at the right hand side of the page.
Then write the title and address of the recruitment contact, usually left aligned at the left hand side of the page.
Open the letter with:
Dear
Avoid using Dear Sir / Madam, as this can imply a lack of interest in the recruiter.
You should make an effort to find the name of the recruiting manager or contact and use their name, as it is given to you. If you cant get their name, then feel free to be creative and address your letter to Dear Recruiting Manager, or similar.
For example, if they say they are called J eff during previous conversations, then write Dear J eff.
If they call themselves Mr. J eff Morgan, then write Dear Mr. Morgan.
It is safer to err on the side of caution and use the title and surname, rather than risk offence by being overly familiar. Use your judgement, based on your knowledge of the company.
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2. Job reference and source of advert
After the greeting, you should include the job description, reference number and source, usually as a bold heading.
Bear in mind that a company may be recruiting many positions at any one time, so make sure your application ends up on the right pile.
Including the source where you saw the advert is courteous, but not compulsory. It helps the recruiting department evaluate the success of different advertising, to make future campaigns more effective.
3. A strong opening
Dont state the obvious in your opening sentence. It is a waste of an opportunity to make an impact. Avoid clichs such as:
I am writing to apply for - thats obvious In reference to your ad - youve just referred to that in the line above I would like to be considered - this can be interpreted as submissive
Try to avoid the first word of your letter being I, unless the sentence refers back to the recruiter. There is an example of this below.
If you have already spoken to the company about the position, then feel free to mention that in your opening. Openings you could adapt include:
Further to our telephone conversation on XX.XX, I am pleased to enclose my CV for your attention. (Safe, but friendly)
Following our conversation on Monday XXth, I suspect I may be just the candidate you are looking for. (Slightly cheeky and arouses curiosity)
I read your advert in The Daily Telegraph this morning and I am excited at the opportunity of bringing my experience to this role. (This shows enthusiasm and quick turnaround of work. Add to this an obviously tailored CV and theyll be impressed! Excited may be too strong a word for you be creative and use what feels right.)
I would like to be considered for the exciting opportunity we discussed on the telephone on Monday. (A different slant on a safe bet)
These are just ideas and there are hundreds of ways to open your letter. Our aim here is to provide examples, so you can see the contrast between a clichd opening and an original first sentence.
If this is something you find difficult, then keep an eye open for strong opening sentences in any letters you receive. If you see one you like that works, write it down and keep it in your CV preparation file! Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 111
4. Explain why you are interested in and suitable for the position
This is where you use one or two paragraphs to summarise your Unique Advantage and the 3 reasons why they should employ you for this position. Make sure you strike a balance between your skills and what you could do for the company. You need to make sure they can see how you match the filter criteria from the job advert, i.e. the basic qualifications or experience, without which you are unlikely to be a suitable candidate.
This section should show you are enthusiastic and genuine.
It should be relatively easy to write, given the preparation you have already completed.
It is perfectly acceptable to use bullet points, to make information easier to read. Make it simple for them to see why they should choose you.
Make sure this section is interesting and compelling. Avoid the temptation of trying to regurgitate your entire CV in just 10 lines! This is a great opportunity to add those extra points that had to be cut from your CV to get it down to 2 pages, or to add highly relevant information that there wasnt space for within your CV.
To add a little extra finesse, you could reference some of the understandings you have gained from your company research. Are they facing any important challenges or preparing for exciting opportunities that arent common knowledge, which would affect this role? If relevant, you could mention these in this section.
As a guide, this main section would typically be less than 200 words.
Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 112
5. An Action Close
What is an action close?
It avoids your letter fizzling out and losing the positive ground you have gained.
Its a way of closing your letter with energy and positive momentum, to keep the reader curious as they move on to your CV. Use a verb (action word) to instinctively start the reader focusing on doing something about your CV, rather than just putting it down in one of the 3 piles and moving on. It has a future-focused element and adds a punch to the end of your letter, which will differentiate it from other candidates letters.
There is no right or wrong for the closing line, just high vs. low impact. Experiment until you find a sentence you are comfortable with.
Examples of closes to avoid: Thank you for your time. (This reminds them of the effort involved in recruiting and may affect their mood!)
Thank you for considering my application. (Very polite, but not distinctive)
Please feel free to contact me if you want any further information. (Although this is polite, it is overused and states the obvious)
Examples of action closes: I look forward to hearing from you soon. (Focuses them on action)
I would welcome the opportunity to meet you and your team. (Shows you are interested in them)
I am available for interview at any stage in the next 4 weeks. (Shows flexibility, but also instinctively encourages a fast decision)
The easiest way to contact me is via my personal mobile: 07735 XXX XXX (Shows you are thinking about making things easier for them and gives them the message that they want to call you)
Sign off
You have the option of formal or informal sign- off. Use your judgement, based on what you know about the company, to decide which to use.
The general rules for a formal sign-off are: If you have used the persons name in the letters greeting, sign off with Yours sincerely, If you dont know their name, sign off with Yours faithfully,
For a less formal sign-off (be cautious if you use this, depending on the companys culture), consider Kind regards,
It is perfectly acceptable to use a formal sign- Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 113
off for a job application.
Extras
If the employer has requested contact details for referees or information about your current package, then separate it out from your sales section, by adding it at the end of your letter.
Proof-reading All the general proof-reading and error avoidance tactics covered in sections CV- Shredding Mistakes and Getting A Second Opinion are just as important for your cover letter as they are in your CV. Make sure you go through it carefully, checking the flow and correcting any mistakes.
Finally, print your cover letter on the same type of paper as your CV.
Proof-read it one last time, then sign it. It may seem obvious, but youd be surprised how many candidates forget to sign their cover letter, which immediately shows a lack of attention to detail and lets down their application.
See the next page for an example of a cover letter. Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 114
Excellent Cover Letter Resource The instant cover letter creator
Your cover letter is often seen as the "poor relation" of your CV / resume. Yet it's a vital part of the application process.
In fact, there are techniques you can use to at least double your chances of getting a job interview, just by tweaking your cover letter.
The good news (for you!) is that very few job hunters bother to focus on their cover letter. They rattle off the usual "Dear Sir / Madam" with a few awkward paragraphs, to fill the space. For them, a cover letter is secondary to the CV.
Yet a strong cover letter acts as a mini marketing tool for your CV. It can get the reader hooked - and draw their attention to the 3 reasons why you're a strong candidate for the role.
It helps show your "spark", get them interested and make them want to meet you. It's really tough for a CV to do this on its own.
All this might sound a little daunting. You might be asking yourself, "Where do I start?".
Fortunately J immy Sweeney has jumped in to help.
He's a marketing and copy-writing expert with over 20 years' experience in selling other people's products. He's turned his expertise to the field of helping people sell themselves - for job applications.
He's developed the Instant Cover Letter Creator to help you write an excellent cover letter in (he claims!) just 3 1/2 minutes. J immy says: Here's a sad fact: Less than one tenth of one percent of all the cover letters I've ever read, has piqued my interest enough where I said to myself, "Jimmy, you must call this person for an interview right now, before it's too late!" That is a RARE cover letter indeed! Most cover letters make employers work way too hard trying to figure out whether they should call a person for the interview.
He's developed tools to help you create a cover letter that does justice to your skills and experience, rather than being a potentially forgettable introduction to your new employer.
So if you'd like to find out more, it's worth checking out his Instant Cover Letter Creator. He's so confident it will help you get more job interviews that he even offers a 100% money back guarantee.
We've thoroughly reviewed this product and are confident you'll find it useful.
Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 115
Clare J aques Interview Stuff Example of a cover letter: John Smith Email : J ohnSmith@xyz.com 01285 XXX XXX / 07735 XXX XXX 22 My Street, Anytown, Midfordshire, GL51 4XX Lucy J ones Human Resources Manager XYZ Widgets Newhampton Industrial Estate Oddington Surrey. GU45 3XL
Dear Ms J ones,
Ref: 0312AX New Business Manager, Daily Telegraph on 15.12.2005
Following our conversation on Monday 19 th , I suspect I may be just the candidate you are looking for.
Main body constructed from answers to Exercise 12 & explaining why you are interested.
I would welcome the opportunity to meet you and your team, to find out more about this exciting opportunity.
Yours sincerely, John Smith
Current Package Basic salary xx,xxx. Benefits: company car, health insurance, contributory pension, 25 days vacation.
References Mr. Peter Brown (current line manager) Design Quality Manager, Anytown Components, Glebe Road, Cheltenham, Gloucester. GL5X 4XX.
12 Application Checklist Make sure youve remembered everything
Congratulations! You have finished your CV and cover letter! Its time to go through the final application check list.
As you do your final checking, here is a reminder of some of the top tips:
1. Target your CV and cover letter to the job you are applying for. Be ruthless about what you include and what you leave out. Write for the reader, not for yourself.
2. Use an elegant layout that you are comfortable with and which is appropriate for your CVs content.
3. Avoid the 10 most common CV mistakes
4. Use enough industry-specific vocabulary to show expertise, but without filling your CV with incomprehensible jargon. Think of it as being like using herbs and spices in cooking: a little makes a big difference; too much makes it inedible. Include the key words theyll be looking for. You want your CV to talk to the recruiter at an instinctive level.
5. Provide evidence of your achievements and tell the truth.
6. Review and rewrite your Master CV every 6 months. Not only does this mean youll always be ready, should that opportunity suddenly come up, but it is great for your annual review and salary negotiations! Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 118
Application Checklist Before you send everything off
Is it addressed to the correct person? Check spelling. Have you checked it for errors? Is it focused on the employers needs? Does it show clearly what you can offer? Does it arouse curiosity? Does it have an easy to read layout? Is its appearance consistent with the type of role you are applying for? Is it concise and punchy? Does it have a strong, positive cover letter? Would you call yourself for an interview?
Re-read your application one final time.
Then send it!
It goes without saying that you should send your CV in a high quality envelope (preferably A4, so it doesnt need to be folded. Folding is a good way to guarantee that it will look tatty when its been photocopied a few times).
Also, address it neatly & correctly, checking spelling and post codes (written, typed or printed: doesnt matter). Above all, use a first class stamp!!! A second class stamp doesnt say much for your enthusiasm.
If emailing your application, put your cover letter and CV in a single file, so they dont get separated. Its a good idea to send a hard copy too. Tell them to expect this, in your email. Even if your email gets through, so many people have email backlogs these days that you can never be sure when they will read your application.
Congratulations! How are you going to celebrate? Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 119
13
And Finally
Top tips to help you double your chances of getting an interview.
Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 120
13 And Finally Whats next?
So youve completed your background thinking, written an interview-winning CV and created a compelling cover letter.
Your application is in the post (be it electronic or snail mail).
So whats next?
Waiting for an interview
If youve already spoken to the recruiter, then you may know what their timings are. It can often take weeks from the application closing deadline until a company makes decisions about who to interview, but that doesnt mean you have to sit and twiddle your thumbs.
As long as youre not hassling the recruiter, its ok to call them, to find out when decisions will be made. :You can always use an excuse such as Ive got a lot of business trips coming up, so I wanted to check whether I might be called for interview with you, so I can plan around that.
Recruiters like applicants who are keen, but dont step over the line and start bothering them.
If they tell you they havent made any decisions yet, then ask them when would be a good time to call back, to find out more. And dont call them again before that time.
Once youve got your interview date, then youre in a perfect position to move onto
Interview Stuff
Itll take you through top interview preparation techniques, as well as how to calm nerves and maybe even enjoy the process. See you there!
Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 121
14
Exercise Templates
Blank copies of the exercises. Easy for you to print out and use.
Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 122
14 Exercise Templates
Blank forms to use whenever you want
Print these forms out to complete the exercises as often as you need to.
Exercise 1: Evaluate Your Current CV............................................................................ 124 Exercise 2: The 12 Questions......................................................................................... 126 Exercise 3: Unique Advantage........................................................................................ 130 Exercise 4: Vetting A J ob Advert..................................................................................... 132 Exercise 5: How much do you know about the company? ............................................. 134 Exercise 7: How To Select Your Evidence ..................................................................... 138 Sample Chronological CV : Applying for Director of International Marketing............... 140 Sample Skills-Based CV................................................................................................. 142
Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 123
Exercise 1: Evaluate Your Current CV
What would your first impression of the candidate be?
How easy is it for you to find the information youre looking for in the CV?
What does the CV show as the candidates strengths?
As a potential employer, what might your concerns be?
How would you rate this CV? (Marks out of 10) /10
What would your overall impression of the CV be?
Exercise continues on next page Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 124
How likely would you be to remember this applicant, in general?
What is the 1 thing you would remember about the applicant?
Would you call the candidate for an interview? Why is that?
Back to Evaluate Your Current CV
Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 125
Exercise 2: The 12 Questions
1. Outline of my career so far:
2. My strengths are
Exercise continues on next page Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 126
3. My development areas / weak points are
4. Which key things have I learned (either concrete skills or about my personal attributes)?
5. What have been my biggest achievements?
6. What wouldnt have happened, if I hadnt worked in my current / previous roles?
Exercise continues on next page Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 127
7. What do I have to offer my next employer?
8. What evidence can I provide to back up my claims?
9. What will my current boss miss about me when I leave?
10. What will my colleagues say about me when I leave?
Exercise continues on next page Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 128
11. What will my direct reports say about me?
12. Why do I want to change jobs?
Back to The 12 Questions
Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 129
Exercise 3: Unique Advantage
Use the boxes below or you could use index cards, if youd like more space.
Exercise continues on next page If you employ me, you get
If you employ me, you get
If you employ me, you get
If you employ me, you get
If you employ me, you get
If you employ me, you get
If you employ me, you get
If you employ me, you get
Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 130
When you look at the boxes of your differentiating attributes, which seem most compelling? Note: it may be different for different jobs, so you may need to revisit this exercise for each application.
Relax and jot down some short sentences or phrases that would capture the key points you have highlighted. Phrases that capture the real me and my talents:
Which of these phrases grab your attention? Which sum you up the best? These are the features that form your Unique Advantage. If you want, you can distil them into a single phrase or sentence. Write them in the box below or on a separate card. Keep them in front of you whenever you are working on your CV.
Back to Unique Advantage Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 131
Exercise 4: Vetting A J ob Advert What, specifically, interests, intrigues or excites me about this role?
Is there anything I dont like or disadvantages about this role?
Being honest, is this role a good match for what I wanted to do next?
Exercise continues on next page Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 132
How does this position fit with where I want to be going long-term? Would this choice support my 5- 10 year vision? *
Do I still want to apply for this job? Yes No Not sure
Back to Vetting A J ob Advert
Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 133
Exercise 5: How much do you know about the company?
What is your current impression of the company? What do you like or dislike about it, based on your current level of knowledge?
What is the public reputation or image of this company?
What is the main business of the company?
Do you know anyone who works there who you could talk to about the company? Do you know anyone who knows anyone who works there? Make the most of your contacts!
Exercise continues on next page Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 134
What size is the company? (number of employees, turnover, international subsidiaries, etc)
How is the company currently performing? (e.g. market share, profits, other relevant measures, are there any plans for expansion / takeovers)
Where would the advertised role fit within the companys structure and plans?
Exercise continues on next page Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 135
What do you know about its culture?
Does the company have a published vision or mission statement?
What do you know about what its like to work there?
What is the likelihood of your top values being satisfied by working there?
Exercise continues on next page Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 136
How would the company describe its ideal employee? What types of skills and characteristics would they have?
Are there any buzz words that the company or industry uses in its literature. (You might include these in your interview).
What would be the pros and cons of working for this company?
Question: Do I still want this job? Yes No Not sure Back to Research The Company Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 137
Exercise 7: How To Select Your Evidence J ob Position & Company How did my involvement add value to my team / organisation?
What changed as a result of me being there?
Which major challenges / achievements was I involved in? What was my contribution?
What were my (teams) greatest successes? What was I accountable for?
Which skills did I develop in that role?
What was I the driver for? Where did I excel? Which personal attributes did I develop?
Back to Select Your Evidence
Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 138
Example CVs And Resumes
We have included 2 sample CVs for you to review.
However, if you have time, its really worth checking out the latest information on the following online CV and resume resources.
Steve Holmes offers sample CVs, complete with a really useful critique and explanations of how to do things better.
Career Assist offers both resume and cover letter templates.
Neil Williamson has developed these useful resume layout tools.
Ronan Kennedy offers plenty of sample resumes to provide inspiration.
Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 139
Sample Chronological CV : Applying for Director of International Marketing
Home Address 22 My Street, Anytown, Midfordshire, GL51 4XX John Smith Direct Lines 01285 XXX XXX / 07735 XXX XXX Email J ohnSmith@XYZ.com
J ohns proven track record in empowering and developing teams makes him an ideal choice for a senior role in Alpha-Beta Marketing Services. He is looking to move to a Director-level position in an international role, with responsibility for a portfolio of brands. His broad experience in all aspects of marketing means would add measurable value to Alpha-Betas team. J ohns fluency in French and German, as well as his proficiency in Spanish, would be an asset in growing the international business.
Professional History XYZ Widgets, Midfordshire, UK XYZ Widgets are the world leaders in Widgets, with a workforce of 5,000 worldwide and an annual turnover in excess of 900m.
1999-present Head of UK Marketing Team of 15, with 5 direct reports; Marketing budget in excess of 5m. Developing the UK Marketing team to increase self-sufficiency and implementing systems to measure the ROI of our activities. Developed the marketing team from tactical thinkers on a declining brand to strategic planners, producing increased market shares in all segments, in a challenging consumer environment. Coached the team to develop and implement Brand Ys 2002 TV advertising campaign, leading to an 8% increase in brand salience and a 20% growth of market share. Introduced structured marketing planning and budget review processes, which directly contributed to a 20% reduction in print ad space costs and allowed for departmental succession planning. Implementing systems that challenged previous assumptions and enabled measurement of the impact of our activities on bottom line profit. Mentored the teams to deliver effective strategic planning for the launch of New Product Development activities.
1997-1999 Brand Development Manager Responsible for a team of 5 Marketing Managers, covering the XYZ Widget portfolio. Award winning print campaign and successful re-branding of XYZ portfolio. Delivered the 1998 award-winning print campaign, which increased sales by 15%. Increased brand salience by 5% from summer 1998 to spring 1999. Counteracted competitor launches of New Products by re-branding and re-launching the XYZ Widget portfolio. Developed team members to become confident Marketing Managers, with their own spheres of responsibility. Led the Employee Consultative Committee from 1997 to 1998, implementing improvements in working hours and measuring employee satisfaction.
Responsible for communication strategy development and implementation of new products. Key role in development and launch of Widget B. Key contact between the Marketing, Competitor Intelligence and New Product Development teams, helping to define the consumer needs for Widget B. Developed and implemented the communication strategy for Widget Bs launch. Member of the highly acclaimed 1996 Overhead Reduction Team, reducing waste within the companys processes.
Joe Brownes Advertising, London, Paris and New York J oe Brownes Advertising are the market leaders in developing effective communication strategies for widgets, with a staff of 50 and an annual turnover in excess of 5m.
1994-1995 Account Manager, Small Business Division, New York Maintaining customer satisfaction whilst delivering to companys performance targets. Responsible for the day-to-day running of client accounts and briefing the graphic designers.
1992 1994 Graduate Training Scheme, Various Roles, London and Paris Gaining an understanding of all areas of the business. Positions included: finance, sales, marketing, graphic design and copywriting.
Professional Membership CIM Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (1995)
Education BA (Hons) Business Studies and French, University of Cardiff, 1992, Class 2.1 A Levels German (A), French (B), Maths (B), Anytown College, Midfordshire. 1988 GCSEs 9 Passes at grade A, County High School, Anytown, Midfordshire. 1986
Additional Skills Languages French (fluent), German (excellent), Spanish (basic knowledge) Computer Good working knowledge of MS Office packages and industry databases
Hobbies Mountain biking: organising and competing in off-road events and co-ordinating European tours. Cricket: Team member for league matches. Treasurer of village club; responsible for financial planning and maintaining management accounts. Travelling: recent trips include Argentina, China and New Zealand.
Referees Details available upon request. Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 141
Sample Skills-Based CV
Applying to Midfordshire Widgets for New Product Development Finance Manager assumes J ohn is prepared to take a sideways (or lower) switch to Finance. Note: in this instance, J ohn has chosen to highlight achievements that illustrate his skills, rather than just stating his skills.
Home Address 22 My Street, Anytown, Midfordshire, GL51 4XX John Smith Direct Lines 01285 XXX XXX / 07735 XXX XXX Email J ohnSmith@XYZ.com
J ohn is keen to move from Marketing into Financial Planning. His commercial experience in the management of budgets and financial planning through his recent senior marketing roles demonstrate his ability to handle complex financial planning and calculations, particularly in the New Product Development environment. His passion for proving the Return on Investment of campaigns has further developed his financial skills. His fluency in French and German would be an asset to Midfordshire Widgets, when liaising with the international design teams. His Marketing expertise would enable him to act as the link between Marketing, Finance and Design.
Achievements 20% reduction in print ad space costs in 2000: XYZ Widgets, Head of UK Marketing Implemented system to measure impact of marketing activities bottom line: XYZ Widgets, Head of UK Marketing Introduced structured planning and budget review processes, which allowed prediction of variance from budgeted spend on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis. Improving relationships between Marketing, Finance and Design teams, during the re-launch of the XYZ Widget portfolio, leading to a saving of 5 months, over the projected launch time plans: XYZ Widgets, Brand Development Manager Worked with Finance team to develop an algorithm to calculate the potential profit margin of Widget B, for various projected production costs and sales forecasts: XYZ Widgets, Marketing Manager Assessing potential financial impact of competitor launches on XYZs New Products: XYZ Widgets, Marketing Manager Developed a system to measure the financial impact of project delays: J oe Brownes Advertising, Graduate Trainee
Career History XYZ Widgets, Midfordshire, UK XYZ Widgets are the world leaders in Widgets, with a workforce of 5,000 worldwide and an annual turnover in excess of 900m.
1999-present Head of UK Marketing Team of 15, with 5 direct reports; Marketing budget in excess of 5m. Developing the UK Marketing team to increase self-sufficiency and implementing systems to measure the ROI of our activities.
Responsible for a team of 5 Marketing Managers, covering the XYZ Widget portfolio. Bringing in award-winning print campaign under-budget and successfully re-branding XYZ portfolio.
1995-1997 Marketing Manager, Widget B Responsible for communication strategy development and implementation of new products. Key role in development and launch of Widget B.
Joe Brownes Advertising, London, Paris and New York J oe Brownes Advertising are the market leaders in developing effective communication strategies for widgets, with a staff of 50 and an annual turnover in excess of 5m.
1994-1995 Account Manager, Small Business Division, New York Maintaining customer satisfaction whilst delivering to companys revenue targets. Responsible for the day-to-day running of client accounts and briefing the graphic designers.
1992 1994 Graduate Training Scheme, Various Roles, London and Paris Gaining an understanding of all areas of the business. Positions included: financial planning, sales & marketing.
Professional Membership CIM Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (1995)
Education BA (Hons) Business Studies and French, University of Cardiff, 1992, Class 2.1 A Levels German (A), French (B), Maths (B), Anytown College, Midfordshire. 1988 GCSEs 9 Passes at grade A, County High School, Anytown, Midfordshire. 1986
Additional Skills Languages French (fluent), German (excellent), Spanish (basic knowledge) Computer Good working knowledge of MS Office packages and industry databases
Hobbies Cricket: Team member for league matches. Treasurer of village club; responsible for financial planning and maintaining management accounts. Mountain biking: organising and competing in off-road events and co-ordinating European tours.
Referees Details available upon request. Clare J aques Interview Stuff 2006 143