You only have two pages to persuade an employer to interview you. So how do you make your CV stand out from the rest? Harriet gives some insider tips into crafting the perfect CV.

1. Find out what they want from you.

Do they want a CV? Do they want a covering letter too? A CV and a covering letter are not the same thing! You can’t just say ‘refer to my CV’ in your covering letter. Doing each properly shows the employer that you are keen on the job.

2. Tailor your CV towards the job.

Employers are looking for skills that will make you the best candidate for a specific job. Lots of information about other skills in totally unrelated areas is just extra reading for them. This therefore means you need a very clear idea understanding of what the job entails. Illustrate what you as an individual can bring to their company. Don’t be lazy and send out the same CV to all your potential employers. Spending that extra 10 minutes to tailor your CV could mean the difference between success and rejection. Try to see your CV from their perspective!

3. Talk about results.

Saying ‘I’m a very organized person’ on your CV is all very well but how do employers know that is true? You need to provide evidence that you have all the qualities that you list. Instead you should put something like ‘I am a very organized person because I was able to organize a fundraising event for the bird watching society’ etc.

4. Properly reference your employers Company names.

You will sound a lot more professional if you use their whole name. It is Marks and Spencers not M&S. If you worked for an individual make sure you use their whole name. Working for ‘my mate dangerous Dave’ will impress no-one.

5. If they ask you provide references- do it!

Surprisingly people don’t always do what they are told by the job advert. If it says provide two references, you should do it. If they require referees that know you in a professional/academic context, make sure this is the case. Ensure that your referees are aware that they are giving you a reference- and ideally which companies/jobs you are applying for. They can then tailor your reference to talk about how keen you are on the company, and all the relevant experience you have. You can even give your referee a copy of you CV to help them promote you. However, if you don’t want the company to contact your current employer before an interview, it is perfectly acceptable to ask them to wait.

6. Volunteer!

If you’re really stuck for experience try volunteering. By going out and finding work experience it shows the employer that you have initiative and are interested in the sector. It also shows that you understand what the job entails. It is a great way of making new contacts in the area, and if you’re good they may end up employing you! Volunteering in other areas (such as the care or charity sectors) can be extremely rewarding and looks good too.

7. Emphasize your strengths, not your weaknesses.

OK so you took a year off or were unemployed for a short time. It is not the end of the world- what did you do in that time? Teach yourself a new skill? Gained some new experience? Focus on the positives, and so will the employer.

8. Make it readable.

Employers have to shift through tens or even hundreds of CVs, often in a very short period of time. Using tiny or ridiculous font will not endear you to the employers, and the employer may give up reading it. Keep it to two pages, and make it crisp and concise.

9. Get someone else to read it.

You’ll be surprised how many times you have to read a CV to get it right. It is very easy to leave typos in- but they are the first things the employer will notice. A sloppy CV could lose you your dream job. Spell check is a must. Always get a third person to read your CV before you send it off- a fresh pair of eyes can be invaluable.

10. Keep copies.

You never know when someone may ask for your CV, so aim to keep one handy. Also, be sure to read your CV just before you go in for an interview as you employers will base their questions on your CV.

1. Don’t make yourself sound troublesome.

If you ended your last job on a bad note don’t put this in your CV. Citing ‘creative differences’ make you sound difficult to work with. Avoid putting such things in your CV, and if asked always remain polite about your previous employer, whatever your feelings. Including your previous salary on your CV is not a good idea. It may either intimidate your employer, or lead them into thinking they can pay you less. Leave them guessing.

2. Don’t use jargon.

You may be an expert in your particular field, but your employers may not. For example, an IT consultant shouldn’t write about coding and RAM in an application for a job in an insurance company. It will scare the employer into thinking that they will never understand a word the candidate says. Instead, make sure that the employer can understand the significance of what you did, and show them that you will be able to work with them effectively.

3. Don’t lie.

Employers will ask about your CV and if they catch you out the interview is over. If they find one lie how can they trust the rest of your CV? Also, some employers will ask you to provide certificates at the interview. Be honest.

4. Don’t underestimate your achievements.

It can be quite hard looking at a blank sheet of paper trying to list your achievements. However, when you start to think carefully about it, you’ll find that you actually have achieved a lot. Have you been in a club or society? What skills did that give you? Did you help organize an event? Have you ever had any administerial experience? Worked in a team? It all counts- and looks very attractive to employers.

5. Don’t include a picture.

Employment law in the UK is very strict about various types of discrimination (e.g. age, ethnicity) – including a picture makes it harder for them to be truly objective about your CV. So no matter how pretty you are, leave a photo out.

6. Never include a quote or tagline, you are not a movie.

You do not need a tagline. Also, if you didn’t come up with the quote why include it? The CV is about YOU. While it is important to promote your achievements, keep your ego in check- remember that the employer will be thinking about how you will work in a team.

7. Don’t use embarrassing email accounts.

It would be such a shame if they decided to offer you the job, only to find that they have to contact ivorbigun@hotmail.com, or naughtygirl4u@hotmail.com. You should present yourself as professionally as possible. Get a boring sounding email address, even if it is only temporary.

8. Don’t just leave it there – keep it updated regularly.

You’ll be surprised how much you achieve in a year, and it is easy to forget to include this on your CV. By keeping your CV up to date you are presenting the best of yourself to your potential employers.

Any job interview can be pretty nerve racking at the best of times, here’s some advice to help make sure you get that job you want!

I must stress that the main pointers here are to KEEP ON TRYING and to get as much interview practice as possible. It may be worth going up against those questions even if you may not want the job. 

For the online CV, read the questions and try to work out what they are looking for. It is always a good idea to get a friend to look through your answers and spell check everything.

I found it useful to type out my answers in a word processing program beforehand for easy editing. Try to really impress here but don’t lie, these answers will follow you though your application.

Check out our guide to CV writing.

Online tests are the next stage, these can be very time pressured so make sure that you have no distractions, plenty of paper, some extra pens a calculator.

Don’t feel too bad if you don’t finish all the questions in the time given, it is still very possible to pass!

Stage 3a. The Interview Stage – Introduction

This is where things get interesting! You can have multiple interviews during the application process. It is worth noting that the interviewers will have read your online CV and previous interview notes. It is important that everything you say corresponds with these documents! This is why it is always best to stay honest.

Stage 3b. The Interview Stage – Preparation

Of course it’s the key! Lots of reading to do:

A) Knowledge is power, check out our know and understand a business article for some tips.

B) Read ‘Giving a Presentation’, the preparation tips are really useful here. Bear in mind you may be asked to prepare a short presentation for your interview day.

C)Also ‘Creating Rapport’ for making that impact.

D) Go to their website! A great resource of information, tips and people to contact. They should also have a list of attributes they are looking for in an employee. Study these and note down the occasions in your life where you have displayed these attributes.

E) Read the news! This may not seem very exciting but it is a good idea to keep up with current affairs. It is worth finding a few recent articles that relate to the service line that you are applying to.

F) Time to do some work on the questions. There are some to get you thinking here.

G) Also write down a list of practice questions and answers beforehand that you think may come up. 

H) It is worth noting that these are a guide and not what you should blurt out in a parrot fashion! Always keep your personality, you don’t want to bore the interviewer to death.

I) Talk to people that currently work for the firm, this can be a goldmine of knowledge!

J) If you don’t know anyone, it is worth going along to interview preparation day or recruitment evening and doing some networking (a guide coming soon). Most current employees with be very happy to help you for 2 reasons; they have been there before, and it is possible they will get paid if you get hired.

K) Find out as much about the role as you can, both to kick ass in the interview and to know what you are getting yourself into!

L) Think about what distinguishes you from others and what your weaknesses may be. This may sound cheesy but knowing and being honest with yourself can be invaluable.

Stage 3c. The Interview Stage- The Tips

A) Go alone- Don’t take your buddies with you!

B) Try to appear calm, it is not the end of the world.

C) Give a firm handshake but don’t break his/her hands.

D) Don’t complain about your old employer, not matter how bad they are!

E) Don’t mention money, rocking up demanding a million in cash won’t go down well.

F) Turn off your phone.

G) Be honest.

H) Focus on your achievements.

I) Be consistent!

J) Don’t talk for too long.

K) Speak clearly.

L) Be professional.

M) Ask questions.

N) Be polite- don’t rush for that coffee.

O) Be mature.

P) Don’t be arrogant.

Q) Let others speak.

R) Be positive.

S) Be rational and perceptive.

T) Think about how you would fit in the team.

U) Don’t be controversial.

V) Don’t read from notes.

W) End well.

X) Get a business card.

Stage 4. E-mail Handling Computer Exercises (AKA E-Tray)

Some firms have a test using a fake version of Outlook where e-mails start flying in for you to reply to through multiple choice.

This normally ends with you writing a short e-mail yourself- keep this short and concise.

Make notes as you get information in and work on finishing within the (fairy short) time period.

Of course there is normally no spell check here so watch your spelling.

Stage 5. Group Exercises

Another evaluation test is where a group of potential employees are put together to discuss a topic with interviewers watching from the sidelines.

Try to strike that balance by not being domineering or quiet. Listen to people’s ideas and feedback.

Don’t burst out laughing as a girl in my group did, shame as she was nice.

Stage 6. Making a Presentation

You might have to present a pre-prepared topic, of course the presentation guide applies!

If things have worked out you should be contacted within a few days.

If it is a no then don’t worry too much, I know plenty of people who have not be successful at one firm but excelled with others.

]]> http://www.businessbird.co.uk/2010/02/12/getting-a-job-at-a-big-4-firm/feed/ 0