Candidates
Career Planning – Preparing a CV and Tips for a successful interview
CV Essentials
The CV that the employer will receive from you is the first opportunity to show them that you have the right credentials for the role.
One thing never to forget is that the CV is the tool that will gain you the interview and because of this we want to make sure that we put enough information on but still leave you with something to talk about at the interview.
Below are some tips on writing a CV:
- Use a clear and easy font to make your CV easy to read
- 2 pages are usually enough for a CV but sometimes this may run over into 3. Employers are more interested in the most recent employment and qualifications
- Depending on the font used text size should be between 10 and 12
- If many of the roles you have undertaken are similar try not to be too repetitive. What may work well would be to add the dates and places of your work with a general description of your tasks at all of the roles instead of individually
- Double check the CV and make sure there are no spelling or grammatical errors
Sample CV
- Personal Details
- Name, address and contact details including e-mail and mobile phone number.
- Education & Professional Qualifications
- Add in all your achievements from Secondary school through to University and any other qualifications that you have gained after that e.g. Masters Degree, accounting qualifications.
- Professional Experience
- Detail your work experience to date highlighting your title, company name, commencement and completion dates. It is best to do this in chronological order.
It may be worthwhile to write a brief description on the company itself including turnover, no. of employees, Industry sector/Service provided. This will provide any prospective employer with the background to your work history.
Detail in bullet point format, your main responsibilities and achievements in the position. Try to keep these relevant to any prospective position that you are looking for, as prospective employers will be looking for transferable skills. This may help to differentiate you from other candidates who are also seeking employment.
- Extra qualifications & achievements
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Add in any relevant on the job training courses you have attended
- Software and Systems
- List all software and systems packages that you have had exposure.
- Languages
- In an increasingly global market, language skills are becoming more relevant. In this section of your C.V. you should list your language skills and your level of competency and fluency in each language.
- Interests
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Employers are now looking for more than just academic ability. List any sports, outdoor activities or hobbies you may – it may be a great opportunity to create a common interest at the interview stage.
- References
- It is now common practice to state that professional references will be available to contact on request.
Interview preparation
Congratulations if you have been selected for an interview. Now you will have to convince the interviewer that you are the right person for the role. You will need to show that you are sufficiently motivated to get the job done well and that you will fit in with the company's organisational structure and the team in which you will work.
Preparation is everything
The better you prepare for the interview the less likely the chance that you will come across a question that will surprise you.
First Impressions
- Be well prepared--know who you are meeting and the interviewers' position in the company
- Conduct research on the company - always check the website
- Be early. Always try to get to the interview 10 minutes prior to the confirmed time
- Dress appropriately smart / professional
- Be polite to support staff - receptionists etc.
- Make eye contact immediately when greeted
- Smile and be friendly
- Give a confident handshake
- Thank the interviewer for taking the time to meet with you
The Interview
- Show interest in the job and the company
- Be enthusiastic
- Be relaxed and don't slouch
- Position yourself so that your body is facing the other person
- Watch your body language - do not cross your arms
- Make regular eye contact
- Let the interviewer lead the conversation
- Listen carefully to the questions asked and ask them to repeat or re-phrase the question if you are unclear
- Be honest with your answers-do not bluff
- Answer what you have been asked and try not to go off on tangents
- Do not interrupt the interviewer
- Ask questions throughout the interview about the role, the company and the nature of the business
- Ask when to expect news and/or feedback
Some Sample Questions you may be asked at an interview
Each interview is unique and questions will vary in each occasion. There is an exhaustive list of questions that may be asked, however by considering some frequently asked questions, set-out below; it will assist you in your preparation and interview success:
- Tell me about yourself.
- How would your contemporaries describe you?
- What makes you different from the other candidates for this position?
- Describe the accomplishment of which you are the most proud.
- Why should we hire you?
- What do you know about our company?
- What interests you about this company?
- What strengths and attributes could you bring to this position?
- Why did you choose to study your particular degree?
- What are your career goals?
- What would you like to be doing five/ten years from now?
- What do you believe are the key issues and problems in our industry today?
- What do you think it takes to be successful in this field?
- In what kind of work environment do you do your best work?
- With what kind of people do you like to work?
- What kinds of tasks and responsibilities motivate you the most?
- What is your ideal job?
- Tell me about what you learned from your previous jobs.
- What did you dislike most about your last job?
- What is your greatest weakness?
- What has been your greatest challenge?
- What do you enjoy doing outside of work-in your free time?
Post-Interview
- On successful completion of the interview, contact your consultant in GKR and they will take you through the next stage - whether this is an offer or a second round interview.
- It is important to jot down a few notes on the interview as soon as you are out of the interview.
The 3 most important aspects of any interview is to:
1. PREPARE
2. SMILE
3. ENJOY.
Please do not hesitate to contact your GKR consultant if you would like to receive further information on preparing for an interview. We have a number of experienced Consultants who specialize in interview preparation and technique. We are not only here to match you to the right role, we offer a full consultative service including mock interview preparation.