CV tips and advice

CV writing tips

A CV is often the only medium used to get an interview so it is imperative that it reflects your key skills and experience, as well as catching the attention of the reader. Ideally a CV should cover 2-3 pages.

It should include the following:

• Personal Details - name, address, contact phone number, e-mail address
• Personal Profile - (written in the third party) showing brief information about your personality, characteristics, strengths and possibly career objectives.
• Employment History - listed in reverse chronological order over the last 10 years - show job title/positions held company and employment dates, major projects dealt with. If you do not have extensive work experience, include all previous positions (including part time) even if not directly relevant.
• Education - highest achievement first - show qualification, grade, subject, dates and name of University/College.
• Skills - show any additional skills/training/courses/certificates which may be relevant. Include any papers which you may have had written/published.
• Professional Memberships
• Hobbies - a brief outline
• References - need not be included at this stage but if you choose to then two are adequate (include current/last employer or lecturer) but do ensure you have your referees' permission.

Interview Tips

• Do your homework - check you understand the position being offered and find our as much as possible about the company (via the Internet for example).
• Make a Good First Impression - know the venue, time, and who you will be meeting (and their position). Allow extra time in case of problems or delays and if you do encounter any, let the company or agency know as soon as possible. Take spare copies of your CV along with you.
• Look smart and professional - traditional rather than trendy. Be courteous, smile and shake hands.
• Body Language - Interviewers are looking for motivation and interest as well as qualifications for the job. Your attitude reveals a lot about you, e.g. look the interviewer in the eye when you answer their questions.
• Sound Positive - Be ready to expand on information presented in your CV - emphasise relevant skills and be constructive about any highlighted weaknesses. Simply answering "yes" and "no" is not sufficient.
• Answering Tough Questions - with forward thinking you can practice using positive fluent answers but if you genuinely do not know, then say so, - a guess or a knee-jerk response is not helpful. "What are your strengths and weaknesses" is a tough one - but a weakness can be turned into a positive to show how you have constructively overcome it.
• Salary - do not raise the issue of salary unless the interviewer mentions it. If it is discussed, let them know your current salary and package and, if you are asked for your expectations, offer a salary range
• The interview is a two-way process - the end of the interview is the perfect opportunity for you to clarify any points of doubt e.g. career progression, training opportunities, targets.
• Closing on a confident note - At the end of the interview, smile, thank them for their time and ask about their recruiting process. Say you enjoyed the discussion and that you look forward to hearing from them soon.
• A final note - Those that succeed at interviews are not lucky, their secret is careful preparation. The better prepared you are, the more confident you will be and the more success you will have.