Candidate Support

One that attracts a recruiter's attention in the shortest amount of time and makes them really want to meet you. The average recruiter only spends about 20 to 30 seconds glancing at a CV, which means that you have to grab their attention very quickly indeed.

You should therefore highlight what you have to offer at the start of your CV, rather than hiding your main attractions at the end. An attention grabbing summary and a list of major achievements at the start of the CV should help stir a recruiter's interest in you and make them really want to meet you.

• targeted to the job you're applying for
• simple, clear and concise - using no more than 2 easy to read fonts on plain white paper
• short - 2 sides of A4 paper
• free from spelling, grammatical and typing errors - give it to someone else to check
• accompanied by a covering letter. The CV and covering letter should be in the same font, layout and on the same paper

The summary should be short and sweet, no more than four or five lines of text and should highlight your key skills and attributes. This should paint a highly favourable picture of you and indicate your strengths which are relevant to the position you are applying for. Your summary, however, must be completely truthful, because if your description doesn't live up to your performance at an interview you will brand yourself as a 'liar'.

After the summary you should list three to six major achievements that are directly related to the job you are applying for. It is important to pick achievements that are relevant as this shows that you have understood what the recruiter is looking for. If possible you should mention facts and figures, although you may feel that these are confidential and you may not want to disclose them. They do however make the CV more interesting and give the recruiter a better idea of your capabilities.

Your work experience should come next and should describe your responsibilities, skills attained and achievements in each position that you have had. This should always be in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent position and working backwards from there. You should concentrate on your two most recent jobs, unless these are not relevant to the position you are applying for or you were only in these positions for a short time. Mention budgetary responsibilities, number of staff managed (if applicable) and try and give a good picture of where you fitted into the organisation and what interactions you had with other companies and departments.

Obviously if your education is in the dim and distant past then you should not waste too much space on it, because your work experience will be far more important to the recruiter. It goes without saying that you must actually have all the qualifications you have claimed for yourself.

You should list your up-to-date IT skills, training and other skills (such as language skills and typing speeds if relevant). For IT skills you may want to include hardware (PCs, Macs), operating systems (Windows 95/98) and applications (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Hobbies and interests are generally not considered very important on a CV. However they may be able to tell a recruiter a lot about your personality, leadership potential and team working skills. So they should not be overlooked completely.

Generally, when you are writing a CV you should keep it to two or three pages. One-page tends to be too short and more than three pages may not be read. If you are emailing your CV you should send it in Microsoft Word format.

• You know the exact location and time of interview.
• You Arrive on time or early - never late
• You know the interviewers name and title
• Greet the interviewer with a smile and a firm handshake
• You prepare a list of questions you intend to ask, this is another opportunity to impress the interviewer as well as discover a little more about the position and company. Check this list is complete by discussing this list with your consultant. Remember they are there to assist you in finding the right opportunity - not just a job.

• Why is the position currently available?
• Are induction and training programs available?
• Company growth plans?
• Promotion prospects for the right candidate?
• The next interview steps?

• Dress appropriately for the interview, dress smartly, go conservative unless told otherwise
• Avoid running down your current or ex-employers, think positively and explain why a career change is good for you. Look at your achievements and how you would like to develop your skills in the future.
• Strengths and Weaknesses, it is sensible to have at least 3 key strengths formulated in advance of the interview. Make sure they are relevant to the job and make sure you are able to back them up with practical examples.

The interviewer will be evaluating the negative as well as the positive points. You should ensure not to:

• Present yourself poorly.
• Act in an overbearing or conceited manner.
• Mumble - express yourself clearly.
• Be disinterested in what the interviewer has to say.
• Over emphasise the money factor
• Excuse poor career path decisions.
• Condemn your current or previous employers
• Fail to prepare for the interview by researching the company.

Make sure you are familiar with the position for which you are applying. Make sure you have the following information:

• Job Description
• Salary/Package potentially on offer
• Location of the company

Research your potential employer before your interview. This will impress them and signal you are serious about your interest in a career with their company. This information is often available on their web site or at a good reference library, alternatively ask your recruitment consultant to assist you.