Posts Tagged ‘recruitment’

9 Handy CV Tips

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

Whether you are looking for a promotion or your first job, having a compelling CV is essential if you want to impress a potential employer.  Having a Curriculum Vitae that really sells your skills and promotes you as a person can make a huge difference to your chances of getting a job.

You need to remember that any job that you find attractive enough to apply for will also attract the attention of other people.  Some of them, shock horror, might be better qualified, or have more experience than you – however this does not necessarily mean that they will get the job in front of you.  If they present a CV that does not emphasise how great they are compared to you, then they might not even get an interview.

Here we have 9 handy tips to help you improve your CV and boost your chances of getting a new job!

1 – Short is Sweet

Keep your CV to a maximum of two sheets of A4 – an employer wants to know enough, not everything.  Also, you might have used your IT and Microsoft Office Skills every day in each job, but you don’t need to list them every time.

2 – Keep it pretty

Take a good look at your CV – would you like to receive it.  There’s no need to get silly with rich backgrounds, and manic fonts.  Simple is best, but it needs to be well spaced, clean, and interesting to look at.

3 – Stick to the facts

Does the employer really care whether you loved your previous job?  No, they want to know what you did, and how you did it.  You can communicate your enthusiasm for filing and making cups of tea when you get the interview.

4 – Accuracy is Everything

Spell check, proof read, spell check again, and read it aloud.  Then get someone else to do the same.  Would you employ a person who can’t spell.

5 – So be Honest

Don’t forget, an employer isn’t going to give you a great job with fantastic pay without checking you out.  They will contact your referees, and if they can’t back up what you are claiming, then you are not going to get very far.

6 – Keep it Relevant

You might have plenty of experience looking after cats, but if you’re going for a web design job, then it isn’t going to impress the boss.  Keep your experience on topic, and adapt your CV for different opportunities.

7 – Sell Yourself

Put a bit of life into the CV.  Stick to the facts yes, but add a little bit of colour too – your statement should impress, and also give a little idea about who you are.

8 – Keep it in order

Put the most recent jobs and qualifications at the top. They are the ones that your potential employer wants to read first

9 – Remember the Covering Letter

You should always send a covering letter along with your CV.  This should always be unique to the job you are applying for, and include a few points from your CV.

Bonus Tip!

Whether you are actively looking for a job now, or simply want to keep your options open, don’t forget to add your new CV to jobatwit – upload your CV now, and promote it to thousands of employers via Twitter!

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4 Ways to Calm Your Nerves Before an Interview…

Sunday, September 27th, 2009

…and one way not to

For many people, a job interview is a fairly traumatic experience, and the anxiety that they feel both before and during the interview can have a big impact on their performance, and ultimately act against them getting the job.

While every employer expects a little bit of nervousness during an interview, it can be a little bit off putting to have the candidate apologise for their nerves every two minutes, and use it as an excuse.  For me, one of the main qualities I look for in my staff is the ability to work well under pressure.  If a candidate comes into an interview and can’t handle the pressure, it doesn’t bode well, and I’m pretty unlikely to take them on.

It doesn’t need to be like this though, and there are a number of things that you can do to keep calm in an interview.

1: Arrive Early

If you are a nervy person, then it is important to minimise the number of opportunities that you have to get anxious.  Plan your journey to the interview in advance and take traffic into account – make sure you arrive 15 minutes early so you can freshen up – but don’t turn up at the office until around 5 minutes before your interview, otherwise you’ll have to spend a lot of time waiting around for the interviewer – and that is time when you will end up allowing your nerves to get to you.

2: Be Positive

If you’ve been invited for an interview, then you are half way to getting the job.  I don’t waste time on people who don’t have any promise, and neither does anyone else.  It’s not professional to get people in to laugh at them, and I’ve never heard of it happening.  If you have been invited to talk, treat this as a positive, and let it feed your confidence.

3: Take a Deep Breath

There are loads of relaxation techniques and many of them actually work.  One that definitely does is a deep breath.  Go to a quiet place, close your eyes, and take a deep breath in.  Then hold it. For at least half a minute.  Breathe out and open your eyes, you’ll naturally reduce your heart rate, and this will make you feel calmer.

4: Wear an Anti Perspirant

Anxiety tends to feed itself and make you more nervous.  When some people start to sweat they become very self conscious and this feeds back on itself to make you feel even worse.  A good anti perspirant will reduce the sweat and make you feel less self conscious, and take your mind of your nerves, allowing you to perform better.

One thing not to do…

Whatever you do, if you are going for an interview, don’t have a drink beforehand to settle your nerves.  There is no point turning up to the interview half cut, and there is no point lying to yourself that the interviewer can’t tell that you’ve had a drink.  They can.  Slurred speech, drifting answers to questions, and even falling asleep (it has happened) will not give the best possible account of you.  If you need to have a drink, stick to water.

The main thing is to be positive, and to remember why you want the job, that way you’ll be more positive.

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5 Great Interview Questions

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

Candidates can rehearse heir interview techniques and spend a lot of time on their CV to ensure that they turn up for their interview as well prepared as possible.  This can lead to problems for recruiters, as in some cases, a candidate who looks great in the interview turns out to be a disappointment.  Leading employers who look for a little bit more from their staff tend to ask questions that appear to be nonsense on the surface, but actually test the candidate’s ability to think and act under pressure.

When you ask these questions, you are not looking for a specific answer, it is all about how the candidate answers and structures their answer.  The questions are designed to unsettle the candidate and reveal their inner workings.

1 How many bubbles does it take to fill a bus?

2 How do they get the coating so smooth on an M&M?

3 How would you weigh the atmosphere?

4 What advice would you give yourself ten years ago?

5 Which animal most closely reflects your personality?

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7 Tips for Writing a Great Cover Letter

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

You put together the best possible CV, had all the right experience and qualifications that the job required, and yet you didn’t even get called in for an interview?

The chances are that your covering letter sucked, and the recruiter took one look at the few lines of misspelled words and hit delete rather than opened the CV and found out about all you had to offer.

The fact is, a covering letter is a chance to really sell yourself, and introduce your CV.  A chance to explain to the recruiter about what a great candidate you are, and how you are perfect for the role that they are advertising.  If you don’t put the effort in, and wow the recruiter, you are putting yourself at a disadvantage, and with the job market being at its most competitive for years, you want to make the absolute most of everything that you have to boost your chances.

Check out our 5 Tips for writing a great cover letter to help with your next job application.

1. Bespoke is Best

There is no point in using the same letter for every job you apply for.  Use the letter to tie your experience into the specific job that is being offered, and make your interest in the business clear.

2. Be Enthusiastic

…But not too enthusiastic.  You don’t want to come across as annoying, but you should at least explain why you are applying.  Think about using phrases like “Keen to work for a leading company” or “eager to learn more”

3. Be Unique

While a CV is a pretty formal piece of writing, your covering letter gives you an opportunity to express a little bit more of your personality.  By making your letter memorable, you will already have a better chance of getting an interview.

4. Put Some Effort In

If you’re applying for a bar job, the chances are that you won’t have to write a great covering letter – or even have to submit a CV for that matter, however if you are looking for something a little bit more demanding – and well paid – you should put in the work to get it.  If a job is worth applying for, put some effort into your application, and you’ll be more likely to be considered for it.

5. Be Brief

You don’t want to bore someone before you get into the interview.  Actually, you don’t want to bore them after you get into the interview either.  Keep the letter short, to the point, and positive.  Remember that the purpose is to sell you, not tell your life story.

6.  Be yourself

Make sure you remember that the letter is selling the real you.  If you get the job you will have to fulfil the promise that you put into the letter, so make sure it represents you accurately.

7. spel chek

If you want credibility, use your spell checker.  Mistakes will make you look like an idiot, and you’ll be more likely to be a joke than a serious candidate.

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Returning to Work after having Children?

Friday, August 21st, 2009

Perhaps as a result of the recession, more and more women are choosing to return to work after taking a career break to raise their children.  Of course, the workplace has changed a great deal in the last ten years or so, and many women who have taken a longer than expected break from employment often find that they lack the standard IT skills expected by employers.

There are many highly qualified women who find themselves in a position where they are unable to return to office life at the same level they had previously, and instead of regaining roles within management, they are often relegated to junior roles with little chance of advancement.

Of course there are some women who do not want to return to a position of high stress and responsibility, however this is one of the greatest scandals in the modern workplace, and it not only robs women of the chance to return to work at the same level they were employed previously but also means that employers, who often bemoan the standards of staff available straight from school are wasting the talents of their staff rather than making the most of them.

If you are considering going back to work after a long career break, it is important to familiarise yourself with the kind of office software that is currently in use.  The de-facto standard in the office is currently Microsoft Office 2007, although many larger companies are still using the 2003 edition.  Beyond this, it is more or less expected that staff will be familiar with email and the web.

Taking a short office software course is more about confidence and competence than certification, and it is worth undergoing so that it can be added to your CV.  Courses are often available in local community centres, and do not always cost anything.

Another thing that is important to check when returning to work is that any professional qualifications are up to date and that any licence held is still valid.  People working in the health industry or law who are returning after several years away will need to read up on any recent developments in their industry such as new legislation or drugs that have been recently introduced.

Legislation applies to many different jobs from the automotive industry through to teaching, and it is important to check what changes have come in during any absence.

Some industries such as SEO or Web design can change enormously over a comparatively short period of time, and as such it is vitally important to catch up with the latest information.  Reading popular blogs in the run up to your return to work, and keeping track on industry news via services like Sphinn will provide plenty of insight into any changes that you need to be aware of.

The main thing to remember when returning to work after a long break is that while it may be hard to get back into the swing, the msot important thing is to be confident about your abilities.  Too many people who are comoing back into employment do so with fear, and this is often one of the main reasons why they are not given the respect that they should have.  People who are afraid to ask for a job that suits them will all too often find that they are not given the opportunity they need to get one.

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Want to Work In Travel?

Friday, August 14th, 2009

The travel industry is one of the largest and most diverse areas that you could choose, and offers people a wide range of different opportunities.

People come to work in travel and hospitality for many reasons, but one of the main ones is the opportunity to travel themselves.  Most companies will offer subsidised travel packages for their staff, and this is a great way of seeing the world for less.

Popular entry points into the world of travel include working in an agency.  Some of the larger companies such as Gold Medal or Kuoni are well known for their training schemes, which give staff a good grounding to move on into other areas.  These larger companies will often take on inexperienced staff at a junior level before giving them access to the various different industry qualifications that smaller specialist companies require.

Pay is notoriously low at a junior level in the travel industry, however as most staff will tell you, the fringe benefits are often well worth having.  Hotel staff will usually share in the tips that are paid, and cabin crew on aircraft will get the chance to break their journey in various destinations.

In many cases, the most important thing for staff to have is passion.  This is especially the case with tour operator staff and travel agents.  You will need an innate knowledge of the destinations that you are covering, and be able to communicate.

Skills that employers are looking for include the ability to sell, to be enthusiastic – particularly important for holiday resort reps – a genuine passion for customer service, and the ability to handle pressure well.

Many jobs in the travel industry tend to be seasonal, so it is important to have some contingency planning for the off season – very few resort staff will earn enough to rest completely during the winter, although good staff will often have the opportunity to transfer to other resorts around the world.

Airlines tend to recruit all year round, and many staff will work their way up from the no-frills carriers to better known airlines such as Emirates or British Airways.  Cabin crew can expect fairly tough hours, and little rest.

With so many different choices and roles to choose from, from basic seasonal work in hotels, through to working as a pilot, salaries can range from minimum wage up to several hundred thousand pounds per year, and the range of opportunities is diverse and fulfilling.  Travel is an industry that many people develop a real affinity with thanks to the fact that they are generally helping people to have a good time and get more out of life.

If working in travel appeals to you, why not register now with job@twit, and add your CV to our website so that it can be seen by thousands of potential employers.

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Quick Tips for Interview Success

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009

Getting an interview for a new job is only one step in the process, and for many people, the actual interview itself is a really stressful event.  It’s pretty easy to get carried away with nerves, and ruin your chances of getting a job, so check out our quick tips for improving your interview skills.

Tip 1 – Be On Time

If you are desperately keen to mess up your chances of getting a job, then turn up for your interview late.  I’ve had candidates turn up twenty minutes late for an interview and then not apologised.  They didn’t get the job.  Plan your route to the venue, and gauge how long it takes.  Then set off with enough time to give you fifteen minutes of contingency before the time of the interview.  That will let you relax and prevent any added stress.

Tip 2 – Look Smart

OK, these days you’re probably not going to need to wear a suit for work every day, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t dress appropriately.  Have a shave, definitely shower, and check that your fingernails are clean.  if you turn up looking like you don’t care, the chances are that your interviewer won’t either, and you can kiss good bye to the job.

Tip 3  – Be Prepared

Read through your CV, as many questions will be asked about it.  You really should know the details of the company you have applied to, so visit their website and read up on their board and mission statement.   If you have been asked to prepare a presentation, then do that, and then rehearse it.  I’ve had people turn up and say that they thought that they would just talk.  Not a problem if they knew what they were talking about, but in the event they came across as idiots.

Tip 4 – Be Keen

Ask questions, show interest, give answers that show a bit of thought.  Easy.

Tip 5 – Get Something Out Of It

Honestly, no-one gets every job that they apply for, but it doesn’t mean that it’s a complete loss to you.  Provided you aren’t a complete arse about being rejected, no employer is going to have a problem giving you with  feedback about where you were good and where you weren’t so good.  Take the opportunity of getting advice, and it will help you next time.

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Looking for a job?

Thursday, August 6th, 2009

Despite the recession, and all of the economic woes that we see on the news, the fact is that there are still plenty of great jobs available – provided you are willing to look around.

People are still moving from one company to another, and this results in positions becoming open in many companies even when the company is ostensibly not recruiting for growth.

On the jobatwit blog, we will be providing help and guidance about improving your chances of getting the job you want, and helping you to find jobs that are rewarding both financially and also, and in many ways more importantly, in terms of the levels of satisfaction that they offer.

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