Creating a CV
When applying for jobs you will usually be required to have a CV or you will be asked to populate online forms with the details that you would usually have in your CV. To prepare we have given you some tips on what information to include in your CV and some tips on how to structure it.
Your header should be at the top of the page and include your name, phone number and email address so employers immediately know who you are and how to reach you.
Your professional summary is a short paragraph that introduces you to the reader. This section sums up your best qualifications and explains your ideal career path.
List any skills that apply to potential jobs you are applying for, for example different languages you speak, types of systems or programmes you can use and skills such as financial planning that you may have.
Try to include skills that relate to the job description to make yourself a more desirable candidate. Be creative about what skills you have and how you use them, it might not always be in a job role but might be in your home/personal life, for example prioritising, planning, and multitasking may be skills you use at home that you are able to demonstrate and give examples of if required. Employers are looking for creative thinkers and people who look outside the box.
Detail all your work experience so your prospective employer can see your career path. Put these in date order starting from the most recent. Make sure you include:
- Full-time and part-time employment
- Permanent and temporary roles
- Work placements
- Volunteer work
Include the following details for each of your roles:
- Job title
- Name of your employer
- Employment dates
- Short summary of what your role included
- Key achievements while in the role
It’s important to include a section on your educational history. List your education in reverse chronological order, with your most recent qualifications first. Include details of qualifications you already have but also those that you might still be studying. Make sure you only include qualifications that are relevant for your job search.
You can choose to include a brief overview of your hobbies and interests, this gives a little more of an insight into you as a person and your interests.
You can find template documents for your CV either by googling templates or by using Microsoft Word. You can use the above information to populate a template that best suits your style and personality.
Once you have a CV you need to know where to find job adverts. You can find job adverts in lots of different locations and platforms, some of the most popular places are:
(CV Library/ Indeed / Monster / Total jobs) – these are some of the most popular job boards, on here you can search for roles based on job titles/fields that you are interested in and filter on salary and location. On these job boards you can set up job alerts so when jobs you are interested in are made live you will get an email alert.
If you have a LinkedIn profile you will be able to search for roles here. You click on the job’s icon located at top of the page, here it will bring up job recommendations based on your profile but will also give you the opportunity to do a filtered search for roles.
Some employers will post job adverts on their social media pages (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok). Some have separate careers social media pages for this too. If you know of any employers that you would be interested in working for, try to search for their pages and follow them so you see their posts coming through.
Businesses usually have a career or jobs page located on their website, here they will have a full list of their roles and a link where you can apply.
you can send you CV to a recruitment agency who will support you with your job search. They will ask for a copy of your CV and some more details on what you are looking for in a role. They will then be able to update you on roles they are recruiting for and send your CV to perspective employers and organise interviews.
After applying for roles, you will start to get invited to interviews for these roles. Prior to the interview you will need to do some preparation in order to give yourself the best chance of success.
Research the company
Understanding key information about the company you’re interviewing with can help you go into your interview with confidence. Using the company’s website, social media posts and recent press releases will provide a solid understanding of the Company’s goals and how, your background makes you a great fit. The best way to do this is to head to www.google.co.uk
Using a google search by adding the company’s name into the search bar will show you the company website and any recent articles about them.
When you head to the website look for further information about the company listed on the webpage e.g., our company, our history, about us, our values and culture. All are valuable sources of information.
Social media
Depending on your preference of social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc) you might find different information on different platforms depending on how much presence the business you are researching has on social media.
LinkedIn is the social media platform that is focused on work so this will probably be the best place for you to start when researching a potential business. You can search for the business and then look at their posts, people who work for the business and more information about the business.
Press releases
You can often find press releases on company websites, if these are available, they are usually under the news or updates section on their website, here you can find all the releases they have published. You can also google the company you are researching and filter by news to see any other new stories relating to them.
Read the job description
You may want to print it out and begin underlining specific skills the employer is looking for. Think about examples from your past and current work that align with these requirements.
Practice your answers to common interview questions
Prepare your answer to the common question: “Tell me about yourself, and why are you interested in this role with our company?” The idea is to quickly communicate who you are and what value you will bring to the company and the role.
- Start by discussing your current situation. Explain your current role / situation and highlight major, relevant achievements and responsibilities.
- Work back in time from most recent and hit key points explaining how they will help you in the role you are applying for.
- Connect your background, interests and qualifications back to the job you are applying for and how they will make you successful.
What are your strengths?
- Consider a few of your strengths before the interview and have them prepared. Don’t do yourself a disservice by saying you don’t know, or you don’t have any, if you don’t believe you have any the person interviewing you will assume the same.
- Try and give strengths that are unique to make you stand out.
What are your areas of development or weakness?
- Similarly, to your strengths, make sure you have prepared some areas of development for you.
- Be self-aware, saying you have nothing that you can improve on shows a lack of reflection and self-awareness, it’s not a weakness admitting you could improve on something, it shows that you want to continuously self-improve and continue your development.
- Prepare something about the business from your research that interests you and would make you want to work for them.
- Saying you don’t know or “getting paid” show that you are not engaged with the business and its culture and just want a job and that it doesn’t matter what it is. Perspective employers want you to want to work for them and not just be an avenue to a job.
What questions do you have for me?
- You know you will be asked this, so have some questions prepared. You could ask about the company culture, what it takes to perform well in the job, or ask about a specific objective you know the company is working on. Be interested and engaged and leave the interviewer with a positive impression of how much you want the job.
What motivates you?
- An honest answer is good here but try to avoid just saying money. If you can think of something relevant to the role, that’s great – for example, you might say you like a fast-paced environment and innovation.
Prepare to be asked about times in the past when you used a specific skill and use the STAR method to tell stories with a clear Situation, Task, Action and Result.
- Situation – What is the context of your story? Set the scene, tell your interviewer when or where this event took place.
- Task – What was your role in this situation?
- Action – What did you do?
- Result – What did your actions lead to?
Add in an example such as a customer complaint or needing to support a colleague on a project.
Practising your answers out loud is an incredibly effective way to prepare, you can say them to yourself or ask a friend or family member to help run through questions and answers. You’ll find you gain confidence as you get used to saying the words.
Be prepared with examples of your work
During the interview, you will likely be asked about specific work you’ve completed in relation to the position. After reviewing the job description, think of work you’ve done in past jobs, clubs or volunteer positions that show you have experience and success doing the work they require.
Below are some tips for what to do on the day of your interview if you are having a face-to-face interview to give you the best chance of success.
Plan your interview attire the night before
If you’re speaking to a recruiter before the interview, you can ask them about the dress code in the workplace and choose your outfit accordingly. If you don’t have someone to ask, research the company to learn what’s appropriate. If you can’t find any information on the outfit, or they wear a uniform, just opt for something clean and tidy like a shirt and trousers/skirt. Try to avoid wearing trainers, sportswear or anything too casual.
Bring a copy of your CV, a notebook and a pen
Highlight specific accomplishments on your CV that you can easily refer to and discuss. Bring a pen and a small notebook. Prepare to take notes, but not on your smartphone or another electronic device. Write information down so that you can refer to these details in your follow-up thank-you notes. Remember to try to maintain eye contact as much as possible.
Plan your schedule to arrive 10–15 minutes early
Map out your route to the interview location so you can be sure to arrive on time. Consider doing a practice run. If you’re taking public transport, identify a backup plan if there are delays or closures.
Be polite, approachable and smile. Offer your hand for a handshake.
Treat everyone you encounter with respect
This includes people on the road and in the car park, or any other potential future colleagues. Treat everyone you don’t know as though they’re the hiring manager. Even if they aren’t, your potential employer might ask for their feedback.
Practice good manners and body language
Practice confident, accessible body language from the moment you enter the building. Before the interview, take a deep breath and exhale slowly to manage feelings of anxiety and encourage self-confidence. Maintain eye contact and smile.
- Be polite
- Greet interviewers and introduce yourself to them
- Thank them for their time and the opportunity to interview
- Don’t interrupt interviewers when they are talking. You can always refer to something they have said at a later point
- Switch your phone onto silent so you aren’t interrupted
Win them over with honesty and positivity
Being genuine during interview conversations can help employers easily relate to you. Showing positivity with a smile and upbeat attitude can help keep the interview light and constructive.
While it can seem tempting to embellish your skills and accomplishments, interviewers find honesty refreshing and virtuous. Focus on your key strengths and why your background makes you uniquely qualified for the position.
Tie your answers to your skills and accomplishments
With any question you answer, you must tie your background to the job by providing examples of solutions and results you’ve achieved. Use every opportunity to address the requirements listed in the job description.
Keep your answers focused and to the point
Your time with each interviewer is limited so be mindful of rambling. Practicing your answers beforehand can help keep you focused to the question being asked.
Do not speak negatively about previous employers
Companies want to recruit problem solvers who overcome tough situations. If you’re feeling discouraged about your current job, focus on talking about what you’ve gained from that experience and what you want to do next.
Ask about next steps
After your interview, it is appropriate to ask either your interviewer, hiring manager or recruiter about what you should expect next. This will likely be a follow-up email with results from your interview and additional requirements like a presentation or another interview.
Online interviews are similar to face to face interviews, but with some key differences. Below are some tips for what to do on the day of your interview to give you the best chance of success if you are meeting the interviewers virtually.
Plan your interview attire the night before
Treat online interviews as you would face to face interviews and make sure you are dressed accordingly and have your camera on. If you’re speaking to a recruiter before the interview, you can ask them about the dress code in the workplace and choose your outfit accordingly. If you don’t have someone to ask, research the company to learn what’s appropriate.
Check you can access the online platform
Prior to the interview make sure you have access to the platform or app that the interview is taking place on. Don’t leave it to the last minute and have to download it when you are due to start the interview. Check the view on your camera. Make sure it is showing a clean, tidy background view of your home, or use a neutral background to ensure all attention is on you.
Have a copy of your CV, a notebook and a pen
Highlight specific accomplishments on your CV that you can easily refer to and discuss. Have a pen and a small notebook. Prepare to take notes, but not on your smartphone or another electronic device. Write information down so that you can refer to these details in your follow-up thank-you notes.
As you would a face-to-face interview make sure you join in advance of the interview. This gives you an opportunity to sort out any technical issues, but also check that your camera is lined up to capture you and add any background filters on as required. If your background is busy with potential distractions for the interviewer or does not project a professional background, then it is advisable to add a filter on. Also make sure that the device that you are joining on is set up on a stable base and is not in your hand. It can be very distracting for the interviewer if the camera is moving in your hand.
Make a great first impression
Be polite, approachable and smile.
Practice good manners and body language
As you would with a face-to-face interview, practice confident accessible body language from the moment you join the video session. Ensure you maintain eye contact with the interviewer and are not distracted. Imagine that you are face to face and treat the interview in the same way.
- Be polite
- Greet interviewers and introduce yourself to them
- Thank them for their time and the opportunity to interview
- Don’t interrupt interviewers when they are talking. You can always refer to something they have said at a later point
Win them over with authenticity and positivity
Being genuine during interview conversations can help employers easily relate to you. Showing positivity with a smile and upbeat attitude can help keep the interview light and constructive.
While it can seem tempting to embellish your skills and accomplishments, interviewers find honesty refreshing and virtuous. Focus on your key strengths and why your background makes you uniquely qualified for the position.
Tie your answers to your skills and accomplishments
With any question you answer, you must tie your background to the job by providing examples of solutions and results you’ve achieved. Use every opportunity to address the requirements listed in the job description.
Keep your answers focused and to the point
Your time with each interviewer is limited so be mindful of rambling. Practicing your answers beforehand can help keep you focused.
Do not speak negatively about previous employers
Companies want to recruit problem solvers who overcome tough situations. If you’re feeling discouraged about your current job, focus on talking about what you’ve gained from that experience and what you want to do next.
Ask about next steps
After your interview, it is appropriate to ask either your interviewer, hiring manager or recruiter about what you should expect next. This will likely be a follow-up email with results from your interview and additional requirements like a presentation or another interview.
Congratulations! You’ve been offered the job! Here are some key tips on what to do after a job offer has been made.
Thank the recruiter for the offer
It is important to thank the recruiter for making the job offer. Even if you do not accept the offer, it is good practice to thank them for choosing you.
Take your time
You may have already decided if you are going to accept the job offer, however it is important that you listen to all the details and if you need to, take a little bit of time to consider the offer and discuss it with friends or family. A reasonable employer will accept you saying you just need to think over the offer before accepting. Don’t take too long to accept or decline as the employer will have to carry on the process, so it is only fair that you decide in a timely fashion and be honest with them.
Job offers
Remember that although salary is important, it is not the only part of your offer. It is important that you understand everything that makes up your offer, this can include:
- Salary
- Car allowance
- Bonus
- Holidays
- Pension
- Medical benefits
- Staff discount
You may think you deserve a higher starting salary in your new position, but what do the job markets say? To enter a negotiation fully informed, research online so you can determine the going rate for your position and experience. Successful salary negotiations depend on honesty from both parties. Skip the bluffing and be honest about your needs and expectations.
Don’t overlook the benefits. Salary negotiations often include some give-and-take on benefits. Consider what’s valuable to you and what would make an offer more attractive to you and your lifestyle.
Know when to wrap it up. If the employer has made a reasonable offer, consider accepting it as is. A reasonable employer won’t withdraw an offer just because you tried to negotiate, but dragging out the salary negotiation can frustrate the recruiting manager. If the company can’t meet your requirements after a few discussions, respectfully withdraw your application.
After the interview – unsuccessful application
It can be demoralising if you have been unsuccessful in your application for a role following an interview. However, it is important that you take the positives from the experience and ask the recruiter for some feedback. This allows you to understand why you haven’t been successful and gives you the opportunity to understand what you can improve for future interviews.
It is important to thank the recruiter for giving you the opportunity to interview and for giving you feedback for your development.