Advice for Jobseekers

The cornerstone of any job application is your CV. After all, this is what gets you past the first screening process.

It goes without saying that you CV must be typed, but you should also think carefully about presentation.

• Use clear headings so that the pages are broken down into clear and manageable sections.
• Do not write too much. Most employers just want a snapshot to determine whether they should consider you for interview. 2 or 3 pages is plenty.
• Detail your career history in reverse order. Employers are more interested in your current role(s) than ones you did many years ago.
• Sell yourself but also be honest. If you exaggerate your abilities it will back fire on you in the end.
• Think about what the employer is looking for and put yourself in their shoes. What qualities will they be looking for?
• Once you have written your CV, challenge yourself to cut it down in length by a third. This will force you to strip out all the waffle and unnecessary details.
• As well as job related skills do not forget other abilities such as being a team player, being self-motivated etc. Try and give some very brief examples of these qualities.
• Be yourself and don't be over formal in your style. Your CV is an opportunity to express your personality through the written page.

At interview make sure you can provide strong answers to questions related to your CV. What you have said about yourself will be scrutinised and you must be able to add to what you have written, not repeat it.