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The world has changed over the last 3 years, including the economy and the job market. Whether this means more opportunities to work flexibly, or job losses and redundancies as some sectors have declined. So has this made you feel that it’s time for change in your career? Also, what does this mean if you’re job hunting, and how can you take advantage of these changes?

CV Writing

• Your CV needs to tell the story of your career. It should, therefore, help an employer to make sense of how you got from where you started, to where you are now
• Highlighting how your transferable skills make you a good candidate for the job you’re applying for is essential. Include relevant non-work skills that you’ve gained from things like voluntary work and hobbies too
• If you’re training for a qualification to help with a career change, put this near the top of your CV so it’s one of the first things that a recruiter sees
• Ideally amend your CV for each job you apply for. Show you meet the specific skills and experience being asked for, and you’re more likely to get an interview
• The good news is that once you’ve got a strong CV, you have the foundation of the information you’ll need to use for the rest of your job hunting journey
• Finally, use your CV to answer the question about what makes you unique and stand out from the crowd

Cover Letter

• Your cover letter is a short summary of your CV. Use it to highlight key achievements that show you’re a good fit for the job
• Most recruiters will take seconds to decide whether to put your CV on the ‘yes’ pile. Your cover letter is another tool to quickly highlight to the employer why you’ve got what they’re looking for

Job Applications

• If you’re looking for a change in career, be creative, but also realistic, about the jobs you’re interested in. Consider jobs you can apply for based on your transferable skills and any training or new qualifications you’re studying for
• A common mistake people make is thinking that the more jobs you apply for, the greater your chances of success. However, the opposite is true. You’re more likely to do well if you focus on writing a few, well thought through applications
• Be prepared to invest time in each application and look carefully at the skills and experience the company are asking for. Make sure that you cover all of these in your answers, and only copy from previous applications if the information really is relevant to your new application

Interview Preparation

• The old saying “fail to prepare and prepare to fail” is unfortunately true if you want to be successful in an interview
• Make sure you’ve read all the information the company has sent to you. They’ve done that for a reason, and you should think about how that could relate to questions you might be asked
• Research the company or organisation, and the interviewers too, if you’ve been given their names. You need to show your potential employer that you’re interested in their company, not that you just want any job
• If it’s a competency based interview, think of some examples for each competency before the interview. Have some examples too of situations where things didn’t go well, as this is a common question. Use it as an opportunity to show the interviewer what you learnt from it
• Be able to explain in a positive way why you want a change in career. Employers will understand if you’re looking for a better work / life balance, or a less stressful job. They won’t be impressed if your reason is just to have an easier life! If you’re taking a training course, or studying for a new qualification, show the interviewers that you’ve thought about how you could practically apply the theory from your course into the job you’re being interviewed for

If you’ve found these tips useful and would like help with CV writing, your cover letter, LinkedIn profile, job applications or to improve your interview techniques, please get in touch.

Your CV is your primary tool to sell what you have to offer and convince an employer you’re the person they’re looking for. In a competitive career market, it’s more important than ever for your CV to stand out clearly from the crowd of other applicants. Here are some top tips to improve your CV and get recruiters to put it on the ‘yes’ pile ahead of other candidates.

1. Focus on Quality

• The first thing to take into consideration is the length of your CV. Aim for 2 pages, 3 at the most if you have many years experience. Spend time thinking very carefully about what you want to put in your CV.
• If your CV is too short, it’s unlikely that it’ll include enough information for a potential employer to get a good understanding of your skills and experience. A list of your jobs without any details of your key responsibilities and achievements won’t help the recruiter to know that you’re a good fit for their role.
• If your CV is too long, it’ll make it much harder for the person reading it to pull out the key points you want them to know. If a recruiter has to work to understand what you’re trying to tell them, then they’re likely to stop reading and put your CV on the “no” pile. The information that you decide to leave out is almost as important as what you put in.
• Identify the skills and experience that are required for the jobs you’re interested in. Really focusing on those will improve the quality of your CV. You should aim to tailor your CV so you show that you meet the specifications of each job you apply for.

2. Your CV: Why You’re Unique

• We’re all different and bring different things to a job. You may do the same work as another person, but you’ll both bring different experiences and personality to it. Use your CV as a tool to sell to a potential employer what it is that makes you unique.
• Your Personal Profile should summarise this and set the context for the recruiter as they read the rest of your CV. Think about what you would tell someone you didn’t know if you were having a quick chat. It’ll help you really clarify what you have to offer.

3. Add Learning to Your CV

• The past 3 years have brought challenges and opportunities. You might have considered a change of direction in your career and signed up for a training course. You could be volunteering to help with a community project. Maybe you’ve taken up a hobby that you’d been meaning to do for years.
• Whatever you’ve spent your time doing, make sure that your CV reflects any new skills or experience that you’ve gained. Think about how these could be relevant to the types of roles that you want to apply for, and therefore will be attractive to a potential employer.

4. Transferable Skills

• Roles in certain sectors are declining while there are new roles and sectors that are growing. Being able to identify your transferable skills, especially if you are making a career change, is therefore more important than ever. Make sure you include relevant skills clearly in your CV so potential employers can see what you have to offer.
• Don’t dismiss your life skills. Think as broadly as you can about skills from family life, through voluntary work, or even from your hobbies. For example, if you play a team sport, you are literally demonstrating that you’re a team player!
• Think about the way you define yourself. When describing themselves, most people will talk in terms of their job titles. People will say ‘I’m a chef’, or ‘I’m an accountant’. Rather than thinking in that very restricted way, by changing your mindset, you can change the way you define yourself. For example, ‘I have time management skills’, ‘I’m able to manage staff in a pressurised environment’, or ‘I have financial management skills’. These are the types of transferable skills you can take with you into any role.

5. Format

• It’s important your CV is set out in a way that makes it easy to read and highlights key information.
• There are 2 main formats. The traditional format lists your career experience chronologically, starting with your most recent role. The other is a skills-based CV where key skills and achievements relating to the role you’re applying for are featured on the front page. This is a good format to use if you’re changing career and want to show your transferable skills to an employer.
• Whichever format you choose, clearly set out each section. Using headings and bullet points will also make it much easier to read, and show the employer you have the relevant skills they are looking for.

If you’ve found these tips useful and would like help with CV writing, your cover letter, LinkedIn profile, job applications or to improve your interview techniques, please get in touch.

In a crowded job market, it’s important to make sure that you stand out from other candidates. Use these tips for completing application forms to help you clearly set out to recruiters why you’re the best person for the job.

Even though you may have a strong CV, many employers will ask for job applications as well. This may be your first chance to make an impression on a potential employer. It can be the difference between being rejected outright or invited for interview. A high-quality application that shows you’ve thought about the role and can meet the requirements, should get the attention of the recruiter.

1. Information is key

• Before you start to complete your application, make sure that you’ve got all the information available to hand. Read it carefully.
• Information can come from a number of sources, including the job advert. If there are contact details for the recruiting manager or recruitment consultant, get in touch with them. Having the opportunity to talk to someone about the job and the company can give you much more insight into what they’re looking for. This could give you an advantage over other applicants because you can use this additional information when you fill in your application.
• If you’re not able to talk to someone, you can gather more information about the organisation by searching online. You could also use your networks if you know someone already working for the company, or they may have contacts who can help.
• You may also receive an application pack that usually includes the original advert, job description, person specification and some background information on the organisation. Read all this information carefully!

2. Understand the person spec

• To be successful, it’s essential that you understand the criteria in the Job Description and Person Specification. Go through these documents carefully so that you’re clear about the skills and experience that the employer is looking for.
• Make sure you show that you match the ‘essential’ criteria when completing the form. This is how your application will be assessed. If you don’t meet all of the essential criteria then you may not get invited to the interview stage.
• You’ll need to give evidence on how you meet each point in the person spec by using specific examples from your work or other experience.
  

3. Make every word count

• Don’t include information unless it relates to the skills and experience that are being asked for. Make sure that you’re regularly checking to see that the evidence you’re giving meets the criteria.
• Pull out headings from the criteria in the Person Spec and Job Description to keep your answers to the point. You can use these headings when you complete the Personal Statement section of the application form.
• Don’t give standard answers or copy and paste from previous applications. It’s likely that each employer will be looking for something slightly different. If you just recycle old answers, you’re unlikely to really give the recruiter the information they’re looking for.

4. Focus on your Personal Statement

• The Personal Statement is probably the most important section of the application form. It brings your information to life. It’s your chance to set yourself apart from the crowd of other applicants and sell your skills and experience.
• It gives you a real opportunity to show that you’re the person that the company is looking for and to get you to the next stage of the recruitment process.
• Applications will sometimes only be sifted against the evidence you provide in your Personal Statement, so it’s important to invest the time to get it right!
  

5. Check and double check

• If you can, write your answers in Word first so you can check spelling and grammar, then copy and paste into the application form.
• Make sure that the whole application hangs together. If you’ve mentioned a job in your Personal Statement, it needs to be included in your list of previous employment.
• Get someone to read through your application before you submit it. A second pair of eyes can spot mistakes and point out any information that isn’t relevant, or doesn’t make sense.

If you’ve found these tips for completing application forms useful and would like help with this, or with updating your CV, writing a LinkedIn profile or improving your interview techniques, please get in touch.

If you’re looking for a new job, then you’ll probably have to take part in an interview to get it. With an average of only 6 people being interviewed (Glassdoor), the competition for every vacancy is fierce. So if you do get invited for an interview, you’ll want to be sure that you represent yourself in the best possible way. These tips for interview techniques could help improve your chances of doing that, and of being offered the job.

Develop a Positive Mindset

• Given the competition for jobs, you’ve done really well to get an interview. This should give you a big confidence boost
• The potential employer has recognised that you have skills and experience that they think their organisation needs. Use this as a starting point to build a positive mindset
• Thinking positively and being confident will come across to the interviewer. If they see that you’re a confident person who believes in themselves, they’re more likely to believe in you too. Interviewing a confident candidate is a much easier task for an interviewer. It can also help to give more weight to your answers than those from someone who is nervous

Plan and Prepare

• Really understand the job. You’ll already have thought about how your skills and experience match the job description and essential criteria in the person specification when you applied for the job. Take some time to remind yourself about these. Think in more detail about how you would apply these in practice to the role
• Know your strengths and weaknesses. It’s usually easier to think about positive things to tell your interviewer than discuss things that you’re not so good at. Make sure you’ve thought about where you need to develop and how you plan to address these areas
• Do your research on the organisation so you can show that you’ve got a real interest. Interviewers will want to be convinced that it’s not just any job that you’re looking for, but that you really want to work for their organisation
• Prepare some answers based on the job description and person specification. If it’s a competency based interview, think of examples of times when you’ve demonstrated those competencies. Also, think of questions to ask the interviewer because this will help you to know if the job is for you and shows that you’re really interested in the company too

Get Warmed Up

• Energy levels can drop with more limited social interaction and if you’re not working, you may be missing being part of a team. Mentally walk through the format of the interview and remind yourself of the key points you want to get across
• Try to be a little excited. Look on your interview as a great opportunity to sell what’s unique about your skills and experience
• If it’s a virtual interview, make sure you dress as you would if the interview was face to face. Looking smart and wearing clothes you would usually wear for work will help to get you mentally into work mode

Be Confident and Build a Rapport

• Even if you don’t feel as confident as you’d like, make sure you appear confident to the interviewer. First impressions are really important in any interview whether they’re face to face or virtual
• As soon as you can, build a relationship with your interviewer, even if it’s small talk about the weather before the interview starts. Remember that anyone you have communication with during the recruitment process will form an opinion of you, so always try to make a good impression
• Virtual interviews can make it harder to build rapport, but even on a telephone interview, smiling and really listening to the interviewer will help you to make a positive connection with them

Take Your Time and Answer the Questions

• Take your time and really listen to the question. Make sure you answer the question you’re being asked, not the one you think should be asked
• If you’re not sure about the question, don’t worry about asking for it to be repeated, or to get clarification. If it helps, write the question down so you can check that you’re answering it properly
• Don’t panic if your mind goes blank. It can happen to anyone! If you’ve built up a good rapport with the interviewer, you can make a small joke of it. Checking your notes can help get you back on track. Once you’ve dealt with the situation don’t let it affect the rest of the interview

Mock Interviews

A mock interview is a great way to practice using these tips for interview techniques in a safe environment and to get feedback on what you’re doing well and things you could improve. Especially, if you haven’t taken part in an interview for a while, and your skills are a little rusty.

If you’ve found these tips for interview techniques useful and would like to put them into practice with a mock interview, please get in touch.

A positive attitude to keep going and believe you’re capable of succeeding, is so important when you’re job hunting. Basically, believe in yourself and what’s unique about you, and employers will too.

You have skills and experience that have the potential to be valued by a new employer. However, if you constantly put barriers in your way, your chances of realising that potential get reduced as each barrier goes up.

Here are some of those common barriers:

1. ‘I can’t apply for that job because I don’t have the right experience, or I’ve never done that job before.’

Identify your transferable skills, not just from previous jobs, but from voluntary work and life experience. Define yourself by your skills and experience, not by old job titles. Think about how your transferable skills relate to the requirements of the jobs you want to apply for.

2. ‘I don’t think I can put that on my job application.’

It’s very important not to put anything on you application that isn’t true. It’s equally important to recognise that, on the whole, we’re not good at selling our own talents. Culturally we tend to underplay our achievements. This is not the time to do that! If you’ve personally been responsible for a success in your job, don’t be afraid to take credit for it and tell your potential new employer about it.

3. ‘Even if I do get selected for an interview, they’ll be so many more experienced candidates than me, I’ll never get the job.’

Having reviewed hundreds of CVs to shortlist candidates for interview, I can assure you that if the recruiter doesn’t see something in your CV that makes you suitable for the role, you’re not going to get selected for interview! From the recruiter’s perspective, interviews are time-consuming and often need to be fitted in around other work pressures. A recruiter is not going to invest time in you if they don’t think you have something to offer.

4. ‘I’ve got an interview, but I’m so bad at them I ruin my chances of success.’

It’s likely there have been hundreds of applications for a vacancy. Generally only a dozen or fewer candidates will progress to the interview stage, so the fact that you’ve been offered an interview should be a huge boost to your self-confidence. Your potential employer has seen something in you. You should have the belief to see that in yourself as well. On the whole, the person interviewing you wants you to do well. You need to be prepared to answer what you might think of as ‘difficult’ questions, but they’re unlikely to be trying to deliberately trip you up. If you prepare properly for your interview, you’ll give yourself the best chance for success.

You can have all the skills and experience a potential employer is looking for. If you don’t have the confidence to believe that you can succeed, you’re setting yourself up for failure before you even start. Believe in yourself and employers will too. Find out more about building your self-belief skills at The Employment Organisation https://www.youthemployment.org.uk/young-professional-training/self-belief-skills-young-professional/

If you’d like support with CV writing, cover letters, LinkedIn profile, job applications or interview techniques, please get in touch. We’d be very happy to talk to you about the services we have to offer.