Candidate services: Sell yourself better

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Tips for an effective resume

Your resume or curriculum vitae (CV) is your principal marketing tool. It will rarely lead to securing you a good position on its own, but can certainly determine whether or not you will receive further consideration.

There are a number of elements that are essential to presenting your resume in the best possible way, and the information it contains should:

• Be complete, yet concise and to the point.
Ideally not more than three pages long

• Contain complete and correct dates of employment.
Always include the month and year of employment as well as
your reason for seeking employment

• Contain correct spelling and be checked for grammatical accuracy
and consistency

• Be accompanied by a head-and-shoulders photograph in jpeg (.jpg)

• Be accompanied by full contact details for two referees

When submitting your resume, be as specific as possible within the cover letter as regards the position you are looking for. This assists the employer or recruitment agent when sifting through the hundreds of resumes that they receive every day. Applications that tend to be more ‘general’ are often overlooked or moved to the bottom of the pile.

Tips for a good interview

Candidates are now facing tougher, more demanding selection processes than ever before. Applicants must be prepared to show evidence of past achievements and demonstrate their abilities as well as show that they have real passion for the industry and the job that they are applying for.

To stay one step ahead of the competition, we recommend that you follow the basic rules for interviewing in order to make the best impression:

Prior to an interview
• Research the company thoroughly. Take a look at their website,
read their latest news, discreetly ask around to get a feel for the company

• Ask your recruitment consultant for as much information on the job as
possible and ask questions before the interview if you are unsure of anything

• Prepare a brief list of questions to ask during the interview and also
draw up a list of responses to questions you expect to be asked

• Remember to take any supporting documents with you in
a professional-looking folder

On the day
• Leave in plenty of time, it’s better to arrive 20 minutes early than five minutes
late and use that extra time to mentally prepare yourself for the interview

• Remember to turn your mobile off or put it on silent

• Be a confident, professional and respectful version of yourself
– make the first impression count

• Maintain eye contact with the interviewer and use the interviewer’s name

• Listen carefully to the questions asked and take your time to think about
your response before you answer