Candidate Services - Presenting your skills

It is important that you are totally clear on the type of organisation you want to work for and that your approach is focused to finding that position. Whether it's temporary, permanent or contract positions you are interested in pursuing, you must make a realistic assessment of your skills and abilities as well as your marketability and the level of remuneration you desire. However, in isolation the aforementioned are not enough to get that next assignment or career move, you will be up against a highly motivated peer group, so you will need to analyse and practice your approach, to convince the interviewer that you're the right person for their organisation.

• Constructing the CV
• Constructing a Personal Profile
• Interview Preparation
• The Interview
• Equal Opportunities Policy (leaves page)

Constructing the CV

Fundamentally a selling tool, your CV is a document that provides information about you to a prospective employer. The content will include personal information, along with accurate and detailed examples of your experience, skills and abilities. It is important to relate your experience to the role you are applying for in a way that highlights your strengths and suitability in an honest and concise format.

CV Content

There is no universally accepted format for constructing your CV, however, some useful tips to follow are: -

• Three pages maximum, two is more acceptable.
• If posting, use good quality white paper with no fancy borders.
• As far as possible, prepare your CV in the third person.
• Reverse chronological order.
• Keep it concise.
• Avoid self-opinion.
• Include factual information.
• Focus on the benefits of your achievements and list them.
• Do not leave gaps, explain them.
• Be honest.
• Keep Hobbies and interests brief.
• Update your CV on a regular basis.

Should you require any further assistance in constructing your CV or need some general guidance, call an Account Manager at Harris Hill.

Constructing a Personal Profile

Until the Harris Hill Account Manager meets you for an interview, or puts your details forward to a potential employer, the only information they have seen about you is your CV. CVs should always be introduced by a covering letter or personal profile as they can really let your personality come through. Remember, Account Managers and employers read hundreds of CVs, and an interesting introductory letter or profile can make yours stand out.

Your letter or profile can be used to pick up points which modesty or space prevented you from including in your CV (i.e. to highlight your key strengths relevant to the job). An introduction letter or profile can save you from having to rewrite the CV each time you want to target your application to a specific employer or sector, but please remember this type of document is used in conjunction with and supportive of your CV, so always keep your CV up to date.

Interview Preparation

Your success at interview will depend on how much effort you have put into preparing for your meeting. Typically those candidates who have undertaken research into their prospective employers organisation, formulated their responses to standard questions and have prepared some questions to put to the interviewer are those who get placed.

Potential employer's always find it impressive when a candidate has shown the initiative and the interest in their organisation to find out more than just who they are and what they do, but can talk about: -

• Organisation background and history.
• Financial state of the organisation.
• Size of the sector and competitors.
• Number of employees.
• Number of offices and locations (International or UK only?)
• Recent accomplishments, major announcements.
• Is this vacancy due to expansion or replacement?

Having a general overview of the organisation will give you confidence and is easy to acquire. Information can be obtained from a variety of sources including: -

• Your Harris Hill Account Manager.
• The Internet.
• Organisation's brochures.
• Annual Reports.
• Directories.
• Trade Associations.
• Libraries.
• Public information providers, i.e. Companies House.

In addition, analyse your suitability to the role. Study the job description and/or person specification and review your experience and abilities to perform the role and prepare examples to give the interviewer.

Obvious, but very important, are appearance and timing. If in doubt ask your Harris Hill Account Manager what the client's dress code is, but as a rule, smart business dress is recommended. You will be given full details of the client's address, location and contact details from Harris Hill. However, ensure you plan your journey in advance and allow for possible delays so as to arrive five to ten minutes early and remember to take the contact details with you.

The Interview

Your preparation, research, appearance and timing will stand you in good stead on the day of the interview, but remember no matter how well prepared and qualified you are for the role, your personality, professionalism and confidence are all equally as important. If you are not a particularly confident person, practice a positive handshake, greeting and posture, and go through your list of questions with a friend.

Interviews are varied in their content and come in different forms, from one-to-one interviews, panel interviews and group interviews. Testing may also be required, these might consist of psychometric or aptitude tests. Naturally your Harris Hill Account Manager will inform you in advance of any tests or changes from the standard one-to-one interview.

During the interview show a real interest in the role and concentrate on the questions posed by the interviewer. Try to use open-ended answers rather than just 'yes or no'. Avoid too much self-opinion and speaking negatively about other people or organisations and always try to keep eye contact. You must try as much as possible to keep your answers to any questions relevant and interesting, this could be the fifth interview of the day for the interviewer, so keep to the point and demonstrate the benefits and advantages of employing you.

At the end of the interview, make sure you tell the interviewer you are interested in taking the position and ask closed questions like; "have I answered all of your questions", or "is there anything else you need to know about me before you make your decision", or "what is the next stage?"

It may help to have information about yourself that you can leave with the interviewer; your CV, references or documentary evidence of achievements or projects successfully completed. At the final stage of the decision process, the interviewer will have a tangible focus to remember you by and distinguish you from others!

Phone your Harris Hill Account Manager immediately after your interview with feedback. This will enable the Account Manager to go back to the interviewer to gain their feedback and get an answer to you as quickly as possible.

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