Thread: Job Hunting and Interview Information

Hi all I work in recruitment and have done for 2 years and in that time I have amassed a fair amount of knowledge of the field and I am always helping friends and family with CVs and interviews so thought maybe I could help a few of you as well

I have typed out a couple of guides for you all to have a nosey at, and also I have a CV template that I can email out to anyone who wants it - just drop me a PM with your email address and I'll forward it on to you

Also if you have any questions at all, just ask and I'll try my best to help!

[align=center]A GUIDE TO JOB HUNTING[/align]

Prioritise your needs
Work out your priorities. What's important to you, what sort of company do you want to work for and what type of job you are after? How ambitious are you, would you be prepared to relocate, how far are you willing to commute and how important is job satisfaction? This initial homework will help you to recognise your own key requirements and could save a huge amount of time that could be wasted chasing after the wrong type of job.

Executive CV tips
Selling yourself and your skills successfully in your CV can make all the difference between securing an interview or finding yourself on the reject list. Remember to focus on your achievements, to give examples of tasks you have successfully completed which demonstrate your strengths and competencies and to include activities that reflect your attitude and personality. Your CV should be tailored to specific job opportunities and you should have an electronic version as well as a paper based one.

Jobs on line
The internet has revolutionised the search for work and the web is a great place to look for jobs. There are hundreds of different jobs advertised on the internet with many agencies having lists of all their recent vacancies, and because it's available 24-7 you can check up on your job opportunities whenever it suits you. But make sure that you set up a private email address because you won't want to be bombarded at work.

Get connected
The web, which gives you access to more than a million companies in every part of the globe, is the place to research your potential employers. Use a search engine such as http://www.yahoo.co.uk or http://www.google.co.uk to find out the latest on specific companies, industries and who's been in the news.

Effective time management
Using your time effectively is crucial, particularly if you are working whilst looking for your new job and it's here that your strategy and plan of action will come into their own. Make sure that your plan has targets, realistic deadlines, and that you set certain periods of time aside to focus on your search. One hour of concentrated effort is worth four hours of interruptions so make sure you are not disturbed! In today's busy world it's all about learning to save time and spend it effectively.

[align=center]INTERVIEW SUCCESS[/align]

Essential homework
Find out as much as you can about the job, analyse the job description, try and work out what sort of person is required and match that to your own strengths and skills. If you are going through an employment agency then your consultant will be able to give you a detailed job description and make sure you know all about the position before you get there.

Research the company, products, staff, culture, clients and competitors. Find out all you can about them to show you are really interested in joining. Local reference libraries can often help here or you can contact the company direct and ask for information such as the Report and Accounts and other literature. Look at the company's website.

Plan your route
Give yourself plenty of time to get to the appointment - ideally you should aim to arrive 5-10 minutes early to give yourself a chance to look around and to relax.

Dress for success
Think carefully about what to wear, the importance of first impressions cannot be overstated. Make sure that you look smart and professional. Wear something that is appropriate to the company you are going to see. For most businesses a suit is the best option but if you are having an interview with a company in the design and advertising field you may want to dress with a bit more flair. Golden rules include smart polished shoes, clean tidy hair - tied back is a good option if it's long, discreet jewellery, clean nails and not too much perfume or aftershave. There's nothing worse for the interviewer if he or she has to contend with jangling jewellery and the fact that you are fiddling or flicking your hair back throughout the discussion. Remember you want them to focus on you and your abilities, so don't give them any reasons to be distracted.

Think about
What it is you want to achieve from the interview. Remember it's a two way discussion and is as much for you to find out about them as the other way round. Try rehearsing with a friend, giving you the opportunity to go over key points.

Make a note
Of any questions to ask on the day or any points you would like to cover at the interview. Employers aren't impressed if all you want to know is the salary. They want to know that you are genuinely interested in the job and have given some serious thought to the interview.

Handling difficult questions
Nowadays employers often ask questions designed to discover how you would deal with certain situations and how you would behave. Companies want to know about your abilities and track record, not just your knowledge and experience.

For instance, describe a situation where you have shown yourself to be flexible or describe how you dealt with an unexpected situation, are both ways of trying to find out more about the way you operate as a person and your competencies. Producing answers isn't as difficult as it may first appear, particularly if you have given some thought to these type of questions coming up. You can draw on your past experience and you don't necessarily have to restrict yourself to the workplace. Even being able to successfully share a flat demonstrates that you are a team player with the ability to negotiate!

With thanks to bootifull

Interviews - considering candidates in absentia :

In circumstances where a candidate cannot attend for interview or be available for a telephone interview, it is the School's policy to consider him/her in absentia.

The candidate's papers (CV, letter of application and references) will be considered by the Selection Committee, using the questions asked of other candidates as a guide. Information in response to these questions should be obtained from the papers and not from personal and/or informal knowledge about the individual.

The selection committee can reach one of the following conclusions:

To appoint the absent candidate (subject to references if references have not been received)
To invite the absent candidate to attend for interview at an alternative time (if there are no other appointable candidates)
To consider the absent candidate as unappointable to the post, or,
To withhold making a decision until the absent candidate is interviewed (if there are other appointable candidates)
A member of the Recruitment Team will be present during the consideration of any candidates which are considered in absentia.