Advice

Interviews tend to be the most commonly used selection method for most companies throughout the UK and provide a perfect opportunity for YOU to sell yourself and let your personality shine, but first, lets get you to the interview with these handy tips on how to prepare the perfect CV!

First Impressions

First impressions really do count, and this goes for your CV too. At a glance, this document needs to portray you to the interviewer professionally, grab their attention to your skills, experience and abilities, and immediately, make them like what they see! Keep to these simple guidelines when creating your CV. Don’t be afraid to ask any member of our team to assist you with this if you need help!

 CV Tips

• Detail your personal information including all contact details i.e. email, mobile, home phone number etc
• Begin with your personal statement. This needs to be brief but effective. Detail your past experiences and your objectives for the future. Tell them a little bit about your personality and what vision you have for yourself.
• Now list your employment history starting with the most recent. Include company name, dates of employment, the position you held and list your duties and responsibilities
• Cover the last 10 years, no more than that. It’s likely that the most recent experience is the most relevant
• Education and Qualifications are equally as important and also need to be detailed on your CV and again, begin with your most recent. If these are professional qualifications, begin with these. Always include your place of study, the qualification gained and the result you obtained
• Keep your CV to a minimum of 2-3 pages. There needs to be something left to talk about in the interview!
• Presentation is important and needs to remain consistent and simple. Use the same style headings and sub-headings. Use bullet points to keep it concise and to emphasise your skills.

Half Way There

Once the interview has been confirmed, your Consultant will provide you with as much information as they possibly can and will guide you through the interview process, making sure you are confident and fully informed of this next stage. You’ve got to this stage, now lets get you the offer!

Research the Company

It is vitally important that you carry out thorough research prior to your interview. You need to know as much information about them as you can find out. Prepare some questions from your research, and get a feel for the environment and their culture

Location

Always know your interview location well in advance and where possible, do a dummy run to make sure you know exactly where you are going on the day. Juice will provide you with a full address, contact numbers and names and good directions.

The Finer Details

To avoid any confusion at all, make sure you have the below details with you on the day of your interview. Don’t try to remember then, you will be nervous and key information may get lost.

a) Date and time
b) Location
c) Name of interviewer
d) What to take with you
e) Directions

Knowing your CV

This is vital both before and during the interview stages. Always make sure that you're fully aware of what your CV details and be prepared for questions that relate to it.

Revising your CV is important especially if someone else has composed it for you, and you should ALWAYS take a clean copy along to your interview. This will enable you to answer any questions that are asked in relation to your CV and you can also use it as a point of reference when answering questions.

It's a good idea to take along relevant certificates or examples of your work as they may be required.

Prepare some questions

The interview should be a two-way conversation. Not only is it a chance for you to really sell yourself, but your time to find out what you need to know. Think of some questions you would like to ask and take these in to the interview with you and use as pointers through out. The interviewer can also see that you too have prepared for the interview.

Nearly there now…..

Now you have got to this stage, here are some do's and don'ts to get you the job of your dreams.

Everyone has their own style when it comes to the interview and this is the chance to really sell yourself to the company, so to get off on a good footing, make sure that you go well presented. Men should always wear shirt and ties and if possible, a suit jacket. Women again should try and wear a suit but a blouse and smart attire will suffice. If wearing a skirt, always wear tights. Also remember not to over do it on the make up, jewellery, after shave or perfume!

DO's

• Know your CV back to front, and get ready to answer questions relating to this
• Don't be afraid to refer back to your CV, and by doing this you can ensure that you are answering correctly
• Prepare for the following questions:- 'what is your biggest weakness', 'describe your worst boss', 'why do you want this job' and 'why do you want to leave your current role'
• If you don't understand a question that you have been asked, don't be afraid to ask the interviewer to repeat themselves or reword the question. What you don't want to do is mumble and answer it completely wrong and get yourself in a pickle
• You will have already prepared some questions to ask the interviewer about the role and the company. If these have already been covered during the course of the interview, explain that they have covered everything
• If you think of a question to ask during the interview, don't be afraid to ask there and then. Trying to remember the question until the end of the interview will either result in you forgetting it, or will throw you off course for the rest of the questioning section
• When the interview is over, ask what the next stage in the recruitment process is going to be

DON'Ts

• Avoid negative statements about previous employers or companies
• Don't ask questions relating to salary, benefits, holidays etc. These can be asked at a later date
• Also remember that if there is more than one interviewer, do not home in one person. Make sure that you make eye contact with all interviewees.
• Don’t rush when speaking, remain calm and answer slowly, carefully thinking about what you are saying
• If you feel that the interview isn’t going well, don't panic as this may be the interviewers style. Remain calm and focused and if you're nervous, don't worry, it is excusable. The interviewer could be as nervous as you!
• Don't come across as being too confident as you may portray yourself as being cocky Always thank them for their time, smile and give a good strong hand shake

Finally, approach the interview knowing that you

 can get the job,

YOU REALLY CAN!

 

                    

                     
                                                       
                                                       

Join Us In Creating Employment!

Juice Personnel Ltd. , Suite 3 , 14 Rishworth Street , Wakefield , West Yorkshire , WF1 3BY
Email: info@juicepersonnel.co.uk Phone: 01924 377 500 Fax: 01924 371 600
Company Registration Number (England): 4604046