CV Writing and Interview Preparation

Writing a professional CV: Most candidates are aware of the standard professional CV build: employment history, qualifications, contact details - but what differentiates your CV and impresses employers / recruiters to win a place on their interview shortlist?

"In order to prepare for writing your CV, think about your greatest professional achievements," says Steve McMurray, Zest Business Group Director. "This will help you get in the right mindset; it is your achievements which document your proven abilities and what you have to offer. The objective of your CV is to highlight what you can offer, by considering your achievements first you won't fall into the trap of describing your skills without providing evidence to substantiate them."

From the employers we canvassed, they universally stated that it is important that everything you say about yourself on your CV is supported by concrete evidence. Linking key skills and abilities with real life achievements is a guaranteed way to impress... but make sure you can back them up.

Tailoring your CV to the role which you are applying for is advantageous, although time consuming. Some selective tweaking, highlighting your previous experience in relation to the specific requirements of the role is a good way of generating recruiter / employer interest and ultimately getting you on an interview shortlist. Remember a CV alone will not get you the job, but it will get you an interview!

The subject "how not to write a CV" certainly created a stir amongst the Zest Business Group team. One of the things which they dislike the most was CV jargon, such as describing yourself as ‘a highly motivated professional, able to work independently and as part of a team' without providing real life examples of how you demonstrate these abilities. Personal summaries relating to hobbies and interests are generally ‘white noise', claiming that you regularly attend the gym and play badminton is not going to increase your desirability as a candidate. However, the exception to the rule would be if candidates are involved in an activity which clearly demonstrates high levels of determination, commitment and genuine achievement as this does provide a flavour of your personality.

"There is a long standing myth in recruitment circles that a professional CV should be no more than two pages long. It is agreed that a ‘stuffed' looking CV is unappealing; however, should your achievements and experience require you to exceed the ‘two page limit' do not lose sleep over it. There are far more important factors which you need to concentrate on when constructing your CV," says Matthew Morland, Zest Business Group Director.

Essential items are clear, accurate contact details (including your email address) at the beginning of the CV, details of previous employment and your qualifications including accurate dates. For each of your previous jobs write a brief overview of your position, with pertinent points highlighting the key skills and achievements demonstrated during your employment. An additional point which is often overlooked is to list employment history in reverse chronological order and it goes without saying, please proof read your CV and eliminate grammatical errors.

A professional CV is not about cutting corners and if in doubt get advice and take the time to do it properly. The above information is aimed to provide you with a synopsis of how to compile a professional CV and there is a wealth of information available on this subject. Please note that a Zest Consultant will be more than happy to give you constructive feedback on your CV.

Preparation is essential if you want to succeed at interview. The recruiters won't leave anything to chance and neither should you. Whether you are an executive or just starting out you will find that interviewers are applying ever more scientific techniques at all levels. Making mistakes is extremely costly so as little should be left to chance as possible. With employers being this thorough, it follows that you must tackle the process with the same degree of discipline and skill. You can meet this challenge head-on by drawing up, and following, a specific plan of action designed to get you the results you want.

Fine-tune your knowledge of the employer. Revisit your skills inventory. Rehearse possible questions and answers. Practice relaxation and visualisation techniques. Visualise yourself appearing calm, poised and making a positive impression. Devise a checklist of what to take with you e.g. directions, company phone number in case you are delayed, mobile phone.

Be courteous to the receptionist. When you meet the interviewer(s), look them in the eye and shake hands firmly. Maintain eye contact during the interview but don't stare. Decline coffee - you will not be able to drink it and hold a conversation at the same time. No wild gesticulating! Concentrate on good posture and a clear and confident vocal delivery. Take deep breaths if you need to steady your nerves. Look alert and enthusiastic, and smile from time to time. Show you are listening by leaning forward and nodding at appropriate points. If you are addressing a panel give equal attention to each interviewer. Be careful when using humour - it can fall flat or offend.

If your interview is CV based ensure that you have the facts of your stated objective, relevant experience, education, etc. thoroughly memorized and mentally supported. Be clear on what you want, as well as what you don't want, from a job. You are not begging to be employed, naturally you will need to demonstrate a high level of enthusiasm but you are an entrepreneur seeing whether you can do business with these people!

Remember to listen to what the interviewer says - you do not want to give the impression that your mind has gone AWOL by answering the wrong question. Be sure to listen to what is coming out of your own mouth and correct mistakes if necessary. Better still, pause before answering to give yourself time to make a considered and measured response, and always make sure your responses match your claims. If, for example, you've completed specific role related training or certification, tie it into your narrative, for instance, "From my experience gained whilst undertaking the "Spin Selling Course", I learned that ...". Build on your CV, but don't refer directly to it (assume the interviewer has it in his or her possession); make sure the connections are there, but do it subtly.

You're almost certain to be asked questions pertaining to your strengths and weaknesses. Know your strengths and emphasise those that relate specifically to the position for which you're being considered. If, for example, you're applying for a sales position, you might describe one of your strengths (if it's true) as follows: "I've made a study of personality types and I've learned to quickly type people in terms of the kinds of approaches that might best attract them". Be prepared, in this case, to back up your claim if the interviewer suddenly asks: "What type would you say I am?".

If you are asked about your weaknesses, remember to reframe them as strengths. This is tricky, so let's think about why the question is asked. The interviewer probably wants to learn several things about you with this question, such as: whether or not you are arrogant, whether you know yourself and finally, what you are doing to eliminate your weaknesses. Here are two ways to answer this question so that you leave a positive impression in the mind of the interviewer: (a) Show that, in overcoming a weakness, you've learned something; (b) Pick a weakness that is really a strength. If, for example, you're interviewing for a job in an organisation you know is hard-charging and unforgiving of average performance, you might say, "One of my weaknesses is that I tend to be impatient with people who aren't willing to pull their full weight and give 110%". In this case, your 'weakness' may help you get the job.

Remember that interviews are really designed to answer two simple questions:

Can you do the job? How will you fit into it?

These questions are likely to be investigated by both the HR function and one or more members of the department in which you may be working. To quote a HR Manager, "We believe that the HR role in selection is to design and work through a process which assesses candidates on totally objective criteria based on a carefully prepared 'person spec". HR professionals should work with their internal client line managers to ensure that this objective process is used to prepare a short list of candidates, all of whom could do the job based on the defined criteria. Thereafter, and only then, line managers should be at liberty to use less tangible and subjective criteria (such as "how would he/she fit in?", "how well would I get on with this person?") in making the final selection decision."