CV TIPS

Here at Solutions Ent we believe first impressions are key in landing yourself a job. Now, what is the first impression your potential employer has of you? Is it your first face to face interview? NO! Its your CV! Here a few simple yet essential tips to increase your chances of getting an interview:

The first and most important CV tip is there is no such thing as ONE perfect CV for all employers! You need to tailor your CV to each employers job specifications. Don’t worry this doesn’t mean creating 100 CV’s. How do you do this? Its easy! The employer has already told you what they want e.g we are looking for someone with great attention to detail … Make sure to use an example when including this in your CV i.e I possess great attention to detail, this was demonstrated when I efficiently completed end of year stock counts.

The next most important CV tip is, drum roll please, to stand out! I myself as a recruiter see tonnes of CV’s everyday, which ones am I most attracted to? The ones that stand out! A little bit of colour on your headings goes a long way. However please do not go overboard as this will accomplish the exact opposite of what we are trying to achieve and will get your CV thrown in the bin, literally.

Thirdly, please please please do not lie! Its okay to not like something, what’s not okay is to say you love watching football in your spare time when you actually have never watched a game in your life!

Lastly, I reiterate the importance of linking your skills to something, e.g I have good computer skills. Okay that’s great? So does my 10 year old brother, so what is the difference between you? Whilst he uses his skills to watch videos on the internet, you have for example. used your experience in Excel to efficiently complete the annual bookkeeping for your client.

There is plenty more simple yet effective tips that can help boost your chances of getting an interview - send us your CV and one of our specialist, trained consultants will provide you with FREE feedback and advice on how to improve it! After all, it is our job to help you find a job!

INTERVIEW TIPS

Tada! You have now landed yourself an interview, congrats! Seriously, two thirds of candidates don’t even get this far! Now we have to keep the momentum going, how do we present ourselves in the interview to give us the highest chance of success out of the other candidates?

Cliché time: be yourself! What I mean is, do not pretend to be somebody you are not. Employers prefer individuality than someone who is just pretending to be what they think the employer wants to hear.

More importantly, please do your research, we have actually heard candidates have gone into interviews for a different company than they had thought! This is a disaster, find out a few facts and figures for the company and be ready to throw them into conversation. With social media being so powerful these days you can find the interviewer, check our their profile page and use a little anecdote in your interview e.g I saw you went to Brunel university… this will really impress the interviewer as it shows you actually looked into the company and its team.

This next point is very important, ALWAYS ask a few questions at the end of your interview. This is to show you were listening and paying attention, saying you have no questions portrays you are not interested in the position.

Lastly, I can’t believe I am even writing this but you’d be shocked at how many candidates go to interviews dressed casually! Please please please ensure you are smartly dressed, unless you are SPECIFICALLY asked otherwise. Even if you are wearing a suit and the interviewer is wearing casual, this is actually ideal, it’s no secret that looking good = feeling good, and feeling good = confidence, which is essential!

Best of luck with your applications!