Candidates
Service and supporting you through every step.
Candidates are at the heart of everything we do at Matthew Olivers. We are committed to providing the best possible service and supporting you through every step of your life changing journey. In addition to regular and informative communication we will ensure you have an excellent CV, have all the information and prep prior to interviews and keep in touch throughout onboarding and beyond.
Contents
CV Writing
• Get the basics right
• Presentation Matters
• One size does not fit all
• Selling your experience, or lack of!
• Hobbies and Achievements – do they matter?
A little bit of Interview Advice
• Prepare to fail, fail to prepare
• Company Research
• Presentation
Interview Points to Remember
Using LinkedIn
Creating a Personal Brand
How to Job Search – Application Champion
Contents
CV Writing
• Get the basics right
• Presentation Matters
• One size does not fit all
• Selling your experience, or lack of!
• Hobbies and Achievements – do they matter?
A little bit of Interview Advice
• Prepare to fail, fail to prepare
• Company Research
• Presentation
Interview Points to Remember
Using LinkedIn
Creating a Personal Brand
How to Job Search – Application Champion
Get the basics right
Your CV is the first thing that any recruiter or potential employer will see from you, so presentation is key. The layout should always be easy to read and concise with key information with relevant qualifications and work experience. It might sound obvious but structuring your CV appropriately is something so vital to securing an interview.
Presentation Matters
With increased applications, most recruiters are skim-reading CVs at the first stage of sifting. Make sure key information is in bullet points not lengthy paragraphs and don’t repeat yourself!
One size does not fit all
Use the job advert to identify the key skills or requirements the recruiter is looking for and prioritise them in your CV, listing them close to the top or in your summary. Make sure you have updated your LinkedIn profile too so that it reflects the skills you are listing on your application and CV.
Selling your experience, or lack of!
Employers understand that not everybody will have an extensive list of academic qualifications and they also understand that not everybody will have the specific career experience for a certain role. This is the important part of your CV where you can demonstrate the skills that you do have.
Transferable skills within the workforce can come from scenarios such as:
- Caring for a family member or friend
- Selling items through online platforms
- Charity work
- Coaching a youth or adult sports team
These are examples of when you have had to work and operate in a professional manner by using skills such as organisation, time management, marketing, being a team player etc. If you want a role enough
Hobbies and Achievements – do they matter?
The importance of your achievements or hobbies will depend on the individual and the role you’re applying for. If for example you are looking for a creative role, but lack employed experience, then include a link to your blog, website or portfolio to show employers solid evidence of your creative skill set. Your hobbies can also be a question asked in interview so be prepared!
Prepare to fail, fail to prepare
Plan your journey in advance and give yourself plenty of time to overcome the hazards of train delays or traffic jams. If for any reason you do get delayed, telephone your consultant with your estimated time of arrival. be familiar with your CV. Try to eat something before your interview. The thought of being stuck in an interview with an empty stomach that keeps grumbling is not a comfortable position to be!
Company Research
Interviewers like to know that you want this job, not just a job. Researching the company will allow you to show this. This is the time where you can expand on the reasons why you have applied for the role, why you choose this company and not a competitor. You need to understand the company and what they do. A question that always comes up is “What do you know about the company?
Presentation
The interviewer is looking to gain a 360 degree statement about yourself. Here you should look to summarise your relevant work history, skills and qualifications. It is essential you are courteous and professional from the moment you arrive and dress in a professional style appropriate to that industry or company. The initial greeting creates a vital impression and assert yourself in a positive manner without being overbearing.
- Any professional interview will be a two way conversation. Have questions prepared to ask the interviewer. This shows your interest in the organisation/ role and indeed the person interviewing you. Focus your questions on the company, the role, the team and even the development/ training you will receive in the role is a fantastic way of showing you commitment.
- If you are asked about your weakness don’t be afraid. No-one likes to admit their weaknesses, but equally nobody is perfect. This question allows you to recognise those areas for improvement with a view to changing any behaviours and show you are human!
- If you feel the interview is not going well, do not be put off. Some companies use this technique to test your reactions.
- Be positive and never speak negatively about your current or previous employer.
- Understand what sort of questions the client might ask so for instance if you are a Technician then expect questions on your technical ability, for customer service roles you will be expected to give details on when you have gone out of your way for a customer and how you did this. Being reactive is important and if you have prepared properly then the questions asked shouldn’t be too much of a struggle.
- Explaining your CV – You will be asked to explain elements of your CV, reasons for leaving, what exactly you did at that position so knowing your CV is worth it!
Having a LinkedIn account is key, you can use the site for a variety of reasons or to research companies, interviewers, recruiters, and hiring managers, which is helpful before submitting applications and showing up to interviews. Even if you are not actively searching for employment, you can use LinkedIn to connect with current and former colleagues and link to people you meet at networking events, conferences, and so on.
For many recruiters or hiring managers, their first step after receiving a resume or job application is to look up the candidate on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is an easy, modern way to maintain connections that may be helpful in your career. It is a great way of networking with leading figures in your chosen industry, but you can also use it to promote your achievements and build up a professional online presence. The key to using LinkedIn effectively is to make sure you’re ‘discoverable’ to employers and agencies, as well as using those all-important connections to your advantage.
Below is a small list highlighting the key elements for your LinkedIn profile to showcase you:
- Pick the perfect LinkedIn profile picture
- Write a LinkedIn headline that makes you stand out
- Include a professional summary in your profile
- Promote your work experience on LinkedIn
- Get recommendations and endorsements for work skills
- Use LinkedIn for networking
- Use LinkedIn for interview prep
Your personal brand is how you promote yourself. It is the unique combination of skills, experience, and personality that you want your followers and employers to see. It is the telling of your story, and the impression people gain from your online reputation. There’s an easy way to have an original personal brand—and that is to be genuine and authentic. The best personal brands are very specific. Your personal brand should be an easy daily filter that you create content and reach out to your audience with. If your personal brand isn’t telling a story, you’ve already lost half of your potential audience. Create a story around your brand that your audience can engage with. Having your own video channel on LinkedIn sees some of the highest levels of engagement across the platform and can really propel your brand.
Knowing where to search is one thing and knowing how to is another. Don’t just search for job titles or “INSERT INDUSTRY jobs” In todays world business use a whole range of job titles for similar roles. Therefore you should also search on responsibilities or experience/qualifications required E.g:
We are looking for an Accounts Assistant role
Job title Search – “Accounts Assistant”
Industry Search – “Finance Jobs”
Responsibilities Search Terms – “Bank reconciliations”, “Trial Balance”, “Vat Returns”, “Purchase Ledger”, “Sales Ledger”
Experience/Qualifications Search Terms – “AAT”, “Xero”
If you find a role using responsibilities, experience or qualifications which has a unique job title; chances are there will be less competition for these roles as they are harder to find.
