Matching yourself to opportunities

Personal and career development process

STAGE 1- Assessment

STAGE 2 – Matching

STAGE 3 – Action

Locating opportunities

Obtaining interviews

Winning interviews

Interview Questions

STAGE 4 – Re-evaluation

MATCHING YOURSELF TO OPPORTUNITIES

To establish yourself in the right career, you need to:

1. CONSTRUCT A PERSONAL PROFILE
2. OBTAIN RELEVANT INFORMATION
3. MAKE SHORT AND LONG TERM PLANS

1. CONSTRUCT A PERSONAL PROFILE

If you want to be offered a job, you have to adopt the viewpoint of the employer. "Why should I want to employ someone like you?" When the employer looks at your application form, or reads your curriculum vitae (CV) and accompanying letter or interviews you, the potential employer is asking three questions:

1. How motivated are you? Will you be keen, hard-working and enthusiastic?

2. How capable are you? Can you do the job now or, given appropriate training and experience, have you the potential to learn to do the job well?

3. Will you fit in? Can he see you getting on with other people in your department and within the organization?

Whatever your occupational dilemma, the first stage in the Career Development process should be Self-Assessment and the construction of a Personal Profile.

If you are to attempt self-assessment on your own, then you may find it useful to work through the well-known book entitled “What Colour is Your Parachute?” Richard N. Bolles (Ten Speed Press). This practical manual provides helpful exercises to start one thinking about one’s needs, values and strengths career-wise. Look in particular at p.329, The Flower Exercise.

Should you feel that you would benefit from and prefer a full objective, psychometric assessment and in depth career counseling with a qualified occupational psychologist, then contact me!

In a nutshell, the question is – What do I want to do, and can I do it? This, of course, involves detailed Career Matching as the second stage of the development process, enabling one to move forward with clear direction and confidence.

Stage three brings one into Action Planning and into the taking of the necessary steps to acquire the knowledge, skills and abilities to be able to do what one wants, in the organization one wants, and in the correct role, at the most suitable level, to ensure satisfaction and success.

The fourth stage involves re-evaluation and re-assessment so that further directional adjustments and personal development may facilitate realignment to maximise potential.

Obviously, one changes, grows and progresses with time and experience, and the workplace changes too, so Development needs to be a cyclical process.

PERSONAL AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

STAGE ONE

Assessment
Identify strengths, weaknesses and
Development needs.

STAGE TWO

Career Matching
Identify occupations,
level, role and
organisations to fit.

STAGE THREE

Plan and Take Action
Self-marketing and Job Search
Academic, Vocational, Professional
or Personal Development Course.
Mentoring, coaching,
on the job experience.

STAGE FOUR

Re-evaluate and Realign
On target?

STAGE ONE - Assessment

MOTIVATION

One needs to analyse Interests, Values, Ambition and Incentive Needs to ensure maximum enthusiasm and drive.

While one’s Interests tend to be broadly established by one’s 20’s, other needs may be dictated by external factors, such as a desire to support a family, or a preference to reside in a certain area.

Values, such as a wish to ‘give something back’, or a need for ‘greater life-work balance’ can often develop later in one’s career.

It is frequently assumed that all people are motivated by money, but some individuals would prefer a lower paid position, which is interesting, stimulating and cerebrally challenging, to one which is very lucrative, but mundane repetitive and boring.

Evidently, for greatest fulfilment, one needs to match motivational factors with work activities and rewards.

Charles (29yrs) was a successful City Economist, whose results clearly showed that he was not motivated to make money for rich companies. He felt that he was prostituting himself daily when he went to work, and he was heading for a breakdown.
He knew that he had no interest in the subject matter and that his values clashed with the culture in which he worked. Charles’s situation was further complicated by his wife’s desire that he should remain a highly paid city type and maintain their lifestyle.
Career change does not always involve a completely new start. Charles’s aptitude and personality were well matched to figure-work, and to a position as a professional expert adviser, but his interests and values pointed to his working for a more social, voluntary sector body, in Third World Development Economics.
When last in contact, Charles had (sadly) left his wife and was happily working in South America for a Development Consultancy!

In stage one Assessment, one needs to identify what one wants to do through analysing Interests, Values, Attitudes, Ambition, and Motivational Incentives. Can these be matched in one’s current type of career, role or organisation? Where could they be better addressed? Are current motivators one’s own, or one’s parents or spouses? What drives you?

APTITUDES

One’s ability to perform a task depends on natural aptitude, education and learned skills, and previous experiences and achievements. An employer will expect you to offer relevant evidence of your capability:

i. QUALIFICATIONS
If you have obtained relevant academic, professional and vocational qualifications, that should satisfy the employer. If not, you will need convincing explanations of why you failed to pass or did not obtain the relevant qualifications at the right time.

ii. EXPERIENCE
Make a list of all the areas and activities of which you have had some experience. Draw on your work and leisure activities and make the list as comprehensive as possible. You will then be able to pick out whatever is relevant when you apply for particular jobs.

iii. ACHIEVEMENTS
What have you done in the past which is over and above that which would be normally expected in that job or leisure activity? Solving unusual problems, developing and initiating new projects and ideas, getting other people to change what they do, winning prizes and competitions - these are the kind of contributions and achievement you should list. Do not be concerned whether they seem particularly relevant to jobs at this stage. Just make the list as comprehensive is possible and you will then find you can pick out relevant contributions when you apply for particular jobs.

Claire (26yrs), an Oxford graduate who had trained as a Barrister, emerged through psychometric testing as having a very low facility for Verbal Reasoning. She had worked very hard and had passed her examinations in Law, but had never felt it had come naturally. Her Aptitude Profile was quite a revelation, but actually also a relief; it provided some explanation.
Discussion revealed that she had been led to believe that she was good with words as a result of early precocity in English lessons. Claire had found the teacher truly inspiring, and her success in the subject had, it seemed, been more due to motivation, hard work, and to a highly creative and sensitive personality, than to any natural verbal ability. She came from a highly academic family, who had encouraged reading from an early age, and who had pushed her toward Oxford and Law. Two years after the assessment, Claire was half way through a degree in Architecture and already winning student prizes. She felt fulfilled and competent, because she was finally building on more natural perceptual/visual strengths, as well as more fully addressing her creative and sensitive qualities.

It is surprising how often one finds that individuals, through sheer determination and training, have proven successful against the odds.

Think how much more comfortable and easy it would be
if one were building on natural talents!

Besides psychometric testing, some clues regarding natural aptitudes might be gleaned from academic successes (in spite of Claire’s experience to the contrary). Often, one likes activities for which one has a natural talent. Relatively, what are you best at – verbal, numerical, logical or visual/practical tasks? What additional knowledge, skills and experience do you have, on which to capitalise? Think relative to others as well as relative to yourself. Look for occupational matches with what you are able to do.

PERSONAL STYLE

We are all unique and we all have our own personality and behavioural traits. What makes you special or extraordinary? What strengths do you have in terms of personal qualities and interpersonal skills? What could be considered a weakness? How could you develop on this front? Where could this trait be considered strength? What image do you portray?

Obviously, personality factors do change with time. If one has been in a position of conflict with colleagues, one may be feeling temporarily rather anti-people. Stress can stem from a personality predisposition, but can also be situational and externally evoked.

Matching one’s personal style to that of the career type, level, role and organisation can enable one to be oneself, rather than ‘putting on a hat’ and acting a part every day.

Mary (41yrs) had always been superwoman, managing a high-powered job and family. She had an excellent track record when she secured a position as International Marketing Director of a National Public Sector Board.
Mary had prided herself on her aggressive, dynamic, ‘can do’ style, and was surprised to find some resistance from others in her new role. She thought she must have been being paranoid when it began to seem that others were being obstructive, telling her about meetings after the event, excluding her and withholding vital information.
Gradually, it became increasingly difficult to do her job properly, but she attributed signs of stress to ‘an early menopause’. One day, she woke up an emotional wreck, unable to get up, dress, or perform everyday chores. She was on sick leave for one year, and finally took a severance package. Mary had been insufficiently self-aware to recognize the mismatch with her own style and that of a more bureaucratic and less commercial Public Sector body. She had upset colleagues with her poor emotional intelligence, insensitivity and aggressive, dictatorial manner.
It was agreed that Mary did have the strong social, analytical and creative personality required in Marketing, but that she would be happier in a much smaller and more commercial organisation. She clearly saw from the test results and her experience that she had personal development needs regarding ‘winning friends and influencing people’, but that these would have been less of an issue had she been better matched to the organisation for which she worked.

Personality and personal style have implications regarding type of career
• Dealing with people or things?
• Working with facts or feelings?
• In a change or maintain oriented occupation?
Role
• Managing/leading?
• Working in an independent expert/adviser capacity?
Level
• Blue collar?
• Technical?
• Senior?
• Graduate?
• Professional?

Type of organisation
• Self-employed
• Large/small
• Commercial/voluntary or public sector
• Ethos or cultural climate, dynamic or traditional

Think about your levels of extraversion, independent-mindedness, anxiety, tough-mindedness and self-control. How will these and other individual traits impact performance in different environments?

Will you fit in? How adaptable and flexible have you been? How well have you got on with people who are different from you? What is your experience of working unexpected overtime in the evenings and at weekends? Are you generally seen as pleasant and approachable?

In preparing this list be as honest but as positive as possible. If there are certain kinds of people and situations with which you know you find difficulty coping, then do not consider applying to any organization where you would face these problems. On the other hand, be positive in listing the variety of people you have met, situations you have experienced and problems you have solved.

STAGE TWO - Matching

Once one has undergone a thorough self-assessment, the matching process becomes more logical and obvious.

For example, an individual may well know that s/he is sensitive, but may not have linked this to a mismatch with a highly aggressive culture, or with a lack of interest in, or commitment to, the subject matter.

Having listed strengths and weaknesses (Aptitudes and Personal Style) and highlighted Motivation and Interest, one needs to consider how and where these will be best addressed occupationally. Such logical analysis enables one to proceed with confidence, and to sell oneself better at interview.

Sometimes one’s interests and abilities may show little correlation, so compromises may need to be made. For example, one may love the Visual Arts, but may have no practical artistic talent, so one might take a course for fun in one’s leisure time, or, alternatively, one might look for other creative outlets in work employing more literary strengths, or possibly find a position in a more creative setting.

Perhaps, even before this, one needs to decide if one wishes to, or has to, work at all!

What alternatives are there? (Travel, study, home-making, parenting or retirement etc.)

2. OBTAIN RELEVANT INFORMATION

You need to find out:

• Exactly what you would be doing in the career or position.
• The range of opportunities for working in different organizations and environments.
• The qualifications and experience you will need to develop yourself and your career.

You can obtain the information you need in the following ways:

a. Consult books and guides in your local library. Obviously, the Internet is an excellent source for information, both about Careers and Organizations.

b. Write to Professional Bodies and Associations for information. Ask about specific points when you write, and do not hesitate to telephone for further information. Always enclose a sae.

c. Talk to people doing the kind of work, which interests you. Friends may be able to put you in touch with people, but do not hesitate to contact the organization yourself. Explain that at this stage you are not looking for a job but would like to talk to someone to give you a fuller picture of what the work involves. Do not be afraid to ask whether you might shadow an employee for a week or so, or possibly undertake some voluntary work experience. This ‘research’ approach could actually lead to a position in the longer term! If they remember and liked you, you should certainly have an advantage over a faceless CV.

Encourage people to tell what they enjoy and dislike in their career. Draw them out on their own career thoughts and plans and how they intend to develop their career.

Having listened to all the information, interpret it carefully. You are only getting one person’s view and have to be sure that they have similar interests, aptitudes and personality to yourself, before deciding whether their experience would apply to you. One man’s meat is another man’s poison!

3. MAKE SHORT AND LONG TERM PLANS

Is one already sufficiently qualified, experienced and equipped to apply for that ideal job? Will one need to take some interim steps, because one lacks the credibility, marketability or competencies, knowledge or skills? What training or personal development needs must first be addressed?

It may be that one needs to apply for less than ideal positions initially, possibly because a compromise in salary is not feasible, or perhaps because that position will enable one to fill in the gaps for the next step. Perhaps, one needs to complete an academic, vocational or personal development course – what full-time, part-time, distance or e-learning courses are available?

STAGE THREE – Action

In creating an action plan, think SMARTER – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timed, Exciting and Recorded.

a. How can you obtain relevant skills and qualifications?

• Your library will have information on full and part-time courses offered by local colleges, and Adult Education Centres. It will also have reference books listing courses offered at Universities and Colleges throughout the country. Your local Careers Office should have an ECCTIS database, detailing all degree and post-graduate courses, within any region.
• For information about degree courses, refer in your local library to “University and College Entrance: The Official Guide” UCAS or refer to the UCAS website (www.ucas.ac.uk). The Trotman Careers-Portal has valuable information about publications on ‘getting into’ and ‘making the most of’ University (www,trotman.co.uk).
• Alternatively, you might refer to “Net that Course! Using the Internet to Research, Select and Apply for Degree Courses” from www.holbornbooks.co.uk
• Details of post-graduate courses may be found on www.postgrad.hobsons.com

Other practical tips for the Mature, may be found in:

• “Mature Students Directory” Trotman
• “The Mature Students Guide to Higher Education” Published by and available from: UCAS Rosehill, New Barn Lane, Cheltenham, Gloucs. GL52 3LZ (01242 227788) Web: www.ucas.ac.uk
• For a general guide to courses in Adult Education at all levels with Colleges listed by county, consult “Second Chances” available through Trotman
• Through distance-learning you can obtain a Degree or complete an Associate course with The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA (01908-274066)
• For a list of reputable correspondence courses you should contact the National Extension College (NEC) e-mail: (info@nec.ac.uk) Web: (www.nec.ac.uk)
• For information about private vocational courses “ Independent Colleges - Directory of Courses” published by ISCO (£6.50 available on-line), 12a Princess Way, Camberley, Surrey GU15 3SP (01276-21188) Fax: (01276 691833) e-mail: (info@isco.org.uk) Web: (www.isco.org.uk)
• The government provides financial support for training courses through Learning and Skills Councils. For the address and telephone number of your local Council call Freefone (0800 444246) and also ask for the booklet “How to make the most of your future”. Contact your Local Education Authority for details of mandatory and discretionary grants for Higher Education and professional courses.

The following organizations will advise on vocational courses:

• EDEXCEL Foundation, Stewart House, 32 Russell Square, London WC1B 5DN (020 7393 4444) Fax: (020 7393 4501) e-mail: (enquiries@edexcel.org.uk) Web: (www.edexcel.org.uk)
• QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) 29 Bolton Street, London W1Y 7PD (020 7509 5556) Fax: (020 7509 6666) e-mail: (info@qca.org.uk) Web: www.qca.org.uk
• See also “Getting into Vocational Qualifications” Trotman
• For information about Career Development Loans, contact Information Line: Freephone 0800 585 505 (between 8am and 10pm) CDL Web: www.lifelonglearning.co.uk\cdl\index.htm

B. How can you obtain relevant experience?

Before you can be offered a job, you may need to obtain relevant experience to show you understand what the work involves and would be able to cope. This may mean obtaining a full-time job which is less well-paid and offers less responsibility and variety than you really want. Still, you have to regard the experience as a “means to an end”. If this is not possible, then you have to consider evening and weekend jobs as well as voluntary activities to give you relevant transferable skills and experience.
It is often easier to transfer within one’s current organization, where one’s talents will hopefully already be appreciated. Having gained more relevant experience, an external move should then be feasible.

LOCATING OPPORTUNITIES

When you are ready to start applying for jobs, you should first consider all the ways in which you could contact potential employers:

1. Advertisements
2. Agencies
3. Using the Internet
4. Registers
5. Introductions
6. Direct

To maximize your chances, you should consider and explore these ways.

1. Advertisements

You will be familiar with advertisements in national, regional or local papers. But do you know that vacancies are advertised in professional, trade or interest publications? For a comprehensive list you should consult "Willings Press Guide" on line in your local library (www.willingspress.com/default.asp). Another excellent source on where to look for vacancies is the website www.prospects.ac.uk (click on ‘Jobs and work’ followed by ‘Explore types of jobs’ and then the relevant career initial – at the end of the section are lists of pertinent publications and sometimes specialist agencies).

You may have to buy the publications yourself, but first check if any are available in a reference library in your area. Alternatively, see if you can visit the library of the appropriate professional institute or a large employer. You are likely to find a complete range of publications and a librarian very willing to give you further information and advice.

Whenever possible, telephone for an application form and further details. If you know you are rather late, then check whether it is still worth applying.

2. Agencies

Remember, agencies are paid by the employer, who takes you on. The agency therefore prefers to hear from people who have the qualifications and experience which makes it easy for the agency to match them to the job.

You may therefore have to "sell" yourself to the agency to convince them that you will be the right person, even if your qualifications and experience may not be ideal.

From advertisements, pick out the agencies handling the kind of opportunities for which you are looking. You should also be able to locate agencies in your area through the local issue of "Yellow Pages", or Yell.com (www.yell.com/ucs/HomePageAction.do). For a list of occupational specific recruitment sites, refer also to www.recruit-online.co.uk

Recruitment agencies can be a gateway to a whole range of unadvertised jobs. Many small companies use agencies to avoid the hassle of pre-selection. But beware - there are bad as well as good agencies. Beware of bad practice too: charging fees for placements, talking you into taking an unsuitable vacancy, giving you no guidance about the employer to whom you are being referred. Recruitment agencies are not careers advisers. You need to know what you have to offer and the kind of job you are seeking before you approach an agency. Be selective of the agency you use.

The Recruitment and Employment Federation (REC) website enables you to search for agencies by specialism or company name (www.rec.uk.com). It also gives guidelines for choosing an agency. Please ensure that you are clear about the services being offered.

" The Executive Grapevine - The Directory of Executive Recruitment" Executive Grapevine, 79 Manor Way, London Se3 9XG (020 8318 4462).
The 2004 edition of Executive Grapevine includes a survey of the UK interim management ... Executive Grapevine, 14th edition, 2004.


3. Using Internet to find jobs

It has been suggested that half the available jobs in the US are filled via the Internet, with the UK not far behind.

Indeed many firms now only accept electronic applications, which can obviously spoil your beautifully formatted CV, because yours will come out the same as everyone else’s (try emailing it to a few friends to see how it looks). This clearly has implications for greater emphasis on content.

One drawback of using the net, is that your personal details are open to public display, and you may have little control over who has access, or over how long it is available.

The number of job related sites extends into the millions which can obviously be overwhelming. Narrowing the search to “jobs + graduates” still throws up well over one thousand sites (including www.prospects.csu.man.ac.uk and www.jobs4grads.co.uk).

Gateway sites will cull some of the information for you e.g. (www.lifestyle.co.uk) although many search engines (e.g. Yahoo; Google; Lycos; Alta Vista and Ask) have their own career and job sections.

Well known Internet recruitment agencies / job sites include www.topjobs.net; www.monster.co.uk; www.fish4jobs.co.uk; www.totaljobs.com.
4. Registers

If you have been to university or a polytechnic or college, you can keep in touch with the Appointments Office, who should pass on details of vacancies.

Professional and Trade Institutes and Associations often register vacancies for experienced people and also for those seeking training opportunities.

5. Introductions

You should make a list of friends and colleagues who may be able to put you in touch directly with potential employers or with their friends, who in turn could put you in touch.

The best approach is to ask for ideas and introductions. Everyone is happy to give advice and guidance, even if they cannot offer introductions to specific jobs.

6. Direct Approach

This can be the best and most effective way of locating opportunities. It may mean writing to 100 firms but you only need one firm who reads your letter and is interested. You will then have the advantage that you are the only applicant!

You should build up a list of firms, which interest you in the following ways:

a. Look at reference books listing companies manufacturing different products and offering different services. There are two comprehensive reference books, which should be available in your local library:

• Kelly's Industrial Directory (or www.kellysearch.com)
• Kompas Directory
• You should also look at the "Yellow Pages" for your area.

The Internet is also a good guide; try search engines such as Google and Yahoo. Look at the company annual report for information about the firms’ activities and personnel too.

• Information on potential employers may also be found through www.dunandbrad.co.uk/homepage/index/htm
• Graduates might identify potential employers from Graduate Employment and Training www.get.hobsons.co.uk
• “The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers” is a celebration of the best organisations recruiting graduates in Britain this year. The sixth edition. (www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3569-1275945,00.html)
• Britain's Top Employers ~Corporate Research Foundation
Guardian Books 2005

b. From advertisements and news items, you can identify likely firms, particularly those introducing and developing new products and services.

c. Look around shops and pick out products which interest you.

d. Write to the firms, asking for their annual report and sales literature.

OBTAINING INTERVIEWS

Having located opportunities to obtain interviews, you will have to:

1. Complete application forms
2. Construct a curriculum vitae (CV) or career history.
3. Prepare accompanying letters.

These three "tools" for getting jobs must be prepared in ways which suit the particular vacancy and the way in which you are locating vacancies.

1. Complete application forms

Sometimes you will have to complete the company's application form. Some of the information about your educational and occupational experience may give you no opportunity to "sell" yourself. There will, however, be sections where you are asked to describe your duties and responsibilities in different jobs, why you left, leisure interests and activities, aims and ambitions, or any additional factors, which would support your application.

Think very carefully about the information you provide in these sections. It gives you the opportunity to present the strong points from your Personal File, which match the job requirements.

From studying the advertisement and information provided about the job, you should be able to highlight these requirements and ensure that, as far as possible, you satisfy them. Remember that you can describe the same job that you are doing in different ways. For example, in one case, you may emphasize the experience you obtained in handling and achieving things through people. In another case, you may need to emphasize the amount of work you did, analyzing and interpreting data, preparing reports and contributing to the development of new ideas, policies and procedures.

How you complete the application form is a factor which some employers regard as very important. Be careful therefore to write neatly and clearly and answer all the questions.

Many organizations now insist on the completion of an application form on-line, which can be very annoying when one has spent hours on a beautifully crafted CV! However, you must complete the form in full, whether in paper or on-line format. You might add ‘refer to CV for additional information’ under certain sections, but there is no guarantee that this will be read.

Recruiters like their own application forms, because they then know exactly to which page to refer for particular information. Application forms can serve the applicant well too, in providing prompts which ensure that one sells oneself to the full, e.g. Give two examples of when you have taken the lead in organizing a team.

2. Construct a curriculum vitae (CV) or career history.

If one simply wishes to stay on the same ladder, a standard chronological CV is appropriate – listing working positions in reverse order and starting with the present, presumably most responsible and relevant, position first.

An alternative approach, should one wish to draw greater attention to previous relevant experience and achievements, or to transferable skills, would be a segmented CV with headings listing Functions, Skills or Projects. This would be appropriate in consultancy, for a more senior and general position calling for breadth of experience, or for a more substantial career change.

Functional

Experience may be listed as Marketing, Production, HR, or Finance etc.

Project-based

Involvements and achievements are described starting with most recent and impressive, or biggest projects.

Skills-based

Here, one lists skills, such as Communication, Influencing, Organisational or People, or Creativity or Entrepreneurial Flair, with details of achievements, which exemplify such strengths. Concrete examples and corroborative evidence may be drawn from both in and out of work to substantiate claims.
For a Technical CV, a combination of these can be valuable and effective
Writing a CV can be a tedious process, but it is vital that one creates a word perfect, neat, readable, well organised and user-friendly document, which is unique, impressive, and which portrays the correct, most favourable message and image.

A CV conjures up a first impression for a potential employer, who is probably inundated with resumes, and who is looking for reasons to discard one’s application, rather than to select it, during the initial sort. One secretary explained how her brief from her boss had been to simply bin any CV’s, which came on cheap or coloured paper, had a photograph attached, or were more than two pages long! Recruiters rarely hear about those brilliant applicants whom they may have deselected in this manner, so the practice continues.

Everyone has different views about how a CV should be constructed, but logical, marketing techniques should be applied to this self-marketing document. It should certainly be tailored toward the position for which one is applying (do not simply keep adding to that old CV from University days!); it should highlight one’s features and benefits, and it should be something of one’s own, with which one is comfortable and confident. This is one’s own personal brochure, so do not detail the bad points of the product, e.g. Do not mention that failed ‘A’ level, because an interviewer will focus on that and waste valuable time discussing the negative, rather than achievement. It is permissible to omit the negative, but a CV must not be a work of fiction!

A CV should:

• Highlight value and sell oneself
• Provide a structure for interview (both for oneself, in that one knows one’s selling points and strengths, and why one is a good match for the position, and also for the interviewer, who will employ it to devise interview prompts)
• Provide a written record of the interview (one will generally have discussed the achievements about which one has written).

Always begin with the most impressive. You may have only 60 seconds to put your message across to the recruiter, so you must, like a good novel, capture the reader’s attention and interest immediately. Leave any bad news to the end, e.g. mature age, and place it on the right hand side of the page. Personal details are not selling points, so leave those to the end too. Whatever one’s marital status, or the age of one’s children, someone could read something into it, so omit these altogether. Similarly, do not list referees; if needed, they will ask.

There is no need to write Curriculum Vitae on the document; the reader should be able to see what it is. Just head the page with a name in bold, with address and contact details in small type centred underneath.

Start with a summary or personal profile in no more than 30 words, demonstrating Skills, Attitudes, Knowledge and Experience (SAKE), and career objective. This is one’s personal banner, conditioning the reader to anticipate positive and relevant information. What follows must justify this statement.

E.g. ‘Effective, ambitious and dynamic Graduate Engineer, with 4 yrs experience in International Consultancy. Wish now to utilize technical, people, influencing, communication and organisational skills in an in-house, Project Management role.’

Use positive impact, active doing words in the past tense. These sound more ‘punchy’. No Is, e.g. Negotiated rather than liaised, and controlled rather than responsible for. Where possible, avoid other passive/reactive words, such as supported, rejected, provided, prepared, maintained, or rectified, although these can have their place.

Use action words, such as:

Advised, analysed, anticipated, appointed, attained, averted, built, captured, centralized,
completed, conceived, created, decreased, defined, demonstrated, designed, developed, directed, effected, employed, enforced, engineered, ensured, established, eliminated, estimated, evaluated, exceeded, executed, formulated, generated, guided, implemented, improved, increased, initiated, inspired, instigated, instructed, interpreted, introduced, invented, launched, led, managed, modernised, negotiated, obtained, organised, originated, performed, pioneered, planned, positioned, presented, prevented, produced, promoted, proved, reduced, researched, resolved, revised, revitalised, saved, selected, solved, stimulated, streamlined, surpassed, taught, traded etc..

Such words create an image of a concrete achievement, something done, finished. In addition, rather than detailing ‘Experience’, write ‘Career Achievements to Date’, suggesting plenty more successes to come.

When listing jobs, what you did, with whom, and when, list job title on the left, organisation (no address) centre, and then date. When describing achievements, think SAY (Situation, Action, Yield), or FAB (Feature, Analysis, Benefit). Do not simply state responsibilities. Provide evidence to quantify and demonstrate success, i.e. proof of your claims.

E.g. Assistant Production Manager Hobart Widgets May 2001- present
‘ I was responsible for supervision of Production process’, creates a far less favourable impression than, ‘Managed graduate team of four. Promoted twice in one year. Streamlined processes and procedures, resulting in 15% saving in costs, improved efficiency and quality, and 9% increase in output’.

Think. What was the positive result of your action or intervention? Have you ever been promoted, elected, or voted into a position of responsibility, in or out of work? Have you won any prizes or awards? What difference did you make? What demonstrates that you did a good job and really have the skills and abilities to which you make claim? Prioritise your achievements, to match the job specification, and to tell the potential employer what s/he wants to hear.

Only list recent positions, unless previous ones are particularly relevant. Even irrelevant or out-dated qualifications may be omitted. Dates for qualifications may work against one. Did you obtain your degree before the recruiter was even born? The art of a good CV is often what is left out, rather than included. Do not be too keen to include every detail.

Do not mention health, especially if poor! Sporting interests can imply an active, fit energetic constitution. Interests in general can create an image, e.g. Chess or Crossword Puzzles could conjure up Logical, Intelligent, Precise, Problem Solver in the reader’s mind. Captain of Rugby team could imply Sociability or Organisational Skills etc. Rather than simply ‘Reading’, one can qualify, e.g. especially Autobiographies of post-war Entrepreneurs. Think of the different images one might have of a person interested in Amateur Dramatics, versus one listing Train-spotting as a hobby! However, do ensure that you have some knowledge and experience of pursuits you do put down!

Reference to salary is also best avoided on a CV. Indeed, such discussions are best left as late as possible in negotiations – although, this may not be possible if a recruitment agency is involved.

Presentation of the document is obviously very important. Use plain white, good quality A4 paper (possibly a more daring pastel for Advertising or Marketing etc. positions). The margin at the bottom should be larger than that at the top and sides, and blocks of script should be balanced centrally. Right hand justification may possibly give the impression of a mass produced document, so it may be advisable to avoid this.

Remember also that a spellchecker will not necessarily pick up typo’s so thorough proof-reading is vital.
Having gone through the assessment process and emphasised your strengths on a CV, you will no doubt find that your confidence increases. You should rediscover what a valuable contribution you have made in the past, and you should have clear evidence that you have a great deal to offer to a future employer. Writing that dreaded CV can make one feel really good about oneself!

If you have already sent a CV, but now feel that this does not do you justice, simply send another, saying that you are forwarding an up-dated version for their records.

3. Prepare accompanying letters.

This letter should be specifically related to the job for which you are applying and the method you are using to locate opportunities. As with the CV, this should be typed, and should follow the same rules for presentation.

i. Advertisements
The first paragraph should give the job title and any reference number.

The following paragraph should match the information given on the application form or career history to the requirements set out in the advertisement. These paragraphs should show that you have thought through very carefully why you are right and are giving the appropriate information to support your application.

ii. Agencies
If you are not replying to an advertisement placed by an agency, then in the first paragraph you should arouse their interest. You should refer to the kind of job they are advertising, or say that you understand that they have excellent introductions to... (the kind of jobs for which you are applying).
The following paragraphs should highlight the strengths you have to offer in relation to the kind of job you are seeking.

Your last paragraphs should emphasize that you understand they may not at the moment have any suitable opportunities, but you would appreciate the opportunity for an informal discussion.

Do not waste time and effort writing to agencies which do not deal with the type or level of position which you require – look at directories of recruitment agencies under specialism, and identify those agencies advertising those types of job in the press.

iii. Registers
Be sure before you write that you have established the kind of opportunities they are likely to have information about and the way in which they classify them. Your aim is to get on their "mailing list" and to know that when an employer contacts them, the person handling the inquiry will keep your application in mind.

iv. Introductions
Your letter should help friends help you. The first paragraph should highlight the kind of opportunity you are looking for and the following paragraphs should emphasize what you feel you have to offer.
Always enclose two copies of your Career History, so that one can be passed on to someone else.

v. Direct
Your letter must be addressed to the head of the department where you want to work. If necessary, telephone or search on the internet to find his or her name. HR personnel are gatekeepers, and can only say ‘no’, not ‘yes’, so write to the person who can give you the job.

As a general rule, the letter should be sent, in descending order to:

1. Someone who can offer you a job
2. Who can refer you to someone who can offer you a job
3. Who can tell you of an opening
4. Who can refer you to someone who can suggest a potential job
5. Who can give you the name of someone who can do any of the above!

The first paragraph should catch his attention. It should, if possible, refer to ways in which you know his firm, or department, are developing. Think from the recipient’s point of view, perhaps beginning ‘Your’.
Then, present yourself, emphasizing the main areas where you could contribute. What are your unique selling points? Do not make the letter too long, or simply repeat CV details, but you can write ‘As you will see from my CV…’.

In the final paragraph, say you will be telephoning ... (give a date and time one week after he will have received the letter) to see if it would be mutually advantageous to arrange an informal meeting. By ‘welcoming the opportunity of a discussion’ you are actually asking for an interview. Prompt the reader to action, ‘I look forward to hearing from you’. Do be a little humble at this stage, so as to not appear too aggressive, ‘If I may, I will telephone next week, to see how we might progress the matter’.

WINNING INTERVIEWS

There are three kinds of interviews:

1. Sieve.
2. Assessment.
3. Decision.

You have to be sure about the purpose of the interview, so that you can present yourself in the most positive, constructive way.

1. Sieve interview

A preliminary meeting to establish whether your application should be taken further.

For the employer, it is an opportunity to establish whether you "look" the right sort of person.

For you, it is an opportunity to size up the employer and opportunity and decide if it is right for you.
The first impressions are all important. It is not details, which matter so much as whether you come over as someone who will fit in and be enthusiastic and committed.

3. Assessment

This will be a longer interview, sometimes one-to-one, but sometimes organised as a panel, with a member of the Personnel Department, someone who knows about your particular type of work and your potential immediate superior.

The interview is designed to dig below the surface and establish whether you really have the right values, interests, ambitions, achievements, experience and qualifications for the job. It will also be designed to reassure everyone involved that you will fit in.

Many of you will have been to an Assessment Centre, for selection or development. This will generally consist of four stages:

• Psychometric Assessment (perhaps on-line) to assess individual abilities and personality traits. There are many books on how to improve performance in these, e.g. ‘How to Pass Selection Tests’, ‘How to Pass Graduate Psychometric Tests’, and ’How to Master Psychometric Tests’, all Kogan Page titles.

• Psychometric tests are standardized, because everyone is presented with the same questions and instructions, under carefully controlled and timed conditions.

• A trained individual follows precise instructions for scoring and interpreting the results, leaving no room for subjectivity or bias.

Results are compared with a representative sample of previous test takers, to ascertain how well one has performed compared with the average for this normative group.

Mastery or Attainment tests measure current levels of competence, e.g. professional examinations, or work sampling, such as in-tray exercises. Aptitude or Intelligence tests measure maximum performance- how well one can do, identifying natural ability and potential (when motivated).

Personality tests have no right or wrong answer, or good or bad answers, but simply identify personal style and characteristics. Results measure usual behaviour, identifying how one is likely to react to people, events and circumstances.

While practice can speed up performance and raise scores slightly on Aptitude Measures, and while one can attempt to fake answers on Personality Questionnaires, it is clearly self-defeating to cheat one’s way into a position to which one is ill-suited! CareerMAX clients particularly value the opportunity to be totally honest, without the pressure of having to impress or please a current or potential employer.

• Group Activities, to assess group and problem solving situations. This can involve role-play and work sampling. Often a group of approximately eight candidates will be required to come to a consensus solution, and will be assessed on Communication, Judgment, Reasoning, Persuasiveness, and Problem-Solving. You must ensure that you contribute overtly:

a) Learn and use the names of other candidates
b) Summarize the positions of others, highlighting common ground and then giving a view of your own
c) Help the group understand the issues- put forward a reasoned argument and conclusion
d) Remind the group of the objective and time constraints.
e) Act as the scribe.

• Social Activities, to assess behaviour over lunch or during a company tour etc...

• One-to-one panel interviews by senior line managers.

4. Decision

This is likely to be the final shortlist of not more than two or three people. The firm is happy that you are suited to the job, but now has to weigh up your application against the short listed applicants.

They may have to decide whether to take a chance that you will learn in return for accepting a lower salary, in contrast to someone who has the right experience, but has to be paid a higher salary.

This is the negotiating stage, so be sure to obtain as good a financial package as possible, while still recognizing where the firm needs to be reassured that you are the right person for them.

Whatever the interview, you have the best chance of succeeding if you prepare. Aim to know more than the Interviewer about the interview process- often not that difficult! Tell the truth, but rehearse your answers well, either in front of the mirror, or with a friend. Practice, to ensure fluency in your answers, particularly, how you might contribute to the organization.

Remember, if one has a good CV, the Interviewer will be expecting a top candidate, and s/he will create, perhaps unconsciously, opportunities for one to sell one-self and to perform well.

Take the time to research the Industry and Organization. What are the latest buzz-words, the fashionable key phrases, and the current concerns and issues? Keep up to date, especially if you have been out of work for a while.

Impression Management is vital; the sad fact is that appearance counts. You must wear the best quality clothes that you can afford, and you must aim to look your most attractive. Good-looking criminals have been found to receive lighter sentences. Attractive students obtain higher grades, and achieve greater success career-wise, too. Watch the building at lunchtime to ascertain appropriate dress and style. Carry only essentials – do not do the weekly shop en route, but remember notes, notepaper and pen!

Tardiness creates a bad impression, too. Leave in plenty of time to allow for traffic, train cancellations etc. Better to arrive early and to sit relaxing, preparing, possibly reading company literature or getting a feel for its culture, and composing yourself. If the previous candidate is a no show, then you could benefit from a longer hearing.
An interesting finding to consider, is that people make eleven decisions about a person in the first seven seconds of contact! These are listed as:

• Education level
• Economic level
• Perceived credibility, Believability, Competence and Honesty
• Trustworthiness
• Level of Sophistication
• Sex Role Identification
• Level of Success
• Political Background
• Religious Background
• Ethnic Background
• Social/Professional/Sexual Desirability

It is also valuable to remember that an interviewer will tend to hold on to the first and last impression of a candidate, yet a typical interviewee will tend to take time to warm up, and then perhaps find it difficult to maintain performance, flagging towards the end. Thus one should aim for a particularly strong start and finish to the interview.

1) Be ready to give examples, which demonstrate you have the right motivation and abilities and will have no trouble fitting in. This means drawing on your personal profile to highlight what you have enjoyed and been good at in the past, and how well you have fitted in and got on with a wide range of people.

Remember, you are in control of the information, which you chose to give. ‘Tell me about yourself’, is a gift question for reiterating your 30 word personal summary or profile statement. What was it in the CV, which attracted and got you this far?

Do not use tentative, ‘I feel that I could’ statements, but use stronger, objective comments, e.g. ‘people would say’, ‘my experience shows that’ etc.

The interview questions will be designed to find out:

- Can you do the job?
- Will you do the job?
- Will you fit in?

In the 70’s, a seven point interview plan was suggested as a framework or the rather unreliable interview process. You might still employ this when thinking about your suitability for the position. While 60% of the time is likely to be spent exploring experience and skills, you might think about matches in:

• Physical aspects
• Attainments
• General Intelligence
• Specific Aptitudes
• Interests
• Disposition
• Circumstances

Your personal profile should have helped in identifying main strengths and unique selling points, which could sway the decision in the event of a close contest.

Think about what you would ask; do not answer questions, respond to them.
Prepare well, to emphasize the skills which you have, and to explain away potential negatives. Emulate Dr. Kissenger, who greeted the press corps. one day with, ‘Which of you have questions for my answers?’

2) Always help the interviewer, and reduce their risk (of selecting the wrong person)... Some are very good and ask general questions such as "Tell me what you have particularly enjoyed", "What experience do you see as relevant to this job?" You can give them lots of information to support your application.

Think before you speak; what is the reason for the question; what is the most appropriate answer; how might you reply positively? As with the CV, describe the situation, the action or intervention, and, of greatest importance, the outcome, ‘which resulted in’, ‘the benefit was’, ‘we gained because’ etc.

Try to find out who will be conducting the interview. If it is HR personnel, then it may be worth emphasizing your people skills and experience. If line management, maybe greater emphasis should be placed on technical prowess. Should you have any choice in the matter, then the best position is the penultimate interview of the day.

Poor interviewers tend to ask lots of specific questions, which are easily answered by giving specific facts or saying "yes" or "no". You should be clear what the interviewer is really looking for, so use the opportunity to expand on your answer. Do not argue with the interviewer. If correction is necessary, say, “I can understand why it may seem that way, but…”, and turn it round to something positive.

Written preparation for the following 100 questions should enable you to cope with whatever is thrown at you at interview, as well as helping you clarify your own thinking on career path, and helping you identify selling points for a CV:

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1.Why do you want this job?
2.Tell me about yourself
3.What is your major achievement?
4.Why should we hire you?
5.What do you consider yourself good at doing?
6.What sort of person are you?
7.What are your strengths?
8.What are your weaknesses?
9.How would you approach this job?
10. What do you know about our organization?
11. How do you get things done?
12. What do you look for in a manager?
13. What do you look for in a subordinate?
14. How do you manage your staff?
15. How do you decide on your objectives?
16. How do you manage your day?
17. What interests you most in your work?
18. What have you read recently that has taken your interest?
19. What sort of things do you like to delegate?
20. What do you do in your spare time?
21. In what environment do you work best?
22. How did you change the job?
23. What motivates you?
24. If you could change your current job in any way, how would you do it?
25. How have you changed over the last five years?
26. Where do you see yourself going in the next five years?
27. Describe a time when you felt that you were doing well.
28. Describe a time when you felt that things were not going too well.
29. How do you work in a team?
30. What would your colleagues say about you?
31. How would your boss describe your work?
32. Describe your ideal work environment.
33. Tell me about a time when you successfully managed a difficult
situation at work
34. When were you most happy at work?
35. What training courses have you been on?
36. What training have you had for this job?
37. Why have you stayed so long/for such a short time with your present company?
38. Why were you out of work so long?
39. Why were you made redundant/let go/fired?
40. If we asked for a reference, what would it say about you?
41. What sort of salary are you expecting?
42. What do you think is your market value?
43. On a scale of one to ten, 10 being the highest, how important is your work to you? Why not 10?
44. How did you get your last job?
45. Why were you transferred/promoted?
46. Do you like to work in a team or on your own?
47. What do you like best about your present job?
48. What do you like best about your present organization?
49. What did you learn in that job?
50. What did you learn from the xyz organization’s approach?
51. How did that job influence your career?
52. If you did not have to work, what would you do? Why?
53. Given the achievements in your CV why is your salary so high/low?
54. What will you do if you do not get this job?
55. What other job have you applied for recently?
56. How could your boss improve his/her management of you?
57. What decisions do you find easy to make?
58. What decisions do you find difficult to make?
59. How does this job fit into your career plan?
60. How long do you plan to stay with this company?
61. From your CV, it would seem that you move every so many years. Why is this?
62. When do you plan to retire?
63. What will you do in your retirement?
64. Describe a difficult situation and what you did about it.
65. Who are you working best with just now? Why?
66. Who are you finding it difficult to work with right now? Why?
67. Describe how you typically approach a project.
68. Given a choice in your work, what would you like to do first?
69. What contribution do you make to a team?
70. If you could change your organization in any way, how would you do it?
71. On holiday, what do you miss most about your work?
72. Given a choice, what would you leave till last in your work?
73. What do you think you can bring to this position?
74. What do you think you can bring to this company?
75. How do you see this job developing?
76. You seem not to have too much experience in xxx?
77. We prefer older/younger candidates.
78. You seem over/under qualified for this job.
79. Why did you leave xyz?
80. Why are you dissatisfied with your present job?
81. Why are you considering leaving your present job?
82. On what do you spend your disposable income?
83. On taking this job, what would be our major contribution?
84. How do you get the best out of people?
85. Which of your jobs have given you the greatest satisfaction?
86. How do you respond under stress? Can you provide a recent example?
87. This job has a large component of travel/sales/negotiation/stress. How will you cope with that?
88. What support/training will you need to do this job?
89. What sort of person are you socially?
90. What will you look forward to most in this job?
91. In your view, what are the major problems/opportunities facing this company/industry/sector?
92. How did you get into this line of work?
93. What other irons do you have in the fire for your next job?
94. What will be your key target in this job if we appoint you?
95. What aspects of this job would you delegate?
96. What makes you think you can be successful with us?
97. What are the major influences that encourage you to take a job?
98. How does the job sound to you?
99. What questions have you for us?
100. Have you been coached in interviewing skills?

(Taken from ‘The Best Job-Hunt Book in the World’ Random House Business Books)



3) Some interviewers find it difficult to listen. They want to talk all the time. In this case, look very interested and keep them talking. The result is that they will see you as a very interesting, intelligent and first class applicant!

4) Always make full use of the opportunity to ask questions. Think through very carefully what impression your questions will make.

The best questions are those, which give the interviewer the opportunity not only to tell you more about the job, but also to think more highly of you. For example, in asking about prospects, say you are very keen to know what people who have been in the job have learned and how their career has developed.

You can ask how the interviewer sees the department developing and growing so that you can identify opportunities where you can contribute to its growth.

Remember the impression created by non-verbal behaviour, too. Turning a directly facing chair to 45 degrees can demonstrate confidence and create a less threatening environment for you. Shake hands firmly, nod and smile, lean forward when listening and talking, give eye contact, and sit back in the chair with legs crossed low down, and hands together at a level lower than your elbows. Powerful people rarely require gesticulation to have others listen!

5) Always anticipate objections, which may be raised by the interviewer. If you know that in some areas you lack relevant experience, do not wait for the interviewer to point this out. Instead, emphasize where you have experience and say, "I note you are looking for someone who ... I have (here make the best of related experience, both inside and outside work).

Where you have been unemployed, you should already on your application form or career history have shown how you were spending your time - studying, getting involved in voluntary activities etc. Bring in these points, for example, say "That part of the work is particularly attractive, because when I was studying/doing voluntary work, it gave me an introduction to...”

Where you have to discuss less successful periods, be brief, and lead the interview back to more positive aspects, e.g. Do not say, ‘No, I have no recent experience’, but answer instead, ‘I was promoted to my present position as a result of my xyz skills, which I would imagine are essential to the job’.
If asked your weaknesses:

1. Chose a trait, which is true
2. Extend this until it becomes fault
3. Put it in the past and show how you have overcome it, confirming that it is no longer a problem
4. Stay silent. Do not admit to more than one weakness, unless it is e.g. ‘working too hard’!

Do, however, think positive – one only has an interview if the Interviewer feels that one can do the job, and that s/he will not be wasting his or hr time!
6) Do not leave the interview without asking what happens next, and when you might expect to hear. On the day after the interview write to the interviewer saying how much you appreciated the opportunity to learn about the job and how helpful you found the information you were given.

You are very keen and would like to add...... (This gives you the chance to add any points in your favour which were not properly covered or indeed never mentioned at all).

7) If you are not offered the job ask yourself: Was it because there were other people better qualified or was it because I did not present myself as positively and constructively as possible?.
If so, how can I improve my chances at the next interview?

STAGE 4 – Re-evaluation

You have the new career / job and are settling in – but this is not the time to sit back and congratulate yourself on having attained your goal! Now is the time to re-evaluate, and the whole process begins again…