CV Tips & Advice #Inspiredtweetup

Inspired Selection @Inspiredjobs Tweet-ups #Inspiredtweetup

Topic Two – The CV

• Streaming live from Madrid & London, we’re about to start our second live tweet-up, this week we’re looking at CVs, feel free to send us any questions!
• Good afternoon Publishing pro’s, the next hour is dedicated to helping you perfect your CV for applications
• So, firstly let’s look at a clear, straight forward structure that a good CV can take:
• CV Structure: Name & contact details; Profile; Education; Key Skills/Strengths; Work Experience/Employment; Interests; References
• Now let’s look at each section of the CV individually:
• Make sure your name and up to date contact details are clearly displayed
• Include the web address to your LinkedIn profile if your profile page is 100% complete
• Include a ‘profile’ of c. 3-4 lines at the top of your CV, make it short and snappy – it’s the first thing employers see so make it interesting and summarise yourself!
• Education: Don’t list all your GCSE subjects, include your grades e.g. GCSE’s: A*A*AAAABBCC
• There is also no need to list university modules, just list the University and your degree and the result
• Strengths: Use bullet points, they’re a great way of clearly listing key skills/strengths
• Bullet point your key skills/strengths as they are relevant to the essentials/desirables in a job description and ensure this list is visible near the beginning of your CV
• Employment should be listed chronologically, stating most recent/current job first
• Don’t include jobs that aren’t relevant – make sure the skills from previous employment match the job you’re going for
• For interests & hobbies, show your personality – state your ‘interesting’ interests, not just cinema, reading, cycling etc.
• The key is whether the information on your CV is relevant to the position to which you’re applying
• Check again the dates on your CV and ensure that they make sense. Employers may well question gaps or inconsistencies
• Make sure you have clear formatting that is consistent throughout the CV
• Don’t ‘over-format’ – keep it clear and well structured
• Be clear and concise in what you’re stating and keep it to 2 pages
• If you have substantial experience over several positions with a range of employers, then it’s fine to have 3 pages.
• Make sure you spell-check your CV (using UK English)
• But don’t rely on just spell check, have someone check it before sending it anywhere – a fresh pair of eyes always helps to spot errors!
• Remember to include your IT/digital publishing skills on your CV – these are particularly relevant in today’s market
• Avoid using text boxes, some HR systems aren’t compatible and it ruins the formatting
• Don’t leave gaps on your CV, these can lead to employers thinking you have something to hide, If roles aren’t relevant just include the titles and length of time you were in the role.
• Include relevant professional development training courses
• Remember the 3 second rule – if the recruiting manager can’t see matching skills in 3 seconds they may not read on!
• Bullet points are a good way of clearing outlining the key responsibilities and main duties you had in each position
• Bullet point 2-3 achievements for each role such as ‘increased sales in my territory by 200% over one year’ or ‘increased traffic to our website by 300% through a social media campaign’
• Use specific examples instead of ‘great leadership skills’ say ‘managed and motivated a team of three, increasing productivity and efficiency’.
• If you have been in your current job for a while show how you progressed through a company by clearly showing promotions and when you gained extra responsibilities
• Reference details don’t need to be included when first submitting your CV – simply write ‘Available on request’.
• Don’t use the third person- you are the one writing your CV

• We hope you found that useful, please do email us any questions and sign up to our blog for details of the next one https://inspiredselection.wordpress.com/
• For those who joined us at the end, all the tips will be published shortly on our blog https://inspiredselection.wordpress.com/
• Details will follow soon about our next tweet up – keep an eye on our blog https://inspiredselection.wordpress.com/
• Thanks to everyone that got involved, we’ve really enjoyed it..
• To keep abreast of the latest publishing roles sign up to our free vacancy alerts http://www.inspiredselection.com/candidates/-/page/vacancy-update-service/
• Sign up on our website to register with us http://www.inspiredselection.com/ Look forward to hearing from you!

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Details of the next Tweet-up…

Our next tweet-up will be on CV tips next Thursday 31st May at 12 noon, same as last time.

We’ll be going through what makes a great CV, how to get your skills and experience noticed and some hints on how to structure it effectively.

If you’ve got any questions then drop us a comment, a tweet or a DM and we’ll make sure we include you’re queries – you’re all of course welcome to tweet in with questions on the day as well!

We’ll be tweeting from @Inspiredjobs #Inspiredtweetup

Tips for Making a Good Impression at Interview

Interview Tips:

It’s essential to make sure you get the most out of the short time you have at an interview to demonstrate that you are the right person for the job. I’ve noted below some hints and tips which are useful in preparing for an interview which will help you in making a good first impression, and hopefully, will aid you in getting to the next stage in the selection process:-

 

1.    The 3 ‘P’s: Be Punctual, Plan, & Be Positive

The biggest mistake a candidate can make when arriving for interview is to arrive late – be PUNCTUAL! Make sure you PLAN your journey carefully to ensure you arrive at least 10 minutes early.  When you arrive make sure you know the names of the people who will be interviewing you and ensure you greet them in a professional manner with a firm hand-shake and a POSITIVE attitude. Be upbeat and enthusiastic. Employers latch on to negative messages, so don’t give them any.

 

2.    Research the Company

It’s important to prepare in advance; there’s no such thing as enough preparation for an interview. Find out everything you can about the company and their list and products. What are their most recent titles? Who are their key authors? What markets do they serve? Show you are up to date by looking at current company news. And get a good understanding about their competition. Have a few facts in mind about the organisation so that you can demonstrate that you’ve done your research.  It’s important to also show your interest in the organisation by asking any specific questions, these may be about the role, or the company as a whole.

 

3.    Know your Strengths

Sell yourself – give examples from your work history to demonstrate your strengths and your relevance for the role.  Remember: employers buy experience. Think about the evidence of achievement you can talk about in the interview; rehearse your success stories and give strong examples of your strengths. Employers are most interested in your relevant and recent experience.

 

4.    Dress Smart

Make sure that you are smartly presented for the interview. You want your appearance to show that you are professional and well-organised. But also make sure you are comfortable in what you’re wearing; you don’t want to fidget and give off nervous body-language.

 5.    Understand Interview Techniques

Traditional interviews ask candidates general questions such as “Tell me about yourself”. In a behavioural interview, candidates will be asked to describe how they behaved in a specific situation in their career history, and why they behaved in that way. The interviewer will probe further for more depth or detail such as “Tell me more about your meeting with that author,” or “Lead me through your decision process”.

This technique is used to evaluate a candidate’s experiences and behaviours so they can determine the applicant’s potential for success. For example, some of the characteristics that a company may look for are:

• Ability to multi-task
• Willingness to learn
• Ability to work in a team
• Project management skills
• An eye for detail
• Specific subject knowledge

As a candidate, you should be equipped to answer the questions thoroughly. In the interview, your response needs to be specific and detailed.

 

 

By Verity Hawson

Senior Consultant at Inspired Selection – International Publishing Recruitment

Cover Letter Tips #inspiredtweetup

Inspired Selection Tweet-ups

Topic One- The Covering Letter #inspiredtweetup

• We’re about to start our first ever live Covering Letter tweet-up, feel free to send us any questions!
• Good afternoon all! The next hour is dedicated to helping you guys when you’re writing covering letters for applications
• We’re going to start off with a bit of advice and some top tips before you even sit down to start writing
• First off – do your research! Have a look at the company you’re applying for first and establish why you want to work there
• The company will expect you to have researched them, include this in your covering letter – any recent news is always good!
• Next, look at the job advert and summarise how your skills and experience fit their requirements. Be clear and brief!
• Pick apart the job spec – make sure it’s relevant!
• Keep your covering letter one side long!
• Companies don’t want to see blocks of text – keep it clear, punchy and to the point
• Back to basics… check and check again that there are no spelling mistakes or grammatical errors
• Make sure you address your letter to the right person, if you’re working with an agency – ask them!
• One benefit of being represented by an agency is that you can ask for as much background info on the role as possible
• Check the deadline for apps, don’t leave it to the last minute – but at the same time, you don’t need to spend hours on it
• Give examples of how you have demonstrated the required skills and experience
• Make sure any skills or experience highlighted in your covering letter can be found on your CV
• Let your personality show through your writing style, but keep it professional!
• If your skills are a close but not a perfect match show how they would be transferable
• Basics: your opening statement should be the job title and company you are applying for – reinforcing your interest!
• Don’t use overcomplicated formatting and don’t use the US spellchecker!
• Any questions so far?
• Common mistakes: don’t repeat your CV – try to make it different and interesting
• Don’t make any negative comments about your current/previous employer as a reason for looking for a new role
• Get someone else to read over it before you send it – a fresh pair of eyes always helps!
• Now onto the structure, if you haven’t written many covering letters it might be something you find quite tricky…
• They can be daunting, but it’s all about making it tailored to you and the job you’re applying for
• Use a formal letter format, your job hunt is a serious matter!
• Use the first paragraph to explain why you’re interested in the position and that company – show you’ve done your research!
• Use a basic template but make sure every letter is different and tailored to the job you are applying for
• Second paragraph- explain your CV but don’t repeat it!
• Match your skills against the job spec – if they’re not relevant – don’t include them!
• Use the formula: skill/experience, where this is gained, relevance to the job
• Try to be concise – keep it to one side of A4, employers don’t want to read a rambling life story
• Finish the covering letter with a positive statement- reinforcing your interest in the role and the company
• A cover letter is a vital tool to make your application stand out from the pile
• A covering letter confirms your interest in the role & shows why you think you’re suitable
• Remember, a covering letter is your prime opportunity to sell yourself and gain an interview
• We hope you found that useful, please do email us any questions and sign up to our blog for details of the next one for anyone that came in at the end, a summary will be on our blog
• Our next tweet up will be all about how to write a great CV, there’ll be details of when and where on our blog and on here!
• Thanks to everyone that got involved, we’ve really enjoyed it..
• Sign up on our website to register with us http://www.inspiredselection.com/ Look forward to hearing from you!

Covering Letter Tweet-up

The first Inspired Tweet-Up on Covering Letters will be held today (17th May) at 12 noon.

We will be online to talk about how you can use the covering letter to your advantage when you’re applying for jobs – top tips, hints, advice on what you should include, as well as what you shouldn’t.

Looking forward to seeing you all there, we’ll be using the hash tag #Inspiredtweetup so be sure to favourite us!

Inspired Tweet-Ups

Our series of tweet-ups starts tomorrow…we’ll be online at 12pm to tweet our hints and tips about what makes a great covering letter – including common mistakes and answering any questions from you.

We’re going to be talking about how you get the best out of your covering letter when you apply for jobs – after all, it’s your chance to sell yourself and add something a little extra than what employers see on your CV.

We’ll be using the hash tag #Inspiredtweetup – DM us any questions, or drop us a comment and follow us here.

Hello world!

We’ve finally joined the world of blogging and will be using this space to give advice to our candidates on how to get the most out of your job search.

We’ll be talking about everything from CV and Covering Letter tips to how to get to the top of your game in your area of publishing as well as advice from industry leaders…