It's important to remember that your CV is actually your brochure to the employing world.  However too often people pop their CV together while watching TV the night before they apply for a job they’re really excited about.
 
What many candidates forget is that your CV dictates the success of your career journey and how much you earn for the rest of your life.   Therefore in some respects, this document is more important than your passport!
 
There is a saying in recruitment that perception equals reality. The perception an employer is given via a person’s CV becomes their reality. Therefore, if this document is poorly formatted, has missing information, is full of spelling and grammatical errors and doesn't highlight you was a solution to the employer’s problem, you're letting yourself down.
 
Remember to honour your experience by developing a CV that highlights your true value to the reader.

The strengths and weaknesses questions are probably the most asked in the history of interviewing. However I am always surprised about how many people cannot answer these well, even when you can almost guarantee they will be asked at some stage of the interview process.

What are your strengths?

Pre-select three strengths before the interview, and make sure they are also in line with the type of job you are seeking! Don’t forget to be prepared to give actual examples of your strengths as well if you need to. 
Typical strengths include attributes such as
·      High attention to detail
·      Resilience
·      Enjoys working in a team environment
·      Work well under pressure
·      Able to work independently
·      Passionate about the industry

What is your main weakness?

Share a genuine weakness you have, but then talk about how you are attempting to overcome this weakness. This highlights you as self aware and mature.
​
I’m Tom O’Neil – Visit www.CV.CO.NZ to find out more #job #work #career

Making sure you stand out at the interview - In most interviews you will get a range of standard questions that you can prepare well for. These include:
 
What do you know about our company?
Make sure you do your research about the organisation so you can answer these well and with authenticity. You can find great detail of course on their website, but news sources and LinkedIn can give you some great information too.
 
Why do you want to work here?  Through your research, think about what makes this company different and an employer you would like to work for. This could include company culture, industry or perks.
 
Tell me about yourself… For this example, use the PPFP model.
Past – talk about your career and qualifications to this point
Present – share what you are doing at present
Future – talk about how the position you are seeking aligned with you future career
Personal – finally if you feel comfortable, briefly share information such as your hobbies and personal background.
 
All the best with your next interview! 
 
I’m Tom O’Neil – Visit www.CV.CO.NZ to find out more #career #work #career #interview
​