Tips for Candidates
Change Recruitment: Thanks for joining us Scott. Could we begin by asking what does a recruitment agency does?
ST: “A good recruitment consultancy is an aggregator of information who should be able to present different options to individuals on how to facilitate their next career move regardless of the sector they work in. At Change, we ask questions and we listen to get a feel for what the candidate would like, and we best match their skill-set to what employers are looking for at that time in the market.
“We encourage everybody to come in and meet with the consultant who they will be working with. Finding a job is a daunting experience and not something you do every day so we invite people to come in and meet us. We then work through their CV. They may have applied for an active position that is on the Change website or it may be that we have proactively approached them.
“We do also get people who approach us and say ‘if I was looking to get a move, what does the market look like?’ We might say that the best thing for them at that time is to stay where they are. We are here to help them make the best choice and sometimes that is not to move.”
CR. What are the key points when writing a CV?
ST: “Talk about your achievements and what you are proud of. Be very clear and prescriptive about giving detail, it brings the candidate to life. Put your interests on your CV; it’s not just about the job so put down, within reason, your interests sporting-wise or outside work. The final point is to make sure that it is grammatically correct. The CV is the first impression of the individual and is therefore really important.
Finding a job is a daunting experience and not something you do every day so we invite people to come in and meet us
“The last couple of years of your career need to be detailed and that might run to two pages. Then give a synopsis of the 10, 15, 20 years before that. In my personal view, it is short-sighted to have a two page CV because it doesn’t give you a chance to talk about your achievements.”
CR. How should I prepare for an interview?
ST: “It’s important to read recent press articles and use the web to research the employer. If you want to work for that business then you need to show an interest in what they have been doing. Prepare with friends or family and don’t leave it to the last day. Be yourself; you need to come across as professional but you also need to be yourself and be confident and comfortable with who you are.”
Thanks Scott!
Scott Taylor is Associate Director of Accountancy & Finance
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