Dave Kilmartin

Careers Adviser

Faculty of Science

Oct 6 Twenty10

Employers perspective

• Who are you ?

• What can you do ?

• What contribution can you make you make

to the organisation ?

• Is it worth my while interviewing you ?

3

Part of the recruitment process that you control

An agenda for the interview

Your CV:• Reflects you professionally

• Your past is an indicator of future potential

• Your attitude & interest in the job

• Your Sales & Marketing Document

Get an

interview

Be professional and you’ll be treated as a professional

CV Exercise

• What would an employer want to see in a CV from a computer science student

• Be Specific

Skills Analysis Exercise

Area Skill Example

College

Work Experience

Interests

8

Activities / Experiences

Responsibilities/Projects/tasks undertaken

Skills AcquiredAchievements

CollegeWork expHobbies and Interests

Active verbs; undertook; managed; liaised; solved; dealt with; oversaw;

e.g.InterpersonalTimeManagementLeadershipTeam

Be Specific

CV Contents

• Personal details • Education• Work Experience/Key

Responsibilities• Skills• Interests/Achievements• Referees

Lay it out

•Tailor CV for each job

•Before writing, do your research– Self awareness: how do your skills,

personality and experience relate to your target job/career?

– Employer and role research: what is the company looking for? Read the job specification, talk to people in the industry, use the internet…..

• Layout can help or hinder the reader

• Keep it simple, clear and short - 2 pages of good quality A4 (100gm)

• Be wary of templates

• Main selling points on first page

• Give highest priority to best and most recent examples of your ability to do the specific job

• Be positive, direct and concise

• Be selective - space is short, give only the information which counts

CV Contents

• Personal details

• Education

• Work Experience/Key Responsibilities

• Skills

• Interests/Achievements

• Referees

Arms length

So What

What is a Cover Letter?

• A vital part of your application - your CV is incomplete without it

• Another opportunity to sell yourself

• Highlight personal qualities

• Adds depth to factual information in your CV

• Highlights most interesting and relevant parts of your CV to an employer

Cover letter layout

• Concise - 1 page of A4

• Laid out as a formal business letter showing your address and the name and address of the employer

• Sent to a named person - not “Dear Sir/Madam”

• Spell-checked and grammar checked

Cover letter contents

• 4-5 concise paragraphs– First paragraph: who you are, why you’re

writing– Second paragraph: why you want to work for

that particular company– Third paragraph: why you? Highlight the

ways in which you meet the person specification, or the skills, qualifications and experience you have that are particularly relevant

– end on a positive note. Put your name at the bottom and remember to sign it

Summary - top tips• CVs

– present your CV in most visually attractive way, well laid out and no more than 2 A4 pages

– include only relevant information– balance your CV against the job description

• Cover Letters– write one!– be concise and precise - 1 page of A4– use the letter to personalise your application

and tailor it to the company/role