Quick tips for landing a job

The biggest question lingering the minds of those who have just completed a qualification is often ‘Will I be able to find a job?’

Yes, it is true that competition is fierce no matter where in the world you are based, especially when considering the current economic conditions, but on the bright side we should always stay optimistic and be very prepared in order to get that job!

Here are the essential steps you should take in order to get the job!

1.    Write your Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Be sure to follow a layout that will allow you to sell your experience, skills and education in a manner that is attractive to prospective employers. Remember that the CV is the first point of contact that employers have with potential candidates, and therefore your CV needs to stand out!  

Recruiters and human resource departments get inundated with CVs, and they will literally skim through them in order to shortlist the few strong candidates that get invited to an interview. That being said, you must make sure that your grammar is impeccable, that your layout is tidy and that your experience is relevant to the job you are applying for.

It is always a good idea to tweak your CV for each job that you are applying for as you always want to show that your experience matches the job’s requirements. Researching the company and position you are applying for is crucial as this will allow you to tailor your CV appropriately. This may mean you will end up with multiple versions of your CV but it will increase your chances of being invited for an interview.

Here are some helpful links that will help you create your CV:

CV Advice Link 1 

CV Advice Link 2  

2.    Write a cover letter

Now that you have a great CV in your hands, the next step is mastering the art of writing a cover letter.

The cover letter should be both an introduction to your CV and should also give employers some insight into who you are, so simply regurgitating the contents of your CV is not the way to go. You should seize the opportunity to give employees a snippet of your personality and impress them with your writing style. Remember that you must come across as very professional and therefore you must write in a style that is business appropriate. This means using the sort of language you would for a business letter or report, not a letter, text or facebook message to your friend.

Be sure to write about why you want to work for the particular organisation that you are applying to, and also why you would be suited for the job (this means fitting the requirements of the job description). This is where your initial research about the company and job becomes useful. Another good idea is to personalise the cover letter with the name of the hiring manager or the recruiter. This may require a bit of research but it makes a huge difference as it will show employers that you took the extra steps to find this information out.

The cover letter can also allow you to explain anything that is unclear from your CV like, for example, gaps in employment. Your grammar, style and tone are very important, as recruiters will disregard CVs that are accompanied by a cover letter full of grammatical mistakes. Poor grammar and writing style will make you look very unprofessional, and will also tell employers that you don’t pay attention to detail and ultimately give off a bad first impression.

3.    Prepare for the interview

Once you have reached this stage, you should feel very proud as you now have solid proof that your CV and cover letter was impressive enough to get you a step closer to getting the job!

The first thing you should do before an interview is further research the company and prepare a few questions you may have about the company and position for the interview.

Here is a list of things you should know about a company before you attend an interview:

·         Industry/nature of the business

·         Competition

·         History

·         Recent news

Here is a list of general things you should know before the interview:

·         The job description for the job you are applying

·         Your CV (you should know this inside and out, and be prepared to answer questions about it during the interview)

·         You should prepare answers to the typical interview questions – click here for examples.

Once you have reviewed all this information and prepared for the interview, you should make sure that you dress to impress. It is advisable to have a suit ready, since looking as professional as possible will not only impress the employer but will also help build your confidence during the interview. Please click here for tips on what to wear for an interview, for both men and women.

On the day of your interview be sure to eat before the interview, review the location of your interview and give yourself enough time for any delays in travel in order to arrive at least 20 minutes before the scheduled time.

Please click here for further interview advice, and good luck!