How to get an edge in your job-hunt. From the simple mistakes to avoid at the CV stage, to the strategic approach to interviews that will leave the competition in your dust.
in order to go into battle unafraid, you needed to know three things: 1.Yourself. 2.The enemy. 3.The ground you’d be fighting on. Did you know these 3 things when you went into your last interview?
hit the ‘Send’ button? Somebody has to wade through all the applications for the role and compile the shortlist - and yes, that very small pile on the left is all that remains after you eliminate all the others.
years experience in the financial area including the Multinational sector and Financial Services. Prior to taking up a career in Accountancy I ran the family business for a number of years. I possess strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to interact effectively & professionally with clients and colleagues at all levels. I’m a team player with a strong work ethic, while I’m an enthusiastic learner with ability to adapt quickly to new and challenging work situations. This is undisciplined twaddle, the kind of stuff I read on 75% of the CVs that come across my desk. Don’t be this guy!
grew by 37 percent year on year. And then I ended up … I see clumsy, passive language like this every day, from people who are applying for senior, high-paying jobs.
expanded sales by 37 percent year on year. I sought a secondment … / I was appointed ... So, first, let’s lose the passive voice and use crispy, business- like, active verbs.
by 37 percent year on year. Seconded to … / Appointed to ... And it may be appropriate to get rid of all those perpendicular pronouns - which makes the language even more crispy and business-like.
the Senior Management Accountant, reporting to the Financial Controller. Widgets competes in the blah-blah sector, the local affiliate has a turnover of €92 million and employs 175 staff. Along with the typical analysis, audit and reporting functions, my brief encompasses: • Line management for 11 staff – 3 Accountants and 8 Clerks • Development, implementation and updating of all policies and procedures in my remit • Capital expenditure projects from inception to completion • Collaboration on key projects – insurance, systems development, stock control Key Contributions • Migration from legacy system to SAP – project team member • Merger, acquisition and diligence activities from time to time • Conducting training in finance for non-financial management September 2005 to August 2009 Joined Fidgets Ltd as Trainee, reporting to the Management Accountant. Fidgets is Short, punchy introductory paragraph. I’ve used the protocol of Job Title in bold and Organisation in italics.
the Senior Management Accountant, reporting to the Financial Controller. Widgets competes in the blah-blah sector, the local affiliate has a turnover of €92 million and employs 175 staff. Along with the typical analysis, audit and reporting functions, my brief encompasses: • Line management for 11 staff – 3 Accountants and 8 Clerks • Development, implementation and updating of all policies and procedures in my remit • Capital expenditure projects from inception to completion • Collaboration on key projects – insurance, systems development, stock control Key Contributions • Migration from legacy system to SAP – project team member • Merger, acquisition and diligence activities from time to time • Conducting training in finance for non-financial management September 2005 to August 2009 Joined Fidgets Ltd as Trainee, reporting to the Management Accountant. Fidgets is You don’t need to delineate all your responsibilities - “Along with the typical functions …” covers that nicely.
the Senior Management Accountant, reporting to the Financial Controller. Widgets competes in the blah-blah sector, the local affiliate has a turnover of €92 million and employs 175 staff. Along with the typical analysis, audit and reporting functions, my brief encompasses: • Line management for 11 staff – 3 Accountants and 8 Clerks • Development, implementation and updating of all policies and procedures in my remit • Capital expenditure projects from inception to completion • Collaboration on key projects – insurance, systems development, stock control Key Contributions • Migration from legacy system to SAP – project team member • Merger, acquisition and diligence activities from time to time • Conducting training in finance for non-financial management September 2005 to August 2009 Joined Fidgets Ltd as Trainee, reporting to the Management Accountant. Fidgets is We all have responsibilities. The reader is interested in what you did with those responsibilities.
education, qualifications, professional history and occupations, typically sent with a job application. ORIGIN: early 20th Cent.: from Latin, the course of life The dictionary definition of a CV - operative word: BRIEF
way through War & Peace as they read your CV. Aim for 900-1100 words. That is going to require you to compress your early - and, from the reader’s perspective, not very interesting - experience into a few tight lines. The other place your CV can sprawl out of control is in the Education and Training section …
brimming with enthusiasm • I have highly developed people skills • I am a blah-blah-blah, keen to apply my xxxx skills in a blue-chip environment Most people open their CV with a profiling statement and most of them are very badly written indeed.
it down to the final 2-3 candidates, all of who are highly capable, all of whom seem highly motivated, and all of whom have a track record of seamlessly fitting in to any new role or organisation they move to; then the question comes down to “Do I like this person?” “Do we share a sense of humour?” “If I was stuck here past midnight, eating cold noodles, would I want to be doing that with this person?”)
in the discussion on networking and intelligence-gathering, and if there is an opportunity coming up in your department, it is absolutely imperative that you understand what is going on in the heads of the decision- makers in that department.
arse Remember this? Important for your CV, but vital for your interviews. What is most impressive about you? What difference does that make on the job? You have to know this!
“Machines talk to me” Killer negotiator Some good examples that I’ve heard in the recent past - all true, all verified with examples, all delivered with confidence.
really help you pinpoint your key areas of innate, hard-wired, talent. You may not discover anything new about yourself using these kinds of tools, but the process is valuable because it (a) gives you a clear overview and (b) gives you the oh-so important vocabulary for use on your CV and in interviews. https://www.gallupstrengthscenter.com/ Purchase/en-US/Index
“If you saw XXX, what would you do?” “Have you ever had to YYY?” “How would you solve ZZZ?” This is the kind of language you will hear in a Competency Based Interview. You response should be to tell a 2-3 minute story.
Strengths? Team / Leadership style? Communication approach? Task / Problem approach (+examples!) Sectoral / Organisational issues? Best moment? Why you? Any questions? You have heard a version of these questions in every interview you’ve ever done. You should have crispy, effective answers ready to go for all of these. (More donkey- work and sweat!)
you’re best at, where you have made a difference, the value you have brought to the organisations you have worked for. Know your enemy - the people who will be deciding your fate, and the competition you are up against. Know the terrain - what’s really going on? What’s changing in the landscape? What’s coming down the road? What can you do to help?
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