Writing a great resume

Your resume has one purpose - to make an employer want to interview you. It is therefore a sales document, and should be concise and easy to read.

Remember, a future employer sees hundreds of these every day - if your resume is too long, too wordy, or in a hard to read font, then it is likely to be overlooked.

Keep your resume to 2 pages if you can. If your work history stretches much beyond that then consider summarising it and adding a note that you have a full resume available too.

A good format to keep in mind is as follows:

• Name
• Contact details
• Profile - a short paragraph stating "what you are" and what you want
• Employment history - most recent first
• Education history - most recent first
• Courses - relevant professional courses you have attended
• Skills - e.g., software proficiency
• References - state minimum of 2 professional references

Things not to put on your resume include:

Salary details – this may hinder future salary negotiations, or cause an employer to make judgements about you at an early stage.

Reasons for leaving jobs – this is not always relevant or necessary, and some situations are more complex than can be explained in a line or two.

A photograph – this is unnecessary, and may cause an employer to make judgements about you.

Your date of birth / marital status / religion – this information is also unnecessary and may lead to judgements or assumptions about you.

Useful tips

Be specific with dates and always include month and year.

Include as much detail as you can on relevant jobs, and do not labour the point on jobs that are irrelevant to the role for which you are applying. If you have worked as a cashier for four years throughout university then include this information, but be careful not to include more detail on this than on your studies and your engineering/ technical work experience.

Think about your audience and tailor your resume accordingly.

Use clear fonts and bold typeface/ underlining to make the sections distinct and easy to read.

Remember to proof read and spell check the final document.

Interview Tips

The manager leans forward, looks you in the eye, and delivers the heart-stopping question that will make your mind go blank and your palms begin to sweat. You don't say anything, you try to collect your thoughts, all the time desperately aware that the manager thinks you are an idiot. There is no way you have got the job. Is there any way you can turn this around?

Well... probably, but it may not be easy. The best way to fix this kind of scenario is to avoid it in the first place by preparing as thoroughly as you can for your interview.

All companies and interviewers are different, but below is a list of tips that we at Skye Recruitment have gathered over the years that may not only make your life a little easier at interview, but also the above scenario less likely.

Before the Interview

Do:

• Look up where the interview is to be held and plan your journey. Give yourself longer than you think you need in order to get there.
• If, for any reason, you cannot avoid being late then phone the company in advance to let them know, and apologise to them and explain your reasons when you arrive.
• Find out about the company you are visiting. Look in trade magazines and make sure you are familiar with the company website. Whether you have visited the website and what you thought of it are common questions for interviewers to ask.
  
• Find out who will be interviewing you and how they fit into the company structure.
  
• Prepare some questions for the interview. This is your chance to find out about the job on offer, and shows that you are serious about the role.
• Prepare a copy of your CV or examples of your work to take to the interview.
• Dress smartly. Even if the company adopts casual dress it is good practice to turn up to the interview dressed to impress. Decide what you want to wear and prepare it the night before to avoid a last minute rush on the day of the interview.

Don't:

• Drink alcohol or smoke immediately prior to your interview.

During the Interview

Do:

• Relax, smile and maintain eye contact when the interviewer is speaking to you.
• Try to match the style of the interviewer if they seem formal then adopt a formal response, and likewise if the interviewer is more informal then adopt an informal approach in response. Either way, act alert and interested.
• Sell yourself make it clear what you have done and what you can do that will benefit the company.
• Be prepared with answers for the questions you may be asked. Some common interview questions include:
  • Why do you want to work for us?
  • What do you know about our company and the role?
  • What are your strengths/ weaknesses?
  • What would you consider your biggest achievement?
  • Why are you looking for a new role?
  • What can you offer to the company?
• Ask enough questions to ensure you have the information you need to decide whether you want to pursue the role.
• Ensure your questions focus on the role and the company, and that you do not appear to place too much emphasis on the remuneration and personal benefit aspects.
  
• If you don't understand a question then ask for clarification rather than guessing.
• Don't talk too much keep to the point, but avoid one word answers too.
• If you want the job then tell them you are interested and let them know your availability.
• Ask what the next step is will the decision be made on the one interview, or will there be subsequent interviews?
• Thank the interviewer for seeing you.

Don't:

• Avoid getting in to too specific a conversation about salary. This is a difficult discussion, and one that a recruitment consultant can have on your behalf. You are at risk of under selling yourself when we could negotiate a higher salary for you, or of over selling yourself and putting the interviewers off. A recruitment consultant will be able to give you an idea of what salary to expect prior to the interview, and will know the background of what that company will or will not pay for someone of your level.

After the Interview

Do:

• Telephone your recruitment consultant as soon as possible after the interview. The company will be calling them to discuss the interview and it will demonstrate your seriousness about the role if they have already spoken to you and can provide them with an immediate response. They will be able to give you feedback from the company too.

Don't:

• Don't blow it all as you leave! Be polite to reception staff, don't light a cigarette as you leave the building, don't drop litter in the car park, or take off your tie as you get into the car. You never know who is watching, and some companies will ask reception staff for their impressions of you as you arrived and as you left.

We have moved!

2010 marks the start of an exciting year for us here at Skye Recruitment.

We have come back from the Christmas break to a busier workplace than ever before, and we have now moved offices to accommodate our growing team!

Moving over Christmas is always chaotic but the last of the builders are now finally leaving, and we are settling into our bigger offices with all-improved facilities and a fully kitted out kitchen that rivals some of our home ones!

We have strong growth targets for the coming year, and we are in the process of interviewing more staff so that we can keep up with growing needs from our clients who are also busy and hiring.