Job searching,CV and Interview
Advice
Jayne Winch
Date September 2013
Job searching techniques
• Jobs boards (Total jobs, Monster, Indeed, local
boards – jobs in Surrey, jobs.ac.uk. LIS link etc)
• Company websites and their RSS feeds
• Referrals through friends/networking events
• LinkedIn/Twitter and social media
• Digital brand!
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Digital brand
• Twitter - do Tweet and offer opinion but don’t be too
controversial
• Get involved in discussions
• Follow interest groups on here
• Keep LinkedIn profile up to date. Would be expected to
be on it
• Blogs – eg,motor blog, got a job through this! He
became well known in this sector through his blogging
• Commenting on blogs is a good way to get noticed
• Facebook – be careful, employers check pages
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Layout of the CV
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Name
Address
Contact details
Profile
Education
Current/most
recent job
• Career to date
• Professional
activities
• Technical
experience/other
skills
• Other interests
• References optional
Characteristics of a winning CV
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no more than 2 pages if possible
easy to follow and to read
personal profile at the top
salient points are up front and well set out
truthful and logical – avoid cliches
emphasis given to most recent/relevant job or
qualification (reverse chronological order)
• positive and interesting
• makes you want to know more – don’t include your
life story!
• references available on request
Interviews
Purpose of the interview
> Meet the employer
> Sell your strengths and skills as they relate to the
employer and position
> Learn about the employer and position
> Assess if the employer/position are a good fit for
your career goals, values and needs. They may not
be!
> Practice for other interviews
> Use the interview with agencies as a practice
Types of Interview
> Traditional
> Behavioural
> Team / panel
Traditional
> Requires you to relay factual information
> Employer is taking your word at face value
> Sample Questions:
• Tell me about yourself?
• Why are you interested in this role?
• What are your weaknesses?
Behavioural
> Employer makes assumptions about your future
performance based on past behaviours and
attitudes
> Requires you to offer concrete, specific examples
> Sample questions
• Tell me about a time when you showed team work
• Give me an example of a challenge you faced and how you
dealt with it
General Preparation
• Research the company, know who you’ll be meeting
with and their position
• Look at interviewers’ LinkedIn profiles/company
profile
• Re-read the job description
• Create a list of questions to ask about the position
and the company
• Arrive a little early
Etiquette
• Be on time
• Turn off your phone
• Shake hands firmly at the beginning and end of the
interview
• Maintain good eye contact
• Dress appropriately
The Day of the Interview
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Speak positively about yourself and others
Use body language to show interest
Nod, sit forward, sit up straight, smile!
Reflect on the interview
• What did I do well?
• What could I prepare better for next time?
• Keep a folder/spreadsheet of roles applied for
Success Factors
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Communication skills (including listening)
Problem solving skills
Interest in industry/role
Interpersonal skills
Enthusiasm
Confidence
Focus – don’t go off at a tangent
At the interview - DON’T
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Be intimidated
Be late
Undervalue yourself
Be too familiar
Criticize your employer
Give monosyllabic replies
Reflection
• Assess what worked, what didn’t
• Keep a folder/spreadsheet of the roles applied
for with notes
• Get feedback from agencies/companies if
applied directly
• How could you prepare for next time?
• Opportunity to take stock
• Consider your career aspirations
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Thank you!