Careers Advice

Interviews vary enormously.  Whilst most people’s conception of an interview is a classic one-on-one interview – and that is what most candidates may well be expecting – there are a multitude of possible scenarios:

• Classic one-on-one interviews
• Panel interviews
• Competency-based interviews
• Psychometric and aptitude tests
• Presentations
• Group interviews
• Assessment centres
• Distance interviews

The interview may be a quick, informal chat across a crowded office or it could involve a panel of interviewers all firing questions at you.  You may be asked to sit an aptitude test or prove that you have the necessary skills for the job – a typing test for example.  There may even be group activities with other candidates designed to see how you perform in a team situation.

Often, candidates fail to perform to the best of their abilities because they were thrown into a situation they were not expecting.

The answer?

You can’t prepare for every eventuality but you can certainly prepare for most!

Generally, you will only be expected to attend one interview.  However, it is important for you to be aware that many employers will require a second interview – or even a third.

You shouldn’t necessarily expect that each of the interviews will be of the same type though.  Your first interview might be by telephone, followed by a panel interview and ending up with an assessment centre for your third interview.  Regardless of the exact scenario, second and third interviews are generally more intensive and more detailed.

There’s nothing to worry about though.  If you’ve planned and prepared for all the following possible interview scenarios then you should be able to sail through the process, no matter how many interviews you are subjected to.

You should also find that the first interview gives you some idea of areas you will need to be prepared for in your second or third interviews.

There’s always a lot of debate about the Interests & Activities section.  Should you or shouldn’t you include one on your CV?

As with many other aspects of your CV, there are reasons for and reasons against.

First let’s look at the reasons against including such a section:

• Space is normally at a premium in a CV.  It is vital to prioritise and only include information which will help to make your case.  So why include your hobbies and pastimes?  Are they relevant?
• A number of surveys have resulted in comments from recruiters that Interests & Activities sections are “a waste of space” or, worse, “tiresome and tedious”.
• A trained recruiter should theoretically totally disregard this section when short-listing – because it’s technically of no relevance whatsoever to the candidature and is notorious for including exaggerations and mistruths.
• An interesting survey by the Recruitment & Employment Confederation found that 71% of recruiters had actually decided not to short-list a candidate purely as a result of information they put under Interests & Activities.

Now let’s tackle the reasons why you should include such a section:

• Whilst nobody has yet conducted a survey specifically to research this, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence of recruiters deciding to call someone in for an interview purely as a result of what they’ve included on their CV under Interests & Activities.  I, for one, will admit to having done so when hiring.
• We are naturally attracted to people who share our own interests in life so if your interests match those of the recruiter reading your CV there is a high probability it will increase your chances of their interviewing you.
• Without an Interests & Activities section a CV can be rather a cold, lifeless document.  Including brief details of what you do outside of office hours can bring a much-needed personal touch to a CV.
• Sifting through large piles of CVs can be very tedious indeed and reading the Interests & Activities sections can make the task that little bit more interesting for the recruiter.
• Anything (within reason!) that can help your CV stand out from the crowd and grab the reader’s attention could give you an advantage over other potential candidates.
• Whilst saying that you enjoy ‘socialising’ might well come across as a “tiresome and tedious waste of space” in the eyes of a recruiter, with a little thought and effort you should be able to come up with some more imaginative alternatives.
• Giving an interviewer the opportunity to talk about your Interests & Activities can be an excellent ice-breaker.
• Besides knowing whether you’re capable of actually doing the job, most employers are keen to know what sort of a person you would be like to work alongside.  Yes, they can get an idea at interview but your Interests & Activities can also give them some insight.
• Employers are generally keen to have a diversity of characters within their team and are always on the lookout for someone who can add a new dimension to the team.

So what to conclude?

Yes, I have listed more reasons for including an Interests & Activities section than I have listed not to include one.  And, for the time being, I remain firmly convinced that you most certainly should include such a section on your CV.  But – and this is very important – you most certainly should not go overboard on it.  Keep it short.  Keep it simple.  Don’t write a whole essay about what you do in your spare time!

If you can include an Achievements section then it can really make an instant and dramatic difference to the power of your CV, enabling you to distinguish yourself from other candidates.  This is no time for false modesty.  This is a time to show what you have achieved – and to imply that you will be capable of achieving similar results in the future.

The one goal of your CV is to get you an interview and this one change to your CV will undoubtedly help to get you noticed, leading to more interview invitations.  ‘Achievements’ is a powerful and positive word and it will immediately convey a powerful and positive impression of you to the reader.

Numbers often speak more than words.  Wherever possible you should aim to qualify your statements with specific figures if you really want to maximise the impact.  Using qualifying adjectives like ‘major’, ‘substantial’ and ‘significant’ is all very well but do try to quote precise figures, percentages, etc. if at all possible.  Don’t just make a claim – back up that claim.

Cover letters are, according to a recent survey, seen by almost 50% of recruiters as being equally as important as the CV itself – although most people spend the least amount of time on them.

When someone has hundreds of CVs to plough through, the cover letter sets the tone of the application, and should inspire the reader to turn over enthusiastically and read the accompanying CV.

It’s the ideal opportunity for you to succinctly summarise and re-emphasise the skills and experiences you have highlighted in your CV, whilst also giving you greater latitude to express your personality.

It can help to focus attention on your strengths and distract attention away from any weaker points.

It’s clearly worth taking your time to get it right!

My top tip here would be to try to remember that the personal statement – which is undoubtedly the most important part of an application form – and the only part that is likely to cause you any real difficulty – is not your enemy; it is your big opportunity to sell yourself and really make an impact.

Use positive, engaging language and try to inject some life into what can otherwise be a rather dry block of prose.

Approach your application form in an enthusiastic frame of mind and it is sure to reflect in your style of writing.