Robert Walters Specialist Professional RecruitmentCPA Student Recruitment and Networking Event

Presented by: Leanne Nettleship and Grace ConlonDate: 8th April 2010

Cover letter- What is a covering letter

- What you should include Format of your CV

- Hints and tips for writing a perfect CV

- CV sections

- Before sending out your CV Interview preparation and techniques

- Importance of interview preparation

- How to prepare for your interview

- During the interview

- Types of interview questions

- Differentiating yourself from the competition Networking

- Importance of networking / What is networking / Rules of good networking / Building your network / Growing industries

- Goals and objectives of networking / Getting organised

- Follow up

Contents

What is a cover letter? Opportunity to convey some basic information:

- What position you're applying for- Who you are- Why you want the job- What you have to offer

Must convey the above objectives in a single page and tempt the employer with some key points from your CV

Review company website for job descriptions or search similar employees on linkedIn. Find out as much as you can about the company and highlight this in your cover letter

If applying via email, you can write your cover letter in the body of an email or as an attachment; if you're applying by post, include it as a printed letter

When employers take on a new member of staff they're looking for two things: - Someone who can do the job- Someone who wants to do the job – your covering letter can help to convey your enthusiasm

Role you are applying for

Why you are applying

Show you are familiar

with their business

Why they

should read

on and

interview you

Set the scene

What you are

interested in

Relevant to

them and their

current business

situation

Offer additional

3rd party referees

able to talk about

your capabilities

Hints and tips for writing a perfect CV

Your CV is a tool with one purpose: to win an interview

Avoid coloured paper or type, fancy fonts, photographs or clever delivery approaches Keep the look simple and make your points clear Be truthful and don't be afraid to sell your skills Use the past tense and choose strong action verbs (document inc in pack)

Avoid speaking about yourself in the third person Avoid jargon and acronyms that other people might not understand .eg. CRO, TB, SOX Tailor your resume for each specific application Include the company profile of the organisations you have worked for Make your CV results oriented: give proof to back up your capability statements

CV sections

Personal Information - Include your name- Full address- Telephone numbers (day/evening/mobile) - Email address

Qualifications - List both academic and non-academic qualifications in chronological order, giving grades- Include 1st time passes, top 10, leaving cert points 450+, detail surrounding your degree thesis if it

holds relevance

CV sections

Employment History

Beginning with your most recent job, include:- Company name- Your job title- Duration of employment- Reasons for leaving

Ensure you give a brief outline of the company you worked with which will help give more relevance to the experience you’ve gained

Under each position, briefly outline your responsibilities but place the focus on what you have achieved in the role - this is where you can differentiate yourself

Do not omit any period of employment or unemployment for whatever reason, as this may prove awkward at interview

CV sections

Personal Interests

Listing your interests is important, but do not generalise. For example, instead of simply saying 'football', you could expand and say that you have played for a local club for the last four years and are now Treasury Officer for the club

References

Include a line stating that references are available upon request

Ensure you have at least two referees that have been made aware and have confirmed they are happy to provide written and perhaps more importantly verbal references

Ensure the referees you use are from your most current work history

Before sending out your CV

Check and Double Check

Before submitting your CV/resume, make sure you check it thoroughly, not just for spelling and grammar mistakes, but also to make sure that it is a clear representation of you

Check that the content is relevant to the reader or business you are targeting, so that it will encourage them to contact you in order to find out more

Ask a friend to check it, too - someone who works in the industry in which you are applying would be particularly beneficial

Any questions?

Importance of interview preparation

Celtic Tiger days of 3% unemployment are gone – currently at 12%

Employers market once again – wish list

Interview preparation is often where people fall down

First impressions last forever, you only get one chance

The more time you put in to prepare, the easier the interview will be

Whilst your CV opens the door, the interview keeps it open or closes it quickly

How to prepare for your interview

Research

Who are you meeting? Check LinkedIn to read their profiles Where are you meeting? Transport Company Background – Google

- Year established? - Size of business and their locations?- What do they primarily do?- Read last Annual Accounts to familiarise yourself

Press releases on company website CV knowledge – know your CV inside out Job description – know what’s entailed inside out and be able to give examples on each

aspect Practice psychometric testing / technical testing online beforehand Prepare two questions to ask at the end of the interview Thank them for their time Express level of interest

How to prepare for your interview

Presentation

Suit

Directions and transportation routes – punctual

Strong handshake

Water

Folder – CV and references

During the interview Listen with enthusiasm

Answer with enthusiasm

Have examples to highlight competencies – demonstrate your ability

Have questions ready- Department structure - Training – are there any training/development opportunities associated with the role?- 3-5 year business plan- I read about your plans to ….. (up to date press release knowledge)

Body language throughout Interview

Handshake/closure

Types of interview questions

Competency based – demonstrate with examples of what you have done

Give me an example of when you: Worked as part of a team Demonstrated leadership qualities Worked under pressure Demonstrated your multitasking abilities Working with clients or people outside the organisation Demonstrated effective communication skills Worked on a project from start to finish and you’re level of involvement/seniority Dealt with conflict/resolved issues

For each competency based question… remember STAR to help formulate your answer: Situation Task Action Result

Competency based interviews

Adaptability- Tell me about a time when you changed your priorities to meet others’ expectations

Client focus- Give an example of how you provided service to a client/stakeholder beyond their expectations. How

did you identify the need? How did you respond? Communication

- Give an example of a difficult or sensitive situation that required extensive communication? Organisational awareness

- Describe the culture of your organisation and give an example of how you work within this culture to achieve a goal

Problem solving and judgment- Tell me about a time when you had to identify the underlying causes to a problem

Results orientation- Tell me about a time when you set and achieved a goal

Teamwork- Tell me about a time when you worked successfully as a member of a team

Competency based interviews

Developing others- Tell me about a time when you coached someone to help them improve their skills or job

performance. What did you do? Innovation

- Describe something you have done that was new and different for your organisation, that improved performance and/or productivity

Impact and influence- Describe a time when you went through a series of steps to influence an individual or a group on an

important issue Leadership

- Tell me about a time when you had to lead a group to achieve an objective Relationship building

- Describe a situation in which you developed an effective win/win relationship with a stakeholder or client. How did you go about building the relationship?

Self management- Describe the level of stress in your job and what you do to manage it- Describe a time when you were in a high pressure situation

Other types of interview questions

Behavioural – scenario questions to establish behaviour patterns

Role plays Case study Establishing analytical / problem solving / operational / time management / supervisory

experience

Technical – demonstrate level of technical ability throughout work experience

Accounting and IT Check what systems / procedures they use and prepare examples

Differentiating yourself from the competition

Why do you want this job?

What do you know about the company?

Talk me through your CV?

Why are you looking to leave your current position?

What are your strengths?

What are your weaknesses?

How would your colleagues describe you at work? Outside of work?

How would your boss describe you at work? Outside of work?

Getting the interview = suitable for the job!!

Summary

Know your CV Know the role and the company Know how your experience matches the role and give examples Always have 1-2 questions to ask – if answered – explain they were already answered Confident hand shake – hold cold glass of water in reception Be prepared for everything – HR related / finance related questions Always remain professional – smile and be genuinely interested Never discuss negative experiences with previous employers Bring references with you and leave copies at the interview Practice psychometric testing and technical knowledge testing online Always set yourself apart wherever possible Each interview is an opportunity to impress employers - suitable jobs in the future If you are keen on the job and you get a good feeling then let the employer know Be confident – remember, you have a skill set that an organisation needs

Any questions?

Importance of networking

Most people spend 95% of their time focussing on the 20% of jobs that are advertised

How employers hire

Internal promotion / lateral move↓

Internal staff contacts / referrals↓

Networking / word of mouth↓

Professional organisations↓

Recruitment companies↓

Advertisements / websites

What is networking?

Networking is a great way to expand the world you live in

Formal networking events / continuing education classes / social gatherings

Prime opportunities to meet new people

Further relations with those you’d like to know better

Don’t just “hang out” with familiar people

Set your intentions and have a workable plan

Rules of good networking

Be open Be prepared Treat everyone as equals Commit Be courteous Circulate

Remember these tips:

When the conversation lulls, move on:- “Excuse me, there’s someone I need to meet”- Tell them it was nice to meet them and move on

If you run into someone you have already met and you can’t remember their name, simply say “hello again, remind me of your name” and remind them of your name

Networking without cringing

TMAY (Tell Me About Yourself)

You already have a network – make a list

E-mails, letters – must follow up

Keep records

Two way street – what is in it for them?

Building your network

Chamber of Commerce

Fellow CPA students

Ex work colleagues

Community groups

Lecturers, college groups

Sports memberships

Friends, friends of friends, neighbours

Ex clients

Ex suppliers

Where to look - industries that are growing

Insurance Reinsurance Pharmaceutical FMCG Life science Technology Online gaming Green economy, environmental R&D Shared service centres with languages

Goals and objectives of networking

People approach networking differently depending on what suits them best

Simple Goal

Simply introduce yourself to anyone who is standing alone and swap business cards – relaxed approach

Move on and circulate to someone else on their own

Targeted Goal

List of delegates beforehand Identify who you want to introduce yourself to and why Engage them by being curious about them Swap business cards – helps you to remember names of who you talked to and where they

were from

Getting organised

Make a plan Keep a log book

Contact Action Result

Paul Jones , ex colleague Invited him to link in on 30 March 2010

Follow up on April 7th if no response

Brian Kelly, CFO of ABC Wrote email telling him how much I enjoyed his presentation at conference with pitch at end of mail

Call in 2 weeks if heard nothing

Follow up

Most people drop the ball here - this is the most important aspect of networking

Follow up via email or post out a follow up note within a day or two of the event taking place

OR

Get connected on LinkedIn and other relevant networking sites Personalise your ‘offer to connect’ message to them – remind them where you met etc See who else they know Ask them to connect you to other people you’re keen to link with Join Groups on LinkedIn – be selective

Any questions?