Joblink

Preparing for an Interview

Wed, 15 Jan 2014 10:01:00 Z

Having been chosen from potentially huge numbers of applicants, you've reached the interview stage - congratulations!

Those few days before any interview can be a nerve-wracking time, so it can be difficult to channel your time into doing anything constructive. However, preparation is the key to any interview - though many people don't actually realise this.

Preparing for an interview is vital for three main reasons:

1 - It helps you answer questions clearly and concisely. Although you can't second guess every question you might be asked, if you are prepared you can tailor them to fit or at least draw upon them for inspiration.

2 - For your own confidence. If you're prepared, your body language and demeanor will show it. For both interviewees and interviewers, there's nothing more soul-sapping than an interview in which you have to drag ill-prepared and under-researched answers out.

3 - To show willing. The interview allows your potential employer a first opportunity to judge whether you're right for the job, and showing you're keen and organised enough to do your prep work is a big plus on any employer's tick list.

With this in mind, the following article will provide you with some key pieces of advice for making sure you walk into your interview room armed with as much relevant knowledge and confidence as possible.

The Basics

Before your interview, be sure to find out the following basic pieces of information:

- Where will it be held?
- How long will it last?
- What format will it take?
- Will there be any capacity tests or group exercises?
- Do you need to bring or prepare anything specific (such as a presentation)?

Do your homework!

- Know the Organisation: showing an interest and a firm knowledge base about the company you're applying to is essential.

There are many ways to go about this; check the company website, read the company news, follow the company Twitter account, read any press releases relating to the company, visit the premises and talk to anyone you know who works there already, or who has worked there in the past.

- Know the Role: walking in with a vague idea of what your position within the company would be is not good enough.

Ask for a job specification with a list of the duties and responsibilities that go with it. Then, go through it and make notes of any relevant prior experience you may have relating to those specific details.

Why not ring the nominated person on the job description? They may be able to give you more of an insight, and answer any questions you have.

If you've got friends or family in similar roles and industries, pick their brains for advice. Even if they're not working for the specific company interviewing you, they may be able to provide you with some inside industry tips.

Question Preparation

- Remember *STAR*: during your interview, you will undoubtedly be required to give solid examples from your past that exhibit your competencies, skills and qualities in real life situations.

Honestly one of the most useful things ever taught to me for this kind of situation is the *STAR* model, which is a framework for answering questions and keeping you on track.

STAR stands for: Situation, Task, Action and Result.

Situation - the context of the example you are giving.
Task - what you were asked to do
Action - what you did and how you did it
Result - the outcome and the effect it had

- 'Lessons learnt' examples, where you talk about something you did in the past and how you might now do it better demonstrate a capacity to learn and grow from less than ideal situations.

- Think about why you want the job (barring the money!) and your plans for the future, as employers are usually looking for someone who will be staying with the company long term (or returning after a final year in university, in many placement year student's cases).

- Prepare your OWN questions - this is one of the most frequently missed aspects of preparing for a job interview. Draw upon your earlier research into the company to tailor your questions - are there specific departments or projects you are interested in? What about training opportunities? You could ask about the team you'll be working in (how large, how frequently do they meet etc). Just show some interest beyond the confines of the interview room!

Now What?

You've done everything you can, so now it's time to pay attention to some of the smaller, more mundane details. Think about what you're going to wear for the interview - this may seem simple, but you won't want to be worrying about this an hour or so before you leave for the interview. If you're going to be using public transportation to get to your interview, make sure you check the times. You don't want to be late!

Get some rest. A good night's sleep will do you wonders, and leave you feeling ready to take on that all important interview.

Good luck!

Author: Cerian Jenkins, Student Helper for Joblink Bath. Twitter: @CerianJenkins

Cover Letter Writing Advice

Wed, 15 Jan 2014 09:59:00 Z

Following the earlier CV article, here's the second instalment of the Bath Joblink guide to getting an internship.

Writing a covering letter can seem like a pretty pointless task. You've spent ages fine-tuning your CV, so surely it doesn't matter how you introduce the application?

BZZZZZZT. Wrong.

A covering letter is a chance for you to emphasise why you are perfect for the position, to show that you've gone that extra mile; and it does so in a far more personal way than a CV. It may be the first impression your potential employer gets of you, so use it wisely; not only to reiterate your relevant skills and knowledge, but to demonstrate the enthusiasm you have for the post.

There are two types of covering letter; the first is the one you write when you are applying for an advertised job, and the second you write as a speculative application. Whichever you're sending, the premise is pretty much the same, except in a speculative covering letter you can afford to write a little more to explain what you're looking for.

Writing a Covering Letter

Let's start with the basics.

Layout; when writing a covering letter, layout is crucial as you need to create a professional and accessible document which is easy on the eye.

Use a simple font, such as Ariel or Veranda. Fancy fonts are an unnecessary nuisance and make your letter harder to read and far less professional. If you use Comic Sans, there is a special level of hell waiting just for you.

Spacing is also important; be sure to properly space between the addresses, the heading, the greeting, each paragraph, the closing, and your signature. Left justify your letter, and single space your letter. Be sure to use paragraphs correctly.

As for the tone of your letter, stick to formal and professional. It might be tempting to adopt a more chatty approach but the covering letter is not the place to do it; hopefully you'll have a chance to do that later on in the interview process. Address the letter to the interviewer by name if possible rather than using 'Dear Sir/Madam'.

Parts of a Covering Letter

Your Contact Information: The first thing to include on a written covering letter is your contact information, which I normally right-justify. This info compromises of:

Your full name
Your address
Your postcode
Your phone number and email address (though personally I like to put these at the very end of the letter, after your signature)

When you send an email covering letter, instead of listing your contact information at the top of the message, include your contact information in your signature.

Their Contact Information: Some other guides I've read say that only do this if you have the contact information for the employer; this makes little sense to me, as with just a little research you should have access to an address at the least. Doing that little bit of research can make all the difference, so take those extra five minutes. So, for this section, include a left-justified:

Company name
Company address
Company postcode

The Date: A lot of people seem to forget this addition. Include the date before beginning your letter, as this provides a time frame reference for anyone reviewing your application.

The Greeting: It's important to include an appropriate salutation at the start of of a cover letter.

If you know the contact's name, it is far preferable to use this than a general greeting. You may be able to find the relevant contact names on the job advertisement, the company website or even by phoning the company and requesting the information - this is all good research, so don't be scared to take the initiative.

If you still have no luck finding a contact name, don't panic. Sometimes you just can't. In these cases, use 'To whom it may concern' or 'Dear hiring manager' or even 'Dear Sir/Madam'.

The Grab: The opening paragraph of your covering letter should offer a strong introduction, presenting the reader with some immediate and tailored information regarding the position you are applying for and a few core competencies that demonstrate your strength and relevance.

The Hook: Your second paragraph should be linked to your CV, and extrapolate on some key points within it. It shouldn't be a copy of the information in your CV, but rather it is your chance to highlight and define some examples of the work performed and to include results achieved. Use bullet points to define key areas of achievement and highlight what you have brought to previous positions.

The Research: The third paragraph in a covering letter should be a demonstration of why you want to work for this company. It should show what you know about the company, and the element that prompted you to apply (why you're interested, and how this position excites you). This shows the reader that you've taken your time to do your homework on the company, and to understand the company's nature and goals.

The Close: Use the closing paragraph to briefly summarise why you feel you would be well suited to the role, to thank the reader for taking the time to consider your application, and then provide a call to action, such as a request for a meeting or an interview. Alternatively, state that you will call in a certain number of days - but if you do this, make sure you follow up within the specified time.

Signing Off: Most people seem not to know that there are some simple rules for how to end a letter: For formal letters when the name or sex of the recipient is not known, use 'Yours faithfully,'. For formal letters where the name and sex is of the recipients is known, use 'Yours sincerely,'. Simples!

The Signature: After signing off a written letter, leave a space in which to manually write your signature and then type your name in full. On an email covering letter, obviously the only option is to type your name.

As mentioned in the previous post about CVs, if printing, invest in some high quality paper as it will subliminally have an effect upon the reader. As well as this, be sure to staple your CV and covering letter together as these things have a habit of going walkabouts in a busy working environment.

That's it! Good luck, and if you have any questions relating to this article, feel free to drop into Joblink (1E 3.19)

Author: Cerian Jenkins, Student Helper for Joblink Bath. Twitter: @CerianJenkins

CV Writing Advice

Wed, 15 Jan 2014 09:54:00 Z

Anything you have done - be it a paper round, volunteer work, babysitting, waitressing, keeping a blog etc - will have taught you genuinely transferrable skills which can be used on your CV.

For example, a shop assistant may have accumulated such skills as: sales efficiency, customer service orientated, cash handling, ability to work independently or as part of a team, communication, calculation skills, stock management and inventory taking etc - and that's just off the top of my head.

Remember that your CV should be clear, concise and ideally no longer than two sides of A4. Don't overcomplicate it with fancy fonts, colours or pictures of lolcats. True, infographics have their place in the CV world, but usually for the likes of graphic designers, illustrators and artists. You may, however, wish to use titles and minimal bolding to emphasise separate sections, but please don't go OTT as it just looks rather tacky.

Advice on what information to include in your CV differs from website to website, but the key information is:

Personal details: Name, address, telephone number. You don't need to mention your age or to include a photo; it shouldn't matter what you look like (as long as you're presentable and professional) and if it does you shouldn't want to work for that company.

Education: School/College, A Level subjects and results, University, degree title and results (including a breakdown of which modules you took, and your result for each year). Don't forget any professional qualifications you have; these could include any work-based qualifications such as National Vocational Qualifications. If you've got it, flaunt it.

Employment History: List these in reverse order with your current or most recent job first. Beyond a brief description of your responsibilities and skills, they will want to know what you achieved to give them an idea of what you could do for them; provide a brief case study of a time you have been involved in furthering the success of a previous employer. Remember that you are likely to be marketing yourself to someone who has yet to meet you and so this will be their first (and hopefully not last) impression of you.

Other Skills and Experiences: It is incredibly worth including this section, as it gives you the chance to showcase any skills gained in unpaid positions. For example, on my CV this section includes my previous role as News and Comment Editor for my university newspaper, volunteer work for various charities and experience of a multi-university business competition. These add a bucketload of extra skills to my CV, and show an interest beyond the working world and earning money.

Hobbies: Believe it or not, employers like to know that you're human. Although this section is optional, I would advise at least touching upon it. It provides a way for interviewers to break the ice at an interview, and allows them an insight into the person behind the CV. Don't make any of these up to impress employers - if you list Vipassana meditation, Sod's law dictates that a Buddhist monk will be on your interview panel.

Referees: Some people choose to provide referees 'on request', but I like to include mine at the end of my CV. As a student, ideally you would list two referees; one related to your academic career (such as your tutor) and one related to your work experience. Include their full names, positions, telephone numbers and email addresses. Be sure to get permission before listing someone as a referee.

Armed with the knowledge of what should be on your placement CV, you should also be aware of some common mistakes, and how to avoid them.

Firstly, try to avoid gaps in your CV by ensuring all of your dates tie up neatly. If you have a gap where you went on a gap-yah, make sure to list this in your CV, along with the skills you gained. If you spent a significant time job hunting, be upfront about it and how it helped develop your time management, communication and project management skills. Admittedly, vegetating on the sofa watching Jeremy Kyle doesn't really bring much to your CV, except maybe the ability to successfully endure torture.

Secondly, tailor your CV to the position you're applying for. So many people (whether through laziness, ignorance or lack of time) end up sending out blanket a CV with all of their applications, when actually you should be tweaking your CV every time you apply for a new job. Go through the job description with a fine toothed comb, identify key words and see how they relate to your experience and skills. If a job is worth applying for, it's worth tailoring your CV for.

Finally, and this cannot be stressed enough, get someone to double and triple proofread your CV for mistakes. Spelling and grammatical errors are like nails down a blackboard to most employers, and no one is infallible. In my time I've seen CVs submitted with horrendous spelling mistakes, including within email addresses, job titles and even a surname. GET IT CHECKED. GET IT CHECKED. GET IT CHECKED.

Had it checked? Okay then.

Once you're confident with your finished CV, save a dated copy (e.g. Jane Doe CV July 2012) on to your computer for future tweaking.

If you're sending it via email or online application, be sure to include a cover letter (more on that later) if so required. If printing, invest in some high quality paper as it will subliminally have an effect. As well as this, be sure to staple your CV and covering letter together as these things have a habit of going walkabouts in a busy working environment.

Good luck!

Author: Cerian Jenkins, Student Helper for Joblink Bath. Twitter: @CerianJenkins