by Colin Byrne | Jan 11, 2016 | Career, CV, Jobseeking
In today’s job market, you need your CV to stand out from the countless others that employers and recruitment agencies receive on a daily basis. In order to be in with a shot of getting your dream role you first need your CV to be noticeable, interesting and efficient. How your CV is structured is just as important as its contents – it needs to be clear, concise and relevant in order to appeal to potential employers and recruitment agencies. Your CV should include the following 6 sections: Section 1 – your personal details. Include your name, address, phone number and email address. You do not need to include your date of birth, a photo or your marital status. Section 2 – your personal profile and key achievements. This is your opportunity to sell yourself. Use just a few short sentences to highlight your attributes and the skills you can bring to the role Sections 3 & 4 – your education and work experience. You can alternate these sections, depending on which is strongest or most relevant to the job you are applying for. Always list your qualifications and experience starting with the most recent. For your work history, use bullet points to highlight your achievements and duties in the role. Use clear headings detailing your job title, the company name and your period of employment. Section 5 – your hobbies and interests. This is an important section to include as it gives potential employers an opportunity to develop an image of you as a person as well as an employee. Section 6 – your referees. It is perfectly acceptable to either list your referees or to state that they are ‘available upon request’. A few final points to keep in mind: Keep it clear, concise and relevant – it should be no more than 2-3 pages Always tailor your CV to the job you are applying for – this is important! Keep the format consistent throughout. And finally – proof read! And get a friend or family member to proof read! For more tips on how to write a great CV and to download our CV templates look under our Jobseekers tab at the top of the page or click here Ultimate CV Guide Colin Byrne, Senior Consultant, Collins McNicholas Recruitment & HR Services Group...Read More
by Niall Murray | Jan 7, 2016 | Career, General Interest, Jobseeking
10 Point Plan to Succeed in Your Job Hunt & Progress Your Career I have lost count of the number of times people have said to me over Christmas “I must give you a call in the new year as I really want to make a move next year and progress my career” Some folks follow through and call but others wait another 12 months before having that conversation again. Most people think that all they have to do is update their CV, send it out to a few agencies, and sit back and wait for the job offers to come in. If you are serious about developing your career in 2016 here are 10 things you can do to: Set some career goals– how can you progress your career without taking some time out to think about what you want to do? Decide where you want to be in five years and work out the steps needed to get there. Speak to people who are currently doing that job and find out how they got there. Update your CV – this sounds so basic, but it is amazing how many people will say they are on the job market but do not have an up to date CV. It is vital to have a well-structured CV that is fully updated and current. We have lots of CV tips and templates on www.collinsmcnicholas.ie Take on a project at work – this may allow you to work across different offices and departments and gain exposure to other senior managers in your company. It will show your willingness to...Read More
by Rory Walsh | Nov 2, 2015 | Career, Jobseeking
As Winter sets in and the Christmas season approaches we have all long forgotten those resolutions we set ourselves back in January. We justify the abandonment of those plans by telling ourselves that I will start again next January; “I’ll be back in the gym in January”, “I’m going to take up that course in January”, “I’m going to give the job search serious thought in January”. So many plans for January! But how much of those plans do we really follow up on? Before the talk of Christmas jumpers and shopping seriously takes hold, why not set aside some time to dust down the CV and take a serious look at career goals for 2016. By setting the wheels in motion now you will have done all the heavy lifting and put yourself ahead of the pack come January 2016 just when others are only starting to think about a career change. Like any project or task we always convince ourselves that it will take more time than it actually does and I will put it off until next weekend once I get this week out of the way. The answer to that little problem is to break the plan down into little steps that we can achieve each week. First of all, start with setting career goals, take a blank sheet and start writing about where you want your career to go and what your life will look like in 12 months’ time. What type of roles are you interested in? What time of companies would you like to work for? Are there any courses that could...Read More
by Nicola Egan | Oct 13, 2015 | Interviewing, Jobseeking, Recruitment
Preparing for an interview can be a daunting experience for candidates, many fearing that they will forget the detail of work based examples and undersell their experience in the heat of an interview. I would always advise candidates to use the STAR structure while preparing for interviews, especially competency based interviews. By sticking to this method you will be able to keep your response to the point and structure your answer effectively. What are competency based interviews? Competency based interviews are designed to make the job application process as objective and unbiased as possible as all candidates are asked the same types of questions. Competency interviews are very common today and are used by most large organisations. A typical competency based question may start with “Tell me about a time when…” This may not seem like a difficult question but in the heat of an interview it can happen that you leave out key details and tend to “waffle” when delivering an unstructured answer. A good way to avoid this and to ensure that you “sell yourself” in this type of interview is to follow the STAR technique to structure your answers. An interview may not be overtly competency based and if your interviewer is not very experienced may include questions such as: This job deals with a lot of confidential information, have you done this before? This question could be answered with a yes or no. However, in order to make the best of this opportunity to demonstrate your suitability, think of it as a competency based question and answer with a specific example of when you have dealt...Read More
by Caroline Ward | Jun 11, 2015 | Assessment Centres, Career and Interview Advice, Graduate, Jobseeking
What should I expect at a Graduate Programme Assessment Centre? Assessment Centres are increasingly common and have been a part of the Graduate Programme for many years. Assessment Centres are designed to assess your competency or skills in relation to the role, your cultural fit and overall motivations or career aspirations. As part of the programme you may be asked to complete: Group Exercise Usually 5 – 6 people working together to complete a task or solve a problem. What may be assessed? Team Working Style, Communication Skills and Problem Solving Skills Presentation An individual is provided with a topic on the spot or prior to the day and asked to give a presentation to the Assessor or a group on that topic. What may be assessed? Communication Skills, Analysis and Decision Making Analysis Presentation An individual delivers a presentation based on conclusions drawn from a large volume of newly presented information or data. What may be assessed? Problem Solving Skills, Decision Making Skills and Communication Skills In-Tray Exercise Sorting through written material, prioritising and remaining calm under pressure. What may be assessed? Decision Making, Prioritisation, Resilience, Analysis Ability Assessments Online or paper based ability psychometric tests completed on the day or a date prior online. What may be assessed? Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning, Spatial Reasoning Top Tips Ask Lots of Questions: Ensure you understand what is required of you Get Stuck In: Suspend belief if required, be enthusiastic Take the chance to learn: About the company, the job and even yourself Be Yourself: That’s who they selected for the Assessment Centre after all! Caroline Ward HR...Read More
