Jobs

Resume Writing

The resume is often the first contact a prospective employer or recruitment Consultant has with any candidate. This is your opportunity to quickly gain their interest, display your experience, qualifications and skills whilst retaining their

attention. Below are a number of tips on building a resume that will gain and retain interest and provide all the relevant details whilst remaining brief. (If you are responding directly to a specific job advertisement, the importance of a covering

letter highlighting particular aspects of your resume is often a valuable addition to

Your Full Name

1). Date of Birth

2). Nationality

3). Marital Status

4). Gender

5). Address

6). Contact information (including telephone numbers and an email address)

Personal Details

Listed in chronological order, include the name and location of the educational institution and dates of attendance. Qualifications and grades should be listed accordingly.

Professional Qualifications

Listed in chronological order, include the name of the issuing body and/or institution along with dates of qualifying.

Languages

Potential employers are interested in language skill sets that include the ability to read, write and speak fluently. In this market, the normal requirements are fluency in English and Arabic, however if you have additional languages they could also be noted.

IT Skills

A short and concise list of IT literacy including exposure to standard IT packages as well as specialized programs and ERP systems

Employment History

Internships and employment should be highlighted in chronological order indicating specific employment periods, the employer’s name, position held and location of the role.

The content of this section should include a brief description of job responsibilities, positioning within the business structure, reporting lines and management activities. “The inclusion of achievements (i.e. promotion, positive reviews or projects) will provide a general overview of your accomplishments.

Personal Interests

A well rounded CV including personal interests is something employers look for as They seek to employ people who are proactive and a cultural fit for their corporate Environment.

General Information

Your CV must be presentable, well organised and consistent. This relates to anything from font style to text size and ensuring new headings and titles are bolded or underlined as necessary. In most cases the less complex design and format will prove more effective.

Covering Letter & Candidate Profile

Covering letters are an effective introductory tool whereby you can outline your suitability for a specific role. This should be kept short and precise; anything away from this will detract from the CV and candidature.

Interview Preparations

Interviews are an integral part of your job search; it is the ultimate opportunity to sell yourself on a face-to-face basis. They should not be viewed as a one-sided interrogation with relentless questioning; rather they should be experienced as an open forum for two-way information flow. Preparation is the first essential step towards a successful interview. There is no excuse for a candidate possessing little or no information about the company with whom they are interviewing.

Preparation

Make the time to get yourself fully prepared for this vital part of the job search process and remember the five ‘P’s’; Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.

• Dress conservatively in smart business attire, first impressions last. Think about the image you wish to portray.
• Do your homework on the company, understand its products and services, its recent business growth, plant or office locations and future growth opportunities. This information is usually accessible from documents and publications such as the company’s annual report, corporate website or business publications.
• Assemble relevant personal documentation, such as resumes and qualification certificates. Understand how your own annual remuneration is packaged. Rather than exaggerate your package explain why you feel you are worth more, as you may well be asked to prove your remuneration.
• Prepare examples of previous successes or achievements in your career, as interviewers will often ask for substantiation of specific claims.

Initial Greeting

• Arrive on time, having previously checked the address and exact location of the interview.
• Know the interviewer’s correct title and the pronunciation of their name.
• Make and maintain eye contact, smile and have a firm handshake.
• Use small talk to establish rapport, but let the interviewer initiate and lead this, as being over familiar at this stage could set the wrong tone.

The Interview
No two interviewers have the same style, let them take control of the flow but ensure that you display honesty, enthusiasm and warmth.

During the interview, you will be assessed on your strengths and weaknesses. In addition to this, specific personal characteristics will be probed, such as attitude, aptitude, stability, motivation and maturity.

After the interviewer has asked about your previous experience, specific skills and competencies and delved into your strengths and weaknesses, it is then opportune to talk about the specific role.

Ensure that you have a number of well thought out and relevant questions to ask about the role.

• Is this a newly created position?
• Why has the position become available?
• How would you describe the corporate culture?
• What are the company’s plans for future development?
• Is there an induction or training programme for new recruits?
• What is the next step?
• Do not initiate discussions on remuneration at the first interview stage, however be open and honest if asked.
• When dealing with interview panels maintain eye contact with all equally, even if one individual is doing the majority of the talking.
• This is a good time to reiterate any strengths/experience that you feel would add to your candidature for the role.
• If you are interested in the position enquire about the next interview stage.
• If the interviewer offers the position to you and you want it, be prepared to accept it there and then, although this is more typical for contract and temporary roles. If you wish for some time to think it over, be tactful and courteous in asking for that time.
• Leave the interviewer with a good final impression, smile and give a firm handshake. Do not make the mistake of relaxing too early and undoing all your previous hard work

After The Interview 

• Immediately after the interview call the relevant consultant at Charterhouse to discuss how you feel it went, what you did well, what you wish you had done differently and how interested you are in the role. This is a chance for the consultant to provide extra feedback to the client to further establish your suitability for the role.
• Write a follow up letter or email, regardless of how you feel it went. It is an opportunity to thank the interviewer for their time, recap on salient points, add points not covered, and express your level of interest and to leave a good final impression.

Interview Do’s 

• Arrive on time, greet the interviewer by his or her title and surname and shake hands firmly.
• Wait until you are offered a chair before sitting. Sit upright in your chair and look alert and interested at all times.
• It is very important that you demonstrate your interpersonal skills during the interview. Try to be charismatic without being overly friendly.
• Be a good listener as well as a good talker.
• Look the interviewer in the eye and smile, let them feel that you are enjoying the process whilst taking it seriously.
• Follow the interviewer’s leads and make sure that your good points get across to the interviewer in a concise, factual and sincere manner. Waffle will get you nowhere.
• Conduct yourself as if you are determined to get the job you are discussing. Remember you cannot reject a job that you are not offered.

Interview Don’ts

• Try not to be too friendly and do not answer questions with a simple ”yes” or ”no”. Explain yourself whenever possible.
• Conversely do not ”over answer” questions, make your comments relevant and too the point without waffling.
• Do not lie. Answer questions truthfully, frankly and as close to the point as possible.
• Avoid making derogatory remarks about your present or former employers.
• Try not to use the term “we” when you are talking about your own achievements and avoid making very general statements that lack any real substance.
• Do not enquire about salary, holidays, bonuses etc. at the initial interview unless you are positive the interviewer wants to hire you.
• Finally do not slouch, mumble, smoke or answer that mobile phone you forgot to turn off.

Questions to Expect

Before attending and interview you should think of the questions you might be asked, in today’s market place you will be expected to answer traditional questions and behavioral based questions. When answering questions a golden rule to remember is “Honesty is the best policy” do not lie, answer questions as honestly and precisely as possible. And remember preparation will significantly help reduce stress and enable to feel confident in your answers.

Examples of Traditional Questions: 

1. Why are you looking to leave your current role?
2. What kind of role are you seeking?
3. Why did you choose this particular career path/field?
4. Why would you like to work for this organization?
5. What interests you about our products/service?
6. What did you do in your previous role? What did you enjoy the most/least about it? Accomplishments? Strengths/ Weaknesses?
7. What do you want to be doing in your career in five years from now?
8. How do you handle criticism of your work?
9. What style of management do you work best with?
10. Which role did you enjoy the most and why?
11. What does teamwork mean to you?
12. When was your last salary review?

Notes on Behavioral based Questions: 

Behavioral based questions focus on “core skills” that is those specific skills and behaviors that are needed to succeed in a role. They can include; knowledge, skills, abilities and personal traits. Answers that you provide are matched to specific role requirements, business objectives and company culture. Remember that you are being asked to provide the interviewer with specific examples of a situation that you were involved in. Don’t give general answers. Choose an example that you remember clearly, it is important that you remember as many details of the example you provide. When assessing what behavioral based questions the interviewer may ask, consider the job description and requirements of the role.

Examples of Behavioral based Questions:

Coping with Pressure:
Describe a time when you were faced with problems or stresses at work that tested your coping skills. What did you do?

Problem Solving:
Give me an example of a time you had to be relatively quick in coming to a decision
Give me an example of a problem you faced on the job, and tell me how you solved it
Can you tell me about a time you were able to anticipate a problem?
How did you know the problem was likely to occur? What did you do?
How effective was your action?

Drive and Motivation:
Can you give me an example of an important goal you had to set?
Tell me about your progress in reaching that goal.
What motivates you to put forward your greatest effort?
Describe a situation which you did so

Handling Conflict:
Tell me about a situation in the past year in which you had to deal with a very upset customer or co-worker.
What us your typical way of dealing with conflict?
Can you give me an example?

Team Work:
Describe a contribution you have made to a project on which you have worked on
Describe an occasion when you had difficulties working in a team
What caused the problems? How did you respond? What was the outcome?

Time Management:
Tell me about a time when you had too many things to do and you were required to prioritise your tasks
Give me an example of when you had to work to an important deadline.
How manageable were your timescales? What did you do to ensure that the