Job Hunting is a long process and takes effort to keep up the motivation and stay positive about the roles you are applying for.

So keep reviewing what you did in your CV and when you Apply for roles.

Your hard work has paid off and you have the chance to interview for a role. This is fantastic and you should be proud.

The main thing to remember about interviews is that is a two way process. They are trying to find out if you would be suitable for the role and whether you would work well within the existing structure and you are trying to find out whether you would be happy to work for the organisation. This is normally the chance you get to meet your would-be boss. There is nothing wrong with not feeling comfortable with the people who interview you, that is a valid reason to turn down a job offer. I know from experience that the people you work with are often the most important part of a job, beside the work itself, and if you are not happy being around them you won’t enjoy your time there, so on this go with you first impressions if you trust them. If it is just nerves it is up to you.

First up you need to research the organisation and where the role fits in. You don’t have to know everything, but showing you have been on the website, looked at their annual report or other publications and researched the are sector they work in shows initiative and interest. I often get caught in the trap of treating this like a test and start ‘revising’. It does work for me, but can be stressful to think that way as it is not a test and you can’t fail in that sense.

Think about questions they might ask. Search online for possible interview questions and plan some answers. Make sure you have stories to tell about your experiences and how you apply your skills in certain situations. Situational questions are popular and there are no right or wrong answers, they want to know you process and basically how you would go about solving a problem. Try to use different parts of your role to demonstrate your experience, but do not worry if you have to repeat a particular project or situation as long as you show you understand the question and can provide an answer.

Possible interview questions:

• Tell us about yourself?
• What are your strengths and/or weakness?
• How would you go about…?
• Why are you suitable for the role?
• Questions related to new developments in your area.
• Questions about certain aspects of your CV.

There are thousands of questions they could ask and don’t get bogged down in the detail. make sure you know your CV and what they are looking for and apply the CV to that. I go about this by scribbling notes next to the person specification. I write projects I have lead or been part of next to role responsibilities to ensure I have examples for everything if possible. I write down where I lack experience or knowledge so it doesn’t surprise me and I can acknowledge in the interview.

If they ask you do a presentation make sure you give yourself plenty of time to prepare. They would normally give you a week’s notice if asking for a 10 minute presentation, but that is not always the case. Research the topic you have to present on. You won’t find out everything, but pick out some key points and how it relates to the organisation. You are trying to show you can pick up things quickly, apply your current knowledge and experience and then relate it to the role you are interviewing for. I often prefer interviews with presentations as it breaks the ice and gets the interview going.

Also make sure you prepare a few questions to be able to ask the interviewers in return. They could be simple and relate to working hours and salary, but it is also good to show an interest in the future of the company and how the role fits into it. Also if you find anything during your research into the company you would like further information about. It is best to have a few prepared in case they answer everything during the discussion, but do not worry if they do and you haven’t got anything else to ask. Often it can be a bit of an information overload hour,.

Next look up where you are going and how you will get there. Can you walk? Do you need to travel? Where is a car park? Where is the train station? How much will it cost? How long will it take to get there? Print out a map and directions and take them with you.

Finally what will you wear? I don’t own a suit so I pair smart trousers with a smart top or jumper or cardigan depending on the weather. Make sure you wear shows you can walk in. It is about looking professional. Once you are in the door and in the interview no one will noticing what you are wearing, but you have to walk through the door!

Plan to arrive 10-15 minutes early. I often arrive 30-60 minutes early depending on where i am going and have a coffee, review my notes and keep calm.

I hope you enjoyed this mini series. Have you got any tips for job hunting you would like to share?

Following on from Part 1 – The CV the next stage of job hunting is applying for jobs using your CV.

There are so many places to find job adverts that it can often be overwhelming. I know I have to be in the right mood to sit and search for jobs and I do not do it if I am not feeling good about myself. Schedule some time each week to do this. Do not think you have to do it every day, but if you want to go ahead. I have several ways I search for jobs:

• Sign up to sector specific job sites and set up email alerts
• Set up an RSS feed for sector specific job sites
• Search local area job sites
• Search recruitment agency job sites
• Look at specific organisations recruitment pages
• Look at the weekly local newspaper
• Let friends know you are looking

That sounds like a lot, but once you know the main sector specific job sites for your area and the main organisations that are located in your town the bulk of the searching is done. Other websites and searches are done on an ad-hoc basis.

The next step is to read the job advert fully! Read the information they provide about the company, the role and what they are looking for in the person they want to hire. Also look where the organisation is, especially if is not in your town. Check you would be willing to commute before you apply. Check you meet most of the person specification criteria. It doesn’t matter if you don’t meet them all, but be prepared to express the desire to learn in the areas you are lacking knowledge or experience in. Check the responsibilities and make sure you are comfortable with them. If it involves something you would not be comfortable doing give them a call to chat through the issue. Informal chats are optional before applying. I would say if you are going for a job within the same organisation you currently work in it is a must to find out who you would be working for and meet them beforehand. Otherwise call if you have questions about the role that would help you make the decision whether or not to apply.

Next, check how they want you to apply. Do they want a CV and cover letter or do they have an online application form you need to complete. Be prepared to spend at least 30-60 minutes on an application form. Some things can be copied from you CV, but often they want more details and ask you to attach you CV at the end.

The cover letter is the next step. This outlines why you are applying for the role and why you would be suitable for it. I keep a template version of a cover letter and adapt it meet the needs of the job I am applying for. Basically it has all my details on with my key achievements and strengths and I then add details to show I have read the person specification. This is just as important as your CV as you’re a letter and this will show more of your personality than your CV. Keep it to one side of A4 and make sure it is clear and consise.

Then send it off in an email or hit submit on the application form. Keep the email short and remember to attach the cover letter and CV. We’ve all probably done it, but it does not make a good first impression.

Then you just have to sit and wait. Sometime you get a thank you reply, other times you don’t, but don’t take it personally.

Lastly make a list of the jobs you apply for. It can be easy to forget where you applied and can be embarrassing if you do get a phone call and you can’t remember which job it was. ON that note keep a copy of the job advert as they tend to disappear once the closing date has ended.

Don’t rely on getting the first jobs you apply for – keep looking and applying. It is okay to turn an interview or job offer down if you get an offer in the mean time.

Next up Part 3 will be about Interview Preparation.

I’ve been job hunting for the couple of months. I have reached the point in my current role where I am ready to move on. There are many reasons for this and I am going to keep them to myself, but I have finally realised that it okay to want to move on for whatever reason that may be.

I have decided to do a series of posts on Job Hunting because I want to share what I have learnt over the years and also keep a record for future use.

I also know that job hunting is hard and finding a new job all comes down to one thing – The CV or Curriculum Vitae.

Getting your CV right is critical. It can mean the different between getting an interview and being left on the No Thanks pile.

My approach is to keep it simple. There are key things you need on your CV and having sections to provide focus to those key elements is good presentation.

What do I include on my CV:

• Date – Month and Year
• Name, Address, Telephone Number, Email, LinkedIn
• Introduction to myself
• Education
• Other Qualifications and Professional Memberships
• Key Skills and Abilities
• Career Summary
• Personal Details
• Interests and Activities
• References

This all has to fit on a maximum of 2 pages and must be readable – so no tiny fonts! Each section is has a title in bold. I also make bold key dates so it is easy for the person reading it to follow the time line, which is important with the career summary section.

The focus of your CV will depend on where you are in your career. My CV started out very focused on my education because that was the experience I had. Now also a page is taken up with my career summary. It is important to get the weight of the sections right as that is where you want the reader to focus. I provide the extra bits of information such as the introduction and interests to add a bit of personality and to show I do things outside of work for balance. However it is crucial you do not say you do too much as they could see that as possibly impacting on the job you are applying to do. However it will be different for every job and organisation.

I update my CV monthly when looking for jobs to ensure that I have included everything I am doing in my current role. Even if I only change the date and the file name to reflect the date. Another important aspect of applying for jobs today is that the majority are applied for online so getting the file name correct is important. I call mine NameCVMonthYear as it is simple and  easily identifiable.

This is your first point of contact with the organisation you are applying for a role with. They will be receiving 10, 20, even 100 CVs as well as yours. So if you are unsure ask for help. When I first had to put my CV together I asked my sister for help and basically copied her layout and then every now and again I ask her to take look from a professional point of view as she is in a position where she interviews people. Even though we do not work in the same sector she can look and pull out the key skills that I am trying to get across. There are also companies that will review your CV for you if you are willing to pay and don’t want to ask anyone you know. It is quite a personal document and is basically laying out your life story so find someone you trust with that.

I don’t work in HR, so I am not qualified to advise on this topic. All the above is base don personal experience and learning as I go, but if you want to ask a question please do.

Part 2 will be about the actual application process when Job Hunting next week!