Career Advice

Getting a Job

Getting a job is like many good things in life, you get out what you put in. The more applications you make the greater your chances of finding the job you want.

How to write a great CV

Imagine you’re an employer, you have a hundred CVs on your desk and from them you have to choose just a handful to interview further. What are you looking for? How do you decide? As the applicant, your aim is to clearly show that you are the right person for the job, so your CV should demonstrate that you have:

- the specific skills needed for the job
- the right sort of experience
- the right personal qualities
- an understanding of the specific requirements of the job

BUT . . .

you must also keep it simple. It should be:

short – ideally no more than two A4 pages
clear – typewritten and laid out with wide margins, section headings and information in logical order
relevant – address the employer’s two main questions: whether you can do the job and whether you will fit in.

Your CV should be in reverse chronological order detailing you’re most recent or current position first. Start by documenting your career history, and remember that employers want to know what you can do for the organisation they are hiring for. This means that your priority should be your experience that is relevant to the role you are applying for. Write down a history of your positions over the last 3 to 5 years, and detail all your roles, your specific responsibilities, and maybe a little bit about each company. Also, it’s always a good idea to have 2 or 3 different types of CV that describe what you do from different aspects. For instance if you’re a hotel manager, you may want to have one that is more descriptive from a hotel perspective with a lesser emphasis on the management, and vice versa, for those more management orientated positions. There’s no ideal format for how you should write your CV, nevertheless it’s good to tailor it to the position you’re applying for.

Covering Letter

Personalisation to the role you are applying for and to an addressee is very important. By doing this your job application, covering letter or email will feel as if you’ve taken the time to construct your application, and recruiters are more inclined to respond out of professional courtesy. Employers obviously don’t like spam and speculative job applications that have not been personalised.

Keep your job application covering letter or email cover short and to the point, and specifically target it towards the role or industry that you’re applying for. Where possible address it to the person specifically hiring, and within the text include relevant information that will make a potential employer want to read your CV. A short line at the end of the covering letter to the effect of you appreciating a reply whether or not your application appears to be suitable never does any harm. Finally, keep a note of all your applications so if you choose to follow them up or are contacted by the employer, you have access to the information as it is too easy to lose track if you are applying for lots of jobs.

Where to find a job

Once you’ve completed your CV and your covering letter, it’s time to do some research. It’s very important to remember that finding the right job is a job in itself, so it’s a good idea to document everything you do. This way you’re far more able to track your applications and approach companies and recruiters far more methodically and professionally. Here are some potential sources for finding job vacancies:

Recruitment Agencies

Recruitment agencies like us will always ask you for a copy of your CV before we do anything. An important aspect for you to consider is that the employer pays the recruitment agency, and as a result of this the employer expects the recruitment agency to put forward candidates with the right experience. The advantage of applying to a recruitment agency is that it’s free, and if the recruitment agency is a catering and hospitality specialist the one CV you send can result in a few interviews.

Interviews

Interviews are generally straightforward and a little preparation can make them a lot easier. 90% of employers already know an individual can do the job they are looking to hire for from their CV. Interviews generally take place for employers to discuss more about what’s written on your CV, and more to talk to you about your aspirations, how you would fit into the team. Most employers would prefer to find the right person after a couple of interviews rather than trawl around and waste precious time. Interviews are basically common sense with a little bit of preparation. Even if what’s listed below is used as a prompt for what you know already or highlights an area for you to think about, then it’s still better than a wasted day off, or a long journey. The following is aimed at helping you achieve your best in an interview situation, however there’s no substitute for genuine enthusiasm and a desire to succeed. Preparation and enthusiasm go a long way.