2. 3 How to write a CV
5 CV template
6 Writing a covering letter
7 Covering letter template
8 Interview preparation
10 general interview questions
15 Closing the interview
16 Following the interview
17 Contact us
CONTENTS
3. 3
To ensure you have the best chance of getting your ideal job,
your CV needs to stand out. Remember that your CV’s primary
function is to secure you an interview, so you should forget
graphics and gimmicks; instead, opt for clean, white paper and
easy to read presentation.
It is very important to sell yourself on the first page. Highlight
your achievements and responsibilities in bullet points. Your
CV needs to grab the attention of its reader within seconds if
you’re to stand a chance of progressing to the job interview
stage. Hiring managers can receive hundreds of applications
for a role, and tend to only have the time to scan CVs before
deciding whether to progress further with a candidate. Make
sure the prospective employer sees the value you can bring to
the position.
II Do NOT include a title page or a photo as it takes up
unnecessary space.
II Including your full address is very important, particularly
in large cities where it may take some time to travel to
and from work.
II Make sure you state the details of any relevant work visa.
PERSONAL SUMMARY
If you are going to include a personal statement or your
objectives, avoid using too many generic adjectives: everyone
perceives themselves to be self-motivated, proactive and a
team player, so include some skills and characteristics that are
more unique to you personally. If you do include this section it
can be on the front page or at the end, it is your choice.
How to write a CV
EDUCATION
Include details of your education; state the level and the year
of any degrees you have obtained. Also include your A-level
subjects and results or equivalent. Do not include university
transcripts. You should also list professional education after
school/university details.
Ensure you highlight relevant educational qualifications,
particularly when they’ve been listed as essential or desirable
on the selection criteria.
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
If you have room you can talk about your most recent role
on the front page, but only if it all fits in. Otherwise start your
employment history on the second page.
You’ll need to tailor your CV to each particular job that you
apply for, so it’s vital that the job titles and the responsibilities
you include in your CV are relevant for the role on offer.
Consider the following when writing this section:
II As a guide, cover the last five years of your career; prior
to this only provide details of any positions that are
relevant to the type of work you are applying for.
II Lay your work history out in chronological order, starting
with your most recent position.
II Cover any gaps in employment by giving reasons for
times of unemployment, such as travel or study for
example.
II Include the name of the company you worked for, the
position you held, the dates you were employed from and
to (month and year, NOT just the years), and brief details
of your responsibilities.
4. 4
II Use a variety of font sizes and underline, bold or italic
words to make important information stand out.
II Avoid giving too much detail of your positions; long-
winded explanations of previous day-to-day tasks may
lose the readers’ interest.
II Detail any results and key achievements which are
relevant to the role you’re applying for. Make sure you
state your targets as amounts or percentages, and
demonstrate how you’ve overachieved.
II Add in your skills. This will complement your experience
and should ultimately illustrate your suitability for the job
on offer.
REFEREES
Here you can either list details of your referees or simply put
‘details available on request.’ If you are going to include name
and contact details of your referees, ensure that you include
address, phone and email address.
PERSONAL INTERESTS
Under personal interests include anything relevant to the
application or culture of the company. For example, charity or
volunteer work and sporting achievements may be relevant to
some companies. Keep this section brief.
Finally, ensure that you update your CV regularly.
CV CHECKLIST
Do:
II Keep it brief, no more than two pages
II List your career history in chronological order
II Cover all gaps in employment
II List educational institutions and qualifications in
chronological order
II State the month and year that you started and finished
each role
II Start sentences with verbs, stick to the same style of
writing
II Include achievements and responsibilities
II Detail your computer skills, language skills and any
relevant training
II Check for typos and ask a someone to check over your
CV
II Clearly label the file name of your CV to include your
name i.e. Smith,Chris-CV in the saved title.
Don’t:
II Exceed five pages
II Include graphics or gimmicks
II List personal detail such as age, religion and sex etc
II Format your CV in such a way that the recipient won’t
be able to open it easily, they will not want to download
software to view a CV.
5. 5
This is a general guide for presenting your CV:
First name Last name
Address
Phone number
Email address
Brief personal statement: a summary of your experience to date and what you can offer the employer.
Try to make this concise and tailor to your specific skill set.
Career history
Starting with your most recent employer, list your previous roles in chronological order:
Job title, company name
Date from and to:
•• Key responsibilities
•• Key responsibilities
•• Key responsibilities
Skills and achievements
A few short bullet points describing relevant key achievements and skills from your career to date.
•• Achievement
•• Core skill
•• Achievement
•• Core skill
Education and training
Starting with your most recent qualification, list your education in chronological order:
Date from and to, institution
•• Subject, grade achieved
•• Other relevant awards / achievements
Interests and activities
Give prospective employers an overview of your personality by writing a short description of your
interests outside of work.
References
Details available on request.
CV template
6. 6
A good covering letter, more likely to be an email nowadays,
will make your CV stand out from others. The following points
will help ensure your CV is opened:
Writing a covering
letter
7. Make sure it’s clear, brief and has no typos or
grammatical errors.
8. Finish by expressing interest in discussing your
application further.
1. Address the email to the contact mentioned in the job
advert and quote the reference number.
2. Briefly describe your current job situation and your
reasons for looking to move on.
3. Show you’ve done your research on the company and
why you are interested in them as an employer.
4. Explain why they should be interested in you as an
employee.
5. Tailor your information to reflect the job requirements.
6. Outline your transferable skills and achievements.
7. 7
This is a general covering letter template:
Dear Mr/Mrs/Miss {Last name},
In response to your recent advertisement for ‘Job Title - UK123456’ on uk.hudson.com, please find attached my curriculum
vitae for your consideration.
I have the following experience which is relevant to the requirements of the role:
•• Successful {area of expertise} specialist with {number} years’ experience
•• Thorough understanding of {your market}
•• Experience of working in {sector(s)}.
In my current role, I have achieved the following:
•• Established relationships with {relevant functions/clients/suppliers}
•• Increased productivity and revenue by 30% YOY {key achievement statistics}
•• Managed multiple projects alongside day to day activity; {achievements outside of your normal role}.
I feel that my experience to date and achievements are well aligned to the requirements of this role, and I am confident that I
will be a valuable asset to the company.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me, and I will look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Kind regards,
[Your name]•
[Phone number]•
[Email address]
Covering letter
template
8. 8
Preparation is the first essential step towards a successful
interview. Interviewers are continually amazed at the number
of applicants who drift into their offices without any apparent
preparation and only the vaguest idea of what they are going
to say. It is important to:
II Know the exact place and time of the interview, the
interviewer’s full name, the correct pronunciation and
their title.
II Check the location before the day and explore alternative
options of transport.
II Dress conservatively and preferably in darker colours,
paying attention to all facets of your dress and grooming.
II Ensure complete understanding of the company you are
going to see. It is essential to conduct thorough research.
Look out for all relevant additional information including
newsworthy items. Also, talk to friends or colleagues that
work(ed) at the organisation, read through press releases
highlighting recent successes.
II Highlight on the job specification the skills required and
essential responsibilities, know where your role will fit
into the organisation.
II Refresh your memory on the facts and figures of your
present or former employer. You will be expected to
know a lot about the company for which you currently or
previously worked.
II Read through and know your CV inside out, including
highlights and/or challenges overcome in relation to
each project.
II Prepare the questions you will ask during the interview.
The employer will try to determine through questioning
if you have the qualifications necessary to do the job,
and you must determine whether the company will give
you the opportunity for the growth and development you
seek.
Interview
preparation
Probing questions you might ask include:
II Is there a detailed description of the position? What
is the structure of the team and why is the position
available?
II What is the culture of the company?
II Why is the position available?
II What is the anticipated induction and training
programme?
II How do you see this role developing over the next two
years?
II What is the staff retention rate like?
II What are the company’s growth plans?
You are being interviewed because the interviewer wants
to hire somebody, not because they want to trip you up or
embarrass you. Your CV has impressed the interviewer, and
now you need to support this in your performance at the
interview.
Through the interaction that takes place during the interview,
the interviewer will be searching out your strong and weak
points, evaluating you on your qualifications, skills and
intellectual qualities. They will probably probe deeply to
determine your attitudes, aptitudes, stability and motivation.
9. 9
Interview checklist
Do:
II DO arrive on time, ideally 15 minutes early. Always leave
plenty of time. Late arrival for a job interview is never
excusable.
II DO read any marketing literature in reception, as there
may be some useful information in it, and it shows
genuine interest in the company.
II DO shake hands confidently and firmly.
II DO wait until you are offered a chair before sitting. Sit
upright in your chair. Look alert and interested at all
times.
II DO be a good listener as well as a good talker, and
remember to smile.
II DO look a prospective employer in the eye.
II DO follow the interviewer’s lead but try to get them to
describe the position and the duties to you early in the
interview so that you can relate your background and
skills to the position.
II DO ensure that your strengths are transmitted to the
interviewer in a factual, sincere manner. Make them
realise the need for you in their organisation.
II DO be prepared to answer technical questions. Hopefully
you will know the answers but if not DON’T guess. If
you are unsure, then be honest and say, “that is beyond
my experience but this is where I would go to find the
answer” or “I haven’t encountered this situation before,
however, what I would do is...”
II DO include all the interviewers present, even if one of
them is more of an observer. Their opinion on you will be
sought after the interview.
II DO conduct yourself as if you are determined to get the
specific job you are discussing, even when applying for
a number of roles. It is better to be in the position where
you can choose from a number of options rather than
only one.
Don’t:
II DON’T answer questions with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’
answer. Offer an explanation whenever possible, giving
succinct, practical examples.
II DON’T lie. Answer questions truthfully, frankly and as
directly as possible.
II DON’T make derogatory remarks about your present or
former employers, companies, colleagues, industry or
culture.
II DON’T enquire about salary, holidays, bonuses, at the
initial interview unless you are positive the employer
is interested in hiring you and raises the issue first.
However, you should know your market value and be
prepared to specify your required salary or range. Liaise
with your Hudson consultant regarding your market value
if you are unsure.
10. 10
The short time you spend in an interview could have a
dramatic effect on your career prospects. Therefore, it is
important that you perform well because no matter how good
your career record is to date, the job interview remains key
towards fulfilling your ambitions.
These tips, combined with the guidance provided by our
consultants, will equip you with valuable information on how to
conduct yourself during interviews.
typical Interview Questions
Tell me about yourself?
Delivering a mixture of professional and personal experiences
are important. Talk about your background, interests, degree,
where you lived, why you liked it and why you chose the career
path you have.
Answer no longer than five minutes on this question and no
less than three minutes.
How would your friends describe you?
Answer this question with confidence and conviction – either
give your answer followed by a brief example or bullet point
your three and then follow up with examples.
Examples – sociable, loyal, committed, honest, fun, determined
etc. Remember the question is how would your ‘friends’
describe you so think about more ‘non-work’ related words.
What are your top three strengths?
The most important question. You MUST perfect this answer.
Most people have five key strengths – select your top
three. Remember it should reflect your career path, so if for
example you are a project manager then organisational skills,
General Interview
Questions
collaboration, time management, stakeholder management,
ability to motivate others and general communication skills are
important.
Choose three, stick with it and practice delivering examples.
What is important to you in your career over the next two
years?
Know what you want from your career. For some people
developing IT skills or achieving a specific qualification is
important over the next two years. For others it is greater
responsibility or overcoming particular challenges. Talk
about growth and development and how you want this to be
achieved.
Try not to talk about where you want to be in two years but
rather what you would like to see happen in your career over
the next two year period.
Give me one weakness you have?
This could be either a personal or professional weakness
which could also be a strength. Explain how you are
combatting this weakness, for example - i’ve had some
challenges in the past with work-life balance but i’ve taken the
time to learn better time and project management processes.
What motivates you?
Think about why you work and why you selected your chosen
career path, and match it against the reasons for wanting
to be good at it. Some examples of drivers are recognition,
challenges, success and making a difference.
11. 11
Where do you see yourself in five years time?
You need to know where you are going. This demonstrates
focus and direction. Where will you be? Size of company,
location, job title, responsibilities, management position and in
which industry. Be clear on this before you go to interview.
If I were to call your boss, how would they describe you?
Compared to the friends question answered previously, think
of more professional adjectives such as committed, hard
working, sociable, tenacious, team player, goes beyond the
scope of duty, reliable, regularly exceeds expectations.
Be prepared to answer questions such as:
II Why did you choose this particular role?
II What do you really want to do in your next career move?
II Why would you like to work for this company specifically?
II What style of management brings out the best in you?
II What interests you about our products or services?
II What have you learned from some of the jobs you have
held? Which did you enjoy most and why?
II Give an example of a difficult situation you experienced
at work and how you overcame it.
II Give an example of where you went out of your way to
help a colleague.
II What does ‘teamwork’ mean to you?
II Are you willing to relocate?
II How do you spend your spare time? What are your
hobbies?
II What type of books do you read? What was the last one?
II Who else are you applying to/interviewing with?
Telephone Interviews
II At the very minimum you should brush up on the
company’s business structure, clients, products, industry
terminology, or anything else that may relate to the
position you are applying for. Spending an hour or two
researching these things before you do an interview can
make a great impression and possibly land you a second
interview or even a job.
II Keep a glass of water handy.
II Smile. Smiling will project a positive image to the listener
and will change the tone of your voice.
II Speak slowly and enunciate clearly.
II Keep your CV in clear view, near the phone, so it’s at your
fingertips when you need to answer questions.
II Have a short list of your accomplishments available to
review.
II Have a pen and paper handy for note taking.
II Turn call-waiting off so your call isn’t interrupted.
II Make sure your phone is charged and you are in an area
with reception.
Be prepared for different interview styles.
II Competency-based
II Panel
II Technical
II Formal/informal
12. 12
Example 1 - PLANNING and ORGANISING
The interviewer will be looking for you to demonstrate the
following traits and behaviours when answering questions on
this competency:
II is personally well organised and keeps focused on
priorities in own and others’ work
II develops and monitors clear and realistic action plans to
accomplish given objectives using given resources.
Questions you may be asked:
Describe a time when you had to organise the implementation
of a plan.
II What were the key stages you worked through?
II How did you ensure the plan was followed?
II How did this work in practice?
Tell me about a time when you were unable to deliver what you
promised to deliver.
II Why did this happen?
II To what extent were you responsible?
II What did you do to try and overcome the problem?
Tell me about a situation when a number of projects needed
your attention.
II What were the projects?
II How did you manage your limited resources?
II To what extent did the different projects succeed?
Give me an example of when you had to work towards an
important deadline.
II What measures did you take to ensure you met the
deadline?
II What did you find most challenging in respect to planning
and organising?
II Why were these elements challenging?
COMPETENCY-BASED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Competency-based interviews involve a specific style of
questioning. Although not commonly referred to in such a
literal way, it is a modern style of interview that you should be
aware of and prepared for.
This style of interviewing is used so that you can best show
how you would demonstrate certain behaviours and skills in
the workplace, by answering questions about how you have
reacted to and dealt with previous workplace and personal
situations. By using past experience, a potential employer can
predict future behaviour.
You will be asked to give an example of a situation or task that
led you to take a certain course of action. Probing questions
will then be used to determine the course of action you took,
what changes were facilitated by those actions and the effects
of those actions on others.
To prepare yourself for competency-based questions, use the
STAR method of structuring your answer.
Situation - describe the situation or problem you have
encountered.
Task - describe the task that the situation required or your
ideas for resolving the problem.
Action - describe the action you took and obstacles that you
had to overcome.
Result - highlight outcomes achieved, results should be your
focus.
13. 13
Example 2 - JUDGEMENT and DECISION-MAKING
The interviewer will be looking for you to demonstrate the
following traits and behaviours when answering questions on
this competency:
II selects and uses relevant information to make sound and
balanced judgements
II evaluates the risks of alternative options and makes
confident decisions in the face of uncertainty or
incomplete knowledge.
Questions you may be asked:
Tell me about a time you took responsibility for making a key
decision.
II What was the decision you made?
II How did you justify your decision?
Sometimes we have to make decisions that are challenged by
others. Describe a situation when you made a decision that
was challenged.
II What was your decision?
II How did the people who were affected react?
II How did you respond to people who challenged your
decision?
Describe a time when you referred an urgent decision
upwards?
II What was the background?
II Why did you need help?
Tell me about a decision you made that involved an element of
risk.
II Why did you need to make the decision?
II What were the consequences?
Example 3 - DRIVE and COMMITMENT
The interviewer will be looking for you to demonstrate the
following traits and behaviours when answering questions on
this competency:
II has the determination, effort and enthusiasm to deliver
results
II is energetic, takes the initiative, originates action and
keeps things moving.
Questions you may be asked:
Give me an example of when you set yourself a challenging
target.
II Why did you set yourself the target?
II What made it so challenging?
II What was the outcome?
Give me an example of when you took the initiative and made
something happen.
II How did you progress the idea?
II How did you gain support for the initiative?
II What was the impact of your initiative?
Tell me about a time when a project you were working on did
not go as planned.
II What didn’t go well?
II How did you feel?
II How did you react?
Give me an example of when you did more than was asked of
you.
II What was the situation?
II What did you do?
II What was the result?
14. 14
Negative factors to watch for
During the course of an interview the employer will be
evaluating both your positive and your negative traits. Listed
below are negative factors frequently evaluated during the
course of an interview and those that most often lead to
rejection:
II poor personal appearance
II overbearing or aggressive, conceited superiority complex,
or know-it-all personality
II inability to express thoughts clearly and poor diction or
grammar
II lack of career planning with no purpose or goals
II lack of interest and enthusiasm, passive and indifferent
demeanour
II lack of confidence or signs of nervousness
II over-emphasis on benefits or salary
II acting evasively when challenged about aspects of your
CV or application
II lack of tact and courtesy
II over-critical comments of previous employers
II failure to maintain eye contact
II poor posture
II lack of preparation for interview or failure to obtain
information about the company
II overbearing perfume, aftershave or smell of smoke
II lack of intelligent and intuitive questions.
15. 15
II If you are interested in the position, make your feelings
clear. You could do this by voicing your desire to meet the
team.
II Don’t be too discouraged if a definite offer is not made,
or specific salary discussed. It is usual for the interviewer
to want to communicate with their office first or interview
more applicants before making a decision.
II If you get the impression that the interview is not going
well and that you have already been rejected, don’t
let your discouragement show. Once in a while an
Closing the
interview
interviewer who is genuinely interested in your skills and
experience may seem to discourage you in order to test
your reaction.
II Thank the interviewer for their time and consideration.
You have done all you can if you have answered the
questions uppermost in the interviewer’s mind, which are:
- Why are you interested in the job and the company?
- What can you offer and can you do the job?
16. 16
Lastly and most importantly, call the consultant who referred
you to the position after the interview and explain what
happened. They will want to run through your initial feedback
before the interviewer calls them back.
It is helpful to follow up in an email, as the consultant will
be able to forward this to the appropriate contact at the
organisation.
If you are interested in progressing further it will help if your
feelings towards the position are known, together with your
perception of what the interviewer’s reaction is likely to be.
Following the
interview
17. 17
Contact us
Birmingham
Victoria Square House
Victoria Square
Birmingham
B2 4AJ
Tel: +44 121 633 0010
dublin
10 Lower Mount Street
Dublin 2
Tel: +353 1 676 5000
edinburgh
Caledonian Exchange
19a Canning Street
Edinburgh
EH3 8EG
Tel: +44 131 555 4321
uk.hudson.com
hudson.ie
glasgow
130 St Vincent Street
Glasgow
G2 5HF
Tel: +44 141 221 8182
London
Chancery House
53 - 64 Chancery Lane
London
WC2A 1QS
Tel: +44 20 7187 6000
manchester
The Chancery
58 Spring Gardens
Manchester
M2 1EW
Tel: +44 161 832 7728
Milton Keynes
500 Avebury Boulevard
Milton Keynes
MK9 2BE
Tel: +44 1908 547 995
reading
Greyfriars Gate
5 - 7 Greyfriars Road
Reading, Berkshire
RG1 1NU
Tel: +44 118 939 1003
Aberdeen
4 - 5 Golden Square
Aberdeen
AB10 1RD
Tel: +44 1224 620 262
