1. Ensure your CV is interesting. Give enough information to tempt the company to want to find out more about you, but not so much they feel there’s no point interviewing you.
2. Detail your skills clearly especially any specialist skills, such as IT, Marketing, Management, Sales etc. Include any special achievements and awards you may have.
3. Tailor your CV to focus on the skills relevant to the role that you are applying for. You may therefore have more than one CV appropriately tailored for different types of jobs.
4. Produce a covering letter explaining to employers why you are interested in the role and how your skills will benefit the company and specifically how they will contribute to making the company more efficient and effective.
5. Utilise every possible route of finding a job: responding to press adverts, online job boards such as monster.com, recruitment agencies and personal contacts. Also identify companies that are likely to have the sort of job you are looking for and contact them directly enquiring about potential job vacancies. Endeavour to make contact with the decision maker so that you can impress them directly as they will be the one who is likely to offer you the job!
6. Once you have got as far as the interview, you need to prove you are the best person for the job! Be proactive and ask questions about the company, perhaps offer to do a work placement to show your interest and commitment. This provides an opportunity for both you and the company to see if your skills are a good fit for the Company.
7. Research the company to enable you to ask relevant questions and to demonstrate to the potential employer that you have taken the time to find out about the company. Know who the Company’s competitors are and how well the company has been performing in their market area.
8. You only have one chance to make a first impression, so make sure it is a good one! An interview is when you are likely to have made most effort with your presentation. Research what dress code and presentation style the company usually adopts so that you ‘fit in’ to the image they are looking to portray.
9. The more senior the role you are applying for, the more likely the company is to do some research on you! Ensure that any networking sites, blogs or other accessible information reflect what you want them to!
10. BE CALM AND CONFIDENT! (Even if you have to bluff it!!) Smile, look as if you are pleased to be there, use deliberate uncomplicated movements and talk as if you have already got the job i.e “when I start”, “will I get the opportunity to meet the people I will be working with” etc. EXPECT SUCCESS – you never know you might even get it!!