Words from the wise Jane Sunley, chief executive of Purple Cubed and author of UK best-selling career book It’s Never OK to Kiss the Interviewer and Other Secrets to Thriving, Surviving and High Fiving at Work, says:
What employers are looking for
● Enthusiasm for the job and the industry
● Great interpersonal skills and a love of meeting people
● Some good reasons why you have chosen hospitality as a career
● Care in your appearance and presentation, and preparation for the interview
Your CV needs to illustrate exactly what you will do for the organisation, should you get the job. A CV is a summary of your career achievements, qualifications and other relevant information and needs to be to the point. ● Keep it factual. ● Stress your achievements and back them up with evidence. ● Be brief and use bullet points (remember, recruiters don’t have time to read your life story). ● Limit the CV to two pages. ● Make sure it is neat and professional – the way you want to be perceived. ● Use experience from outside work if the related skills are relevant. ● Do your research when applying for each role and tailor your CV accordingly, so that it appeals to those creating the interview shortlist. ● Last, but not least, let your personality shine through.
It’s obvious, but… ● Make sure everything is spelled correctly – get a swotty friend or teacher to check it for you. ● Always type, never write your CV. ● Break the information into chunks under headings, such as your contact information and details; education and qualifications; work experience; interests and activities. ● Never post it without your covering letter.
Top tip: It’s vitally important that you are honest or your reputation as a reliable prospective employee will be seriously tarnished.
What the recruitment expert says… “Get your CV done professionally and research what needs to be included. Be aware of which relevant bullet points to include and set it out very clearly – the average CV is only glanced at for around 30 seconds.”
Emma Kelleher, managing director at recruitment consultant Caterek
Application forms Some companies have abandoned snail mail. Here’s how to submit a winning application form.
● Always follow the instructions – if the HR manager asks you to use black ink, don’t use blue.
● Photocopy the form and practise on rough versions.
● Answer all the questions, but don’t add extra information unless requested.
● If they ask for a personal statement, keep it succinct.
● Check spellings and facts carefully.
● If a question isn’t relevant, write “not applicable”, so they know you haven’t forgotton to answer it.
● Online applications will often be scanned for keywords, so use keywords from the advert. If they ask for a “dynamic team leader”, include that phrase in your application.
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