8 Ways to make your CV stand out

Writing a CV can often be a daunting task and a bit of a minefield. If you are struggling then making a spider diagram or jotting down bullet points can help you to put your thoughts onto paper and organise your mind.

Whether you are creating your first CV or you haven’t written one in what seems like forever, follow the simple steps below and you will be well on your way.

Use a professional and up to date format – Think of your CV as a personal brochure highlighting your skills and experience which presents you in the best possible way to a potential employer. You don’t need to use fancy fonts and colours for your CV to stand out, ensure you are consistent throughout with fonts, headings, date formats, etc.  Make sure your CV is laid out clearly so it is easy to read and gives all the relevant information, avoid using CV templates, they look generic and when uploaded to job boards the formatting can be altered. Avoid having large chunks of writing – the use bullet points and short sentences help keep it to the point and hold the attention of the reader.

Don’t be afraid to make your CV longer than one page – whilst you do not need page upon page of information and it is important to keep the content within your CV brief and to the point, if you have been working for over 15 years don’t feel the need to cut down your achievements in order to squeeze it all on to one page. – Two or even three pages is fine.

Make your personal statement stand out – This should be a short paragraph (about 4-6 lines long) about who you are, what you have to offer, and what your career goals are. This is the first thing that employers will read, so showcase your most impressive skills that are relevant to the roles and industry you are applying for. Remember avoid using “I” or your name – always use third person.

Use industry keywords in your CV – many employers and recruiters use keywords to find candidates, therefore to give yourself the best chance of appearing in the searches and catching their eye try to include keywords to the role and industry you are applying for, although do be careful not to overdo it, and be sure to keep any keywords relevant to your experience.

Keep things professional – don’t be negative about your previous employers or jobs. Try to draw on all the skills you have learnt from the role and company and remain professional.

Use statistics – show your quantifiable achievements, for example let potential employers and recruiters know how many staff you are responsible for, or what volume of phone calls you are making per day, or the number of clients you are managing, or the volume of invoices you are processing per week.

Make sure your content is relevant – Firstly include all of your contact details, including your name, address and contact telephone number. When listing your education and employment history always ensure you start with your most current role and your highest level of education – this is the information you want employers to see first so make sure your CV is laid out this way.  When listing your employment history it is clearest to lay it out by giving your company name, your role title and the dates you were there, then list: (again – bullet points are great for keeping it short and to the point) your responsibilities, results achieved, training you undertook in the role and software you had to use within the role.  An “Interests” section on your CV can also make you stand out where you can include any hobbies.

Make sure you have double checked for any errors and that your content flows – read your CV out loud, you will be more likely to pick up on any mistakes you have made before your potential employers do. It never hurts to ask someone else to proof read your CV.

2019 Networking Top Tips

Networking – Top Tips in 2019

In the changing world of business where more and more people work remotely or run their businesses from serviced office space, the value of networking opens up a world of opportunity.

Networking isn’t all about winning new business opportunities but sharing experiences and learning from like-minded individuals.  Networking is the buzz word in the business community and in the last 2 decades many networks have opened up suited to SME’s and owner run businesses.  The focus should be upon nurturing relationships rather than going in for the kill to try and win your next business opportunity – that said don’t stand in the corner and wait to be approached.

Choosing a Networking Group:

Local Business Community meetings tend to be held in informal settings and provide a greater opportunity to mingle and are short so don’t tend to impact on your working day, usually being breakfast events or drinks after work.

Subscription Based Groups:

These are more focused on creating sales opportunities and typically only have 1 member from each professional represented and often members are sole traders.   Every event requires members to present for 1 minute on themselves or their business – it is a bit like speed networking.

Industry Based Seminars and Conferences are good learning, keeping you up to speed on changing practices and legislation.  Use these for CPD and sharing knowledge with other professionals in your industry – there are always networking slots during the course of the event.

Research Before Attending Event

Always try and get hold of the delegate list and if there is someone you specifically want to connect with; speak to the organisers.

How To Introduce Yourself To A New Group

It is always good to try and get to the event 5 minutes early and introduce yourself to the organiser who will be able to introduce you to people as they arrive.

Make sure the name badge provided is pinned on the right – it will be in the line of site when you shake hands (top tip for women is – make sure you can clip a name badge to what you are wearing as more often than not the badge is clip not pin style).   Body language is key – smiling makes you approachable.   Be confident to introduce yourself but don’t dominate the conversation – listening and showing interest in what others have to say.    Have something positive to say and try and keep your conversation associated to business for the most part and be aware of the body language of others in the group.

National love your pet day 2019

A Day in the Life of Dudley Dog

Another day at work –  looks busy for me, buDudley outside the officet must get my early morning exercise in just as soon as Nick has had his caffeine kick; “come on how long does it take to drink a cup of coffee”.   Wow what a beautiful morning, nothing like 2 laps of the field – lets hope I meet a friend to play with.

Back home just in time to throw some breakfast down and then a 40 minute commute to work – time to get a quick nap in.

Just got into the office – bad news –  quick check of the desk bins reveals the cleaner was in last night so no tasty morsels to be had when nobody is looking.   Get my usual pat on the head from Amelia and Kayley as they arrive and our day begins.

I have a good people watching position from the 1st floor office and can see straight up the Lion & Lamb Yard but not much action this morning so will go and check and see if the sun has reached the back office so I can catch some rays.

Chrissie seems a little stressed, the keyboard is going nineteen to the dozen getting interview confirmation packs out.   Oh yes the door buzzer has gone so someone to meet – looks like it is the 1st candidate of the day arriving – just as I get to the door Amelia is up to say hello and introduce herself but not before I introduce myself, an energetic wag of the tail and welcoming smile should make the chap feel at home.    Forms completed under my watchful eye and Amelia takes him through – interview rooms out of bounds so watch them go up the stairs before taking my seat in the sun once more.

The postman is late today, that will disappoint Rebekah as she is keen to get the new REC Membership Certificate Displayed – we take pride in our membership as it reassures candidates and clients who visit that we are professional and ethical recruiters.

Amelia’s candidatDudley Glassese is beaming when he comes downstairs – looks like she is going to be put forward for a position.  Amelia say’s she will speak to the client today and get back to him with news of a potential interview – 1st happy customer!

It  is a busy morning – heading out of the office for a little road trip as Rebekah and Kayley are off to Farnborough to meet a potential new client.  I am going a long for the ride but what….  I can’t come in?  Won’t complain at least I get a different view and people to watch coming and going.  The business park is bustling with activity today – lots of couriers arriving to collect from this company.  What are in all those packages?

Off to the Water Meadows for a quick sprint around before the afternoon in the office – the team thinks it is for my benefit but it is good for them to get out and exercise too.

I have been rewarded a treat – Rebekah is doing a skype interview so I am allowed to lay in the room with her;  2nd floor has way better views of West Street.

Great a person to meet again ; she has just dropped in to the office and looks very Dudleysad – my cue to jump in and be extra friendly; she has just been told that she will be made redundant but Rebekah reassures her that Highpoint will do their best to help her and makes an appointment to meet her tomorrow.  A welcoming smile from the team and me makes her feel much better and I gets extra cuddles from her and I think she feels better on leaving.

What is all the commotion next door – Yeah! we have placed a candidate in a job and we are all elated – I think this calls for a Dudley dance!

I have no keyboard skills, I can’t answer the telephone but I am super good at making people  feel good.  I am so lucky to go to work everyday – I wouldn’t miss it!

Demand For Staff Remains Buoyant Despite Concern Over Prospects For The UK Economy

Mid-sized enterprises (50-249 employees) continued to demonstrate the highest level of short-term demand this quarter, with more hirers of permanent staff planning to add headcount than reduce numbers.

Just under half  (48%) of the employers surveyed expressed concern regarding the sufficient availability of candidates seeking permanent position increase of 6% from earlier in the year.

For more information contact Highpoint for a more detailed report.

COULDN’T BE A MORE FITTING TIME:

Farnham Memorial Hall has reopened, and outside there is a beautiful commemorative display of 5 soldier silhouettes.  The 5 silhouettes represent the 5 men who lost their lives serving their Country in the 1st World War.  The Farnham Memorial Hall was built by the owner of Farnham United Breweries Ltd where the the men were employed before the war.  As a continuing tribute the newly refurbished rooms are named after the individuals; George William Ayres,  Mark William George Glazier, Charles Thomas Hawkins, Frederick Charles Mansey, and John Baden-Powell Wallace. On 23rd October 1947 the Memorial Hall and its grounds were handed over to the council from Farnham United Breweries Ltd “for the use and benefit of the inhabitants of the Urban District”.

2019 Increase in National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage Rates

Latest Budget Announcement 2019: The Chancellor announced an increase in the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage in this week’s budget which will come into effect in April 2019.  In the South East there are few white collar workers being employed on contracts paying the statutory minimum.  However for people in the retail, healthcare and hospitality sector these increases will be very welcome.  It is important for employers paying national minimum wage to have good records and ensure that if an employee becomes eligible for National Living Wage eg they turn 25 years old the increase is applied immediately.  The NLW will rise from £7.83 – £8.21 in April 2019.

NEW GUIDANCE ON REFERENCES

ACAS has recently launched new guidance for employers on references. This is an area that can prove difficult for employers to manage. Recruiters are often asked for references about their internal staff and temporary workers – and also have the task of seeking references about candidates that they are seeking to supply or introduce to clients. The guidance tackles issues such as:

• Does an employment reference have to be provided?

• What can an employment reference include?

• Can an employer give a bad reference?

See the full guidance for further information

If this doesn’t make you think twice about harassment, nothing will.

An Employment Tribunal has held that an employee who was sexually harassed at work was entitled to £51,022 in compensation, to be paid to them by the work colleague who harassed them. This was in addition to a sum of £45,000 paid to them by their employer.

Interview Prep – Fail To Plan, Plan To Fail

There is nothing more disappointing than a candidate who oozes enthusiasm about a role but then doesn’t even know the most basic facts and figures about the company.

You are certain to be asked specific questions about your potential employer, so make sure you’ve done your homework!

Here are a few places you can find some useful information:

  • The company’s website is the best place to start, also check out their Annual Report, look for a press or company news page, put their name into ‘Google News’, and ask friends and colleagues.
  • Understand the company’s ethos, vision and mission, and consider how you and the role you are applying for relates to these.
  • Get an understanding of their industry. You may be able to find out if they have anything interesting going on at the moment, or who their competitors are, etc.
  • Try and find out about the person/people who will be interviewing you, using the company website, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
  • It’s also worth searching under your own name to see what crops up – your potential employer might be doing the same thing.

#recruitment #jobsearch #interviewprep #research

HighPoint Disability Challengers Bike Ride

DisabilityChallengersBikeRideMay2014-2

On Sunday 11th May a team of recruitment consultants from Highpoint in Farnham and two of the consultants children set out on a 14 mile bike ride to raise money for the Surrey based charity, Disability Challengers. Our ride took us through open countryside and up some challenging hills! The team of seven included Ellie Wills aged 11 and Archie Warner aged 12 MD, Rebekah Handford, said “We wanted to raise money for Disability Challengers and it was a great opportunity for us to make it a family event”. Disability Challengers is one of the local charities supported by Highpoint and we were pleased to be able to give a cheque to Head of Marketing & Communications, Mady Henderson, for £540.00.