KEY POINTS:
Peter Kerridge, search partner, and Chris Johnson, coaching partner, with Kerridge & Partners answer queries on taking control of your career.
What should my CV look like? How should I invest my time?
For many people, this is the wrong starting point. It is important to have a CV that reads well. However, more important is to have clarity of purpose around your next step, and your longer term goals. So how should I invest my time?
So I be applying for jobs or networking?
Meet lots of people and get their input into your next move. Ask them and ask yourself, "what am I really good at?" - and think about sectors of the economy that need that skill. Take time to reflect on what some of your best work experiences have been - what was it about those challenges that worked for you? Lots of networking will help determine the kind of organisation that would complement your talents. Networking is a more effective means of securing the next role than responding to an advertisement.
If you have no contacts, you rely on a CV and cover letter. What tips do you have for cover letters?
Make it meaningful - imagine the reader is not going to read the CV. The same applies to CVs. Say it all on page one on the assumption many won't read further. Another tip is to emphasise achievements rather than responsibilities.
How should I approach an interview? How do you really stand out?
Be yourself, don't bluff and be prepared. Few things are more off-putting than someone who has not done basic homework. One of the distinguishing traits of a great interviewee is the depth of the questions asked. At some level "personal energy" is compelling - you need to be engaged in the conversation, interested in what the interviewer has to say and be open-minded about what possibilities may result from the conversation. Try to read the interviewer - some will warm to a more humble style and some enjoy hearing you sell yourself more overtly.
