Ask the expert: Out of the comfort zone and into the job market

By MARIE WILSON

Q. I'm about to experience my first job application for nearly 18 years. I'm 53, gainfully and joyfully employed (same place for that 18 years) but want to do something bigger and out of the comfort zone. How should I approach the interview? Could you also give me some pointers on CVs. What does a national company/recruitment agency expect first off in format, style, depth of information?

A. I guess I shouldn't ask why you're switching jobs if you are "joyfully" employed, but I must note that there are any number of people who would love to be in a job they could describe this way.

That aside, let's start with your CV, since you'll need to polish this up to get an interview.

There is a great publication by Keith Gregory on the public service's Leadership Development Centre website (www.ldc.govt.nz), under "career focus" and "publications" which sets out the best way to structure your CV.

The only thing I would add to this well-structured approach is to emphasise your achievements rather than just listing your responsibilities.

I would also note that with 18 years at a single employer it is important to separate out each job you have held over the years, describe each one and list your accomplishments and achievements and how you moved to the next set of responsibilities or how your job changed over time.

This will make it easier for your prospective employer to see the development of your abilities over time and make you comparable to others who have switched employers and jobs.

Before you are even called for an interview, start asking friends who hire for their organisations to conduct practice interviews using the job descriptions for positions that you are applying for.

Ask them to ask you difficult questions and give you honest feedback on your responses.

In your own preparations, you should be aware that many employers have been trained in "behavioural interviewing".

This means they are looking for examples of past behaviour that allow them to gauge whether you have the required skills and abilities.

For example, if they are interested in teamwork, they might ask you for examples of situations where you have been a team leader or member of a team and then ask you questions about your role, contribution, and how you resolved any problems.

You can prepare for this by carefully reviewing the job description and advertisement to identify desired skills and characteristics and thinking about examples you could discuss in an interview that demonstrate you do have what they are looking for.

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