Career Guidance and Career Advice on the Subject of CV and Interview Skills

By Diarmuid Haughian

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy    

How different are interviews for 'college entry' to 'job application' interviews?

There is little difference other than the objective of the interviewer. In both cases the candidate is there to talk about themselves & their commitment to what they are applying for.

The job interviewer is looking for the candidates ability to do the job to be filled & to determine what training may be requires & how long this might take. The college interviewer is looking for commitment to completing the course as well as the academic/practical skills needed to complete course/project assignments

How can you best prepare for either of these types of interviews?

A candidate needs to do research to identify the requirements of the employer & the college course to demonstrate that he/she has the abilities to complete the work which will be assigned along with the ability to learn from the training provided.

What makes an eye catching CV? How can a CV open the door to an interview?

On that is short & to the point - no more than 2 pages as the scan time for most CV is c. 30 seconds. It should be easy to read - font size should not be small, No spelling errors, no faded print. It should be logical - all relevant material in the same section. You only get one chance to make a first impression & this is it.

How can a career guidance professional help a candidate with regards to Interviews Skills and a professional CV and general career advice?

They help the inexperienced or out of practice candidate to focus on the important areas which the interviewer will concentrate. They also help candidates to avoid negative self-expressions & to identify6 positive language/expressions which instills confidence.

How can a career guidance professional help a candidate to prepare for employment pre interview aptitude exams?

They cannot. Aptitude tests (particularly personality tests) are designed to capture the candidates mental attitude at that moment in time & the scoring is quite elaborate & complex. When these tests are approached with a view to giving consistent answers the result can be more negative than positive.

Can role plays be involved?

Yes. There is nothing like being put on the spot to answer a question to help focus a candidate's mind on what & how they are going to reply in the real thing.

Briefly speaking what are the top three do's and don't in an interview situation?

Do's

1. Knows why applying for the position.
2. Answers questions asked.
3. Neat coordinated Appearance.

Don'ts

1. No back-up with examples.
2. Mumble/use monotone voice.
3. Waffle, drift off the point.