Tag Archives: job applications

Careers Advice, CV Tips, CV Writing, Event Management, Graduates, Project Management, Project management CV, project management resume, Q&A

Q&A: Graduate CV

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This week we have a question form a recent graduate who is looking to forge their career in event management.

Hi Nicola, I have been looking for a new role recently as the current position I am in is temporary – I have got some good experience in managing events as part of a placement at University and my current role. However I don’t seem to be attracting hiring managers with my CV and wondered if a functional format CV is the right format for me? Without this format my CV looks limited and listing my recent assignments as suggested by recruiters doesn’t seem to be effective either.

Wendy – Project Executive; Derby

Hi Wendy, Many thanks for your question. I am often asked if a functional CV (one which highlights out core competencies at the top of the CV) works for project management roles as effectively skills are the same throughout each role. I have to disagree with this statement as every role is different and I have yet to meet an organisation which runs its projects the same as another business. Therefore it is important to use a chronological format where you can drill down into what the projects were and how you delivered them in each role. Now I understand that you have a limited number of roles on your CV being a recent graduate but this is where you can list your part time positions and responsibilities too, as all experience is good experience. You have been fortunate enough to get some solid industry experience on your placement and in your current role which I would suggest you place most emphasis on and also draw out some key achievements. Your CV will soon be rich with information about your abilities and experience to date; by taking a professional approach to contextualising your experience and where you have used your skills you will be demonstrating excellent communication skills to your potential employer and should start to attract attention from hiring personnel. Here’s some further information about Functional Vs Chronological CV formats.

Careers Advice, Job Applications, Q&A, Transferable Skills

Applying for roles I am over-qualified for – Questions answered.

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This week we have a fantastic question from someone looking to work for their dream employer – by (almost) any means….

Hi Nicola, can you advise about applying for a junior/admin role at your dream employers … Just to get a foot in the door at the right company. I’d be interested to know how to pitch an application for a job I could be described as over qualified for.

Vicky – Northampton.

Hi Vicky – great question! I’m not sure you are going to like my response though, as applying for roles less senior to your current role can be seen as a step backwards it is often the case that employers will discard your application for a number of reasons such as:

  1. HR / hiring manager may be anxious that you may be looking for a way into the business with no real desire to stay in the role – wanting to progress is great for most employers but when you are already a step or two ahead of the role, this means you will be in the advertised role for a few months before making a move upwards. This leaves HR and the hiring manager with the initial problem of filling the Admin role; this is essentially deemed as a waste of time and money recruitment wise.
  2. Suspecting you are looking for an easy-ride role, as it is more junior you perceive it as a job you can sit back in and not really engage. Whereas a less qualified person would see the role as a challenge and really work hard / demonstrate keenness.
  3. Your potential line manager may feel intimidated by you, especially if you have held a more senior role to them and have more experience – their job feels threatened by your presence.

My advice would be to wait for a role which is more in-line with your current seniority ideally as rejections for roles tends to put a mark against your name as candidates make an impression that they are either desperate for a role and applying for anything or didn’t read / understand the job descriptions – applications would then be rejected or put to the bottom of the pile.

Have you tried making a direct approach to the business in question? LinkedIn can be a great way-in, by looking up heads of departments etc and making contact you could start to form some relationships with the right people and then once a relevant role comes to your attention you can make an application and your name will already be known in the right circles. When you do make contact – ask questions about what career backgrounds the business tends to attract, how often XXX types roles come up and if you can get a fluid correspondence flowing – ask if you can meet for coffee. It’s playing the long game but it is more likely to harvest positive feedback and a way-in at a level you deserve to be at too (whilst gaining some valuable insider information which you can use to strengthen your application).

Careers Advice, CV Tips, CV Writing, Job Applications, Project management CV, project management resume

Breaking it off – why job applications can be rejected

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The main reason job applications are rejected comes down to not demonstrating the right skill set and experience for the job applied for; however there are a number of little mistakes which can put you straight into the rejection pile. When I say little – these are big errors which often get overlooked but should be addressed as a first port of call when proof reading your CV and applications.

Here’s some food for thought:

  1. Grammar – poorly written CVs are still a major concern for employers, think about writing your reports for senior management, badly written pieces of information in the workplace are not acceptable and by demonstrating poor grammar in your application you are effectively telling the reader that your reports won’t be much better.
  2. Spelling – spelling mistakes are very common in CVs and with the likes of spell checker in-built into software packages these days, it is unacceptable. Make sure you proof read the entire document carefully and get someone else to do this for you too.
  3. Incorrect information – do spend time gathering information which is true to your work experience, you will get found out if you are bending the truth as recruiters and hiring managers do check the details out for validity.
  4. Etiquette – your approach to applications should be professional from the outset, you are being judged from the moment you send in an application. Make sure you add an introduction email in the form of a cover letter not just a line stating; “see attached” or a blank email with your CV attached and if you call to check the email have been received, be professional and polite to all you speak to.
  5. Following instructions – read the job advert properly, check who you are sending it to, if any additional information has been requested and demonstrate that you can follow instruction.
  6. Contact details – make sure they are correct and included on your CV; I have seen a great deal of CVs with incorrect phone numbers and email addresses and also CVs with no contact details at all. How do you expect to be contacted if you cannot provide the right information?
  7. Misguided focus – keep focus on the work history and skill set not on activities out of work and family, you can add a short statement about hobbies to the back of the CV but the hiring managers want to know about you in a work capacity over flying kites at weekend and what subjects your children are studying at school.
  8. Format – try to keep the document in a professional format, adding colours and clip art is not what the employer wants to see for a professional role – it can detract away from the content and a good deal of databases cannot handle images etc so you will lose them and the format of the CV anyway.

Remember it is not always the best candidates which make the interview short-list – it is often the best CVs! Take time to do the basics and you will notice a marked increase in activity after submitting your applications.

Careers Advice, Interviews, PMO, Project Management, Q&A

Contacting employers post interview – Questions answered

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Nicola, quick question – in your opinion is it good practice to send a LinkedIn message to people who have interviewed you to thank them for their time etc?

Angela – Programme Manager; South East.

 

Fantastic question Angela – Thank you. It all comes down to how you applied for the role; if you made a direct application to the employer then yes by all means drop them a quick line thanking them for their time. Do not expect a direct response as most organisations have a policy in place where HR will be the go-between. Also check they are still active on LinkedIn as I have known a fair few people set up these accounts and rarely check into them, they change email address and forget to update LinkedIn so miss out on any messages being sent. Do not ask further questions such as when can I expect to hear from you as this should be covered by HR. You can add in something along the lines of, “If you have any further questions” or similar so they know you are open to a discussion or a further meeting.

 

If you have made an application through a recruiter then I am afraid you need to leave it to the recruiter to make contact with the employer. When organisations instruct recruiters to manage their recruitment needs it is usually because they do not want direct contact with a candidate and part of the recruitment etiquette is to not be contacting employers direct. It is often frowned upon by recruiters and employers alike. I have seen this happen on a couple of occasions and had emails / calls from employers telling me they have received correspondence direct and asking for me to contact the candidate to ask them not to. In some cases it has broken down the relationship with the employer for the candidate and rightly or wrongly they have chosen a different candidate to take forward.

If the application is through a recruiter you could contact them after the interview and ask them to pass some feedback to the interviewer – it is good practice to call the recruiter after an interview to let them know how you think the interview went and let them know if you are keen to pursue the role or have decided it is not for you. At this point if you are happy to proceed you can ask the recruiter to thank the interviewers on your behalf and explain any areas which may have been highlighted that have increased your interest. Ask the recruiter to keep you updated with any feedback provided and also set out a communication plan so you are kept to the top of the recruiters list of priorities.

Employers do not like to give away too much initially, in most cases, so asking for some initial feedback is OK. Any feedback is good feedback – taking anything critical should be a key to understanding how you come across to others in an interview scenario and assist you in honing your communication skills further for second round interviews or interviews in other organisations.