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Career
Support
We take great care to provide you with the tools you require that will make your job search more effective. Whether you are a first-time job seeker or moving into the next stage of your career, we are committed to helping you find a job that suits you. Our Consultants offer candidates career advice, counselling and guidance on resume writing, preparing for interviews as well as advice on making the most of your assignments should you wish to pursue temporary employment.
Write an Effective ResumeA well presented resume is a vital job search tool. An effective resume will assist recruiters in navigating through your information efficiently in order to progress to the next stage of the recruitment process. It is critical that you present your information in a format that will promote the benefit of your experience, your potential and strengths. Following are some tips that will help you create an effective resume that will convince recruiters of your ability to meet the requirements of the position:
Interview PreparationPre-InterviewPreparation is the first step for a successful interview! Allow time Ensure that you have the correct time, address and contact person to ask for. It is wise to research transport options to the client site if you do not have access to a car. Ensure that you have petrol and allow yourself more than enough time to arrive calm and relaxed and to find parking if needed. If you find that you are running late, contact your consultant immediately so that they can contact the client. Do some company research It is important to research the position and the company. Your consultant will provide you with current information about the position, company, type of interview you will be attending and people conducting the interview. Make sure you read over the job specification and anything else given to you by your consultant, so you are fully aware of what the position requires and to gain an understanding of the types of questions the interviewer may ask. Visit the company’s website if they have one and find out as much information as you can. You can then demonstrate this knowledge and interest during the interview. Presentation Dress for success! Your first impression will be critical and you will only get one chance to make the first impression. Ensure you are dressed appropriately and feel comfortable. For more presentation tips, please refer to our Interview Tips – Presentation guide. Non-verbal communication It is important during an interview that your non verbal communication mirrors your verbal communication to reflect your interest and enthusiasm. Always maintain good eye contact with the interviewer. Gazing around the room may convey to the interviewer that you are not interested in the position. Sit up straight facing the interviewer, be attentive and look interested. Always have a firm hand-shake as this is further confirmation of your professionalism and confidence. You should shake hands at the beginning and the end of an interview, and with all interviewers. And don’t forget to smile. Even if you are feeling nervous a smile will show a positive confident and interested person. Be prepared for questions The aim of an interview is to obtain as much information from you as possible in an allocated time frame. The employer will base his decision on a number of areas including skills, knowledge and abilities, personality and cultural fit, attitude, presentation, availability and references. A range of questions will be asked of you to assess as many of these things as possible and as such a typical interview will contain many standard questions, for which you can be prepared. These questions may include:
Whilst you may not be asked all of these questions, you can expect to be asked some of them, or a variation on them. Think about what your response may be and rehearse how it may sound. Prepare some questions of your own This is your opportunity to learn more about the role and the organisation and show how interested you are in the position. It is wise to prepare some questions before hand. You may also think of questions as the interview progresses. Some more common questions may be:
Being well prepared before attending an interview will assist you in presenting to the employer as a confident, assured and interested candidate, worthy of definite consideration for the role. Behavioural InterviewingBehavioural Interviewing is becoming an increasingly popular way to conduct interviews. It is based on the premise that past behaviour is the best indicator of future performance in a similar situation. Competency questions are designed to elicit details of behaviour in past circumstances similar to those you may encounter in the new position. A competency may be defined as the skills, ability, knowledge and / or experience required to perform tasks. In order to do well in a behavioural interview it is important to prepare examples of particular situations that you can discuss without having to pause too long for thought. By considering possible questions and answers in advance you will also be able to maximise the positive impressions you make and reinforce your interest in the position. To anticipate questions you may be asked look at the advertisement or job description and analyse the key competencies. Then think about experiences in your past positions that have demonstrated your skills in these areas. Some common competencies include:
Behavioural questions generally start with “Tell me about a time” or “Describe a time when” and there are three parts to the answer the employer is looking for:
You can remember this using the acronym CAR (Circumstance, Action, Result) and you should ensure that you cover all three of these areas when giving your response to a behavioural question. Ensure that you demonstrate how you used your skills to deal with the situation and what the outcome was as a result of your actions / behaviours. Some sample behavioural questions include:
If you analyse the job brief and highlight competencies you think will be inherent, you will be able to think of some working experience responses ahead of time instead of having to ‘wing it’. Behavioural interviews offer you a wonderful opportunity to show what you have accomplished in your past working experience so that prospective employers can see you as an asset for their future. Common Questions and AnswersAn interviewer has the difficult task of discovering and assessing what kind of person you are and how well you will fit the job and the company in a very short period of time. Therefore, you may be faced with fairly common or standard interview questions. You should ensure that you listen carefully to the questions and tailor your responses accordingly, answering truthfully without exaggerating. Communicate in a clear and logical manner, not speaking too loudly or too fast. Whilst it is a good idea to be prepared for some of the common questions, your responses should not appear rehearsed or ‘rote like’. Following are some of the more common questions and some ideas about what the employer may be looking for and suggested ways to respond. Q. Tell me about yourself This question may be used to assess your personality, communication skills and ability to think on your feet. You should talk about your skills and experience, focussing on work related factors. This should include your interests and experience as it relates to the job, past working experience, training / education / qualification and a summary of your career. You should always try to link your experience to the position. Q. Why do you want to do this job / work for this company? The interviewer is looking to see if you will be satisfied with your job and want to stay. You should demonstrate your knowledge of the company and highlight why you are interested in the role and company. Re-emphasise your suitability for the position. Q. What do you think you have to offer this company? This is an opportunity for you to talk about yourself and your achievements, concentrating on the skills you have that are required for the position. Describe without exaggerating, but ensure you provide enough information to show your strengths and successes. For example: “I have strong sales skills which is evident in my achieving 150% of my sales targets last year. I am a good team player and am keen to be involved in the new division you are establishing to work the Asia region.” Q. What do you enjoy most about your current / last job? The key to this question is to respond with what you have enjoyed about work that strongly relates to the key competencies and requirements of the position you are applying for. Q. Where do you see yourself in five years time? This question is designed to assess your ambition and career planning. You should demonstrate that your long term goals are appropriate for the position being discussed and your commitment to them. Q. Do you work well under pressure? Ensure you give a specific example when you were under pressure and how you resolved the situation. Q. Why did you leave your last position? People leave jobs for many reasons and you should clearly explain reasons. Some common reasons for leaving jobs include:
Q. Why should we employ you instead of someone else? You should list your skills and attributes you have that show you will make a valuable employee. You may have mentioned them before but this is like a summary for the interviewer – a snapshot if you like. At all times you should appear professional, confident and enthusiastic. Try not to sound like you have been practising your answers. Always relate your answers to practical experiences and show how those experiences are valuable to the position you are being interviewed for. And, if you don’t understand the question, do not hesitate in asking for it to be repeated. Presentation for the InterviewThe first impression is what counts. An interview is a ‘make or break’ situation for even the most experienced interviewee. Studies have shown that it may not always be the person who is most qualified that gets the job, but the person the interviewer relates the most to. Your appearance will make an immediate impression when meeting people for the first time. Statistically it has been shown that an impression is formed within the first 30 seconds and the impact we make is via:
Generally speaking, the following is suitable attire for the right impression to be made:
Tips on TempingWelcome to the Temping Team! As a member of this team we want to work closely with you to achieve the best possible results for your career and our clients. In return we ask that when you work on assignments you do so with a positive, dedicated and enthusiastic manner. To help you out, here are a few handy hints: Finances
It is very important that you keep us informed when you are working on assignment for us. You should contact us when:
If at any stage during your assignment you feel that you are unable to meet the clients performance standards or expectations please call us immediately so that we can look at a better option for you and our client. Employee Assistance |
