Career Coach CV/Resume Writer by Rob Ridout

                                             Skype - getting it right! by Rob Ridout Skype can be a nightmare for many people, looking at the screen not knowing what your interviewer is thinking is just too much for many people. Here are some practical tips on how  to rule in your Skype interview.   Create Your Set.  You want to make sure you angle your computer correctly and sit with a proper basic background behind you. Try to avoid interviews in your bedroom or with big art behind the walls. Pick a quiet place to interview without an elaborate backdrop so that you can be the focal point on the screen. Test your technology Do a technical check before your online interview begins to make sure that your internet connection is stable enough to avoid dropouts and poor sound and picture quality. Consider setting up a dedicated external lape...

The best cover letter I ever received and I read a lot of cover letters, was from a PA who wrote a brief article on herself in the format of a newspaper article. You just had to read it and had to meet this person. I’m not a big fan of the cover letter but a good cover letter such as this one can be a real eye-catcher. Cover letters are always going to be problematic, too many people try using the cover letter to say what they should actually say in the interview. And it seldom works.  Let’s first look at the purpose of the cover letter. This brief and I emphasis brief form of introduction should cover who you are and why you are seeking employment. The entire role of the cover letter is to invite the reader to explore your CV further. Almost like a good marketing bi-line attached to a brand that gently encourages the tired eyes of the HR manager to want to explore further. The challenge that you have when designing your cover letter is most certainly the huge amount of CV’s...

Avoiding the Recruiter   by Rob Ridout You finally come across a role that looks like the exact fit. You scroll down to the bottom of the page and there it is the recruiter’s email address. Your heart sinks. Most candidates at this point either don’t apply or apply and give up on ever getting a response. There is, however, another option to giving up on the recruiter. I have never met a candidate who thought about getting around the recruiter and going straight to the hiring company.  For an article on becoming a more proactive job seeker follow this link.  https://www.yourcvforlife.com/blogger/post/6563766512731420083 So lets set the scene. Companies do not want to pay recruitment fees! No debate, it’s a grudge purchase. It would be astonishing to me that any line manager or HR manager decline a candidate on the basis that they avoided the recruiter. Now, this is important, the closer you get to the actual hiring manager with your CV the bet...

Managing your interview time - emphasis on managing! by Rob Ridout Interviews article by Rob Ridout CV writer I get it! You don’t like interviews. Going to an interview can be almost like going on a blind date. Not quite sure what to expect and always in need of a plan B just in case the wheels come off - which it usually does. But most of us will go through our interviews with what we think is a perfect plan. However, once we are face to face with the interviewer, the gremlins start to emerge.  So lets highlight in my mind one of the most critical aspects of your interview - managing your time. When your recruiter or  HR manager arrange your interview, you will be allocated a time frame. This interview time is generally between 40 - 60 minutes depending on the level of the role. You may also get information about your interviewer as well as a specification. Although these other aspects are important, I want to focus just on managing your time.  Ef...

The Recruiter – your hired gun by Rob Ridout Article on dealing with recruiters - Rob Ridout Most people seem to think that the recruiter’s role is one that is owed to society, somebody who has been selected to represent every available candidate. This is a misconception. A recruiter is a business person who needs to pay the bills just like you. They have targets, bosses and goals to meet. And as such often suffer under immense pressure. Never forget this as it will ensure you less sleepless nights if you experience poor service delivery from your recruiter. Utilising the recruiter is of vital importance when achieving your goals as set out in your career engagement plan. Many people underestimate the importance of the recruiter and the importance of managing the recruiter in the right way. The recruiter is there to earn money, you are their ticket to that paycheque, so working with the recruiter ensures benefits for both. An experienced recruiter will make cer...

When searching for work on LinkedIn of jobs many candidates tend to choose for the lazy option and use the automated job email notification tool to find work. I cannot emphasize enough that as an active candidate in the market you utilize  the search function to search for jobs. You really need to adopt an aggressive approach to finding ideal roles rather than sitting around on your rear end waiting for the work to come your way.  Use this tool efficiently is actually a little bit of a science. Most people I coach tend to plug in their own title, conduct the search, find a few roles and they satisfy themselves that they have done a hard days job of being a proactive individual. Others tend to thrash the living daylights out of the search by searching and applying to everything that moves apply for everything and then give up when nobody returns their emails in a record-breaking turnaround time and all of this with a poor CV and not so great LinkedIn profile.  ...