Our Consultants are actively involved in supporting candidates throughout the recruitment process.

We view the placement of a candidate as merely one aspect of our role. It is the prior and ongoing support which creates both the trust and mutual understanding we aspire to. This has considerably aided the growth of our business and reputation. Many of the high quality referrals we secure are gained from individuals who have valued our advice and assistance equally to our part in the advancement of their career.

There is no substitute for building a relationship with your specialist Consultant, yet the following provides a broad outline of the areas in which we can offer worthwhile guidance. These are deliberately broad headings - given the vast experience within our company, we are confident in our ability to offer advice on every project or situation which may arise.

CV Writing

This is often a very emotive issue, yet the preparation of a CV is an area where virtually all candidates, from Trainee to Managing Director levels can gain invaluable and time saving advice.

It is important to realise that an individual's CV is one of their most important personal documents. It is literally the first opportunity to promote their skills, experience and attributes - there is always a risk that if this is poor quality or irrelevant, there will not be a second chance.

Some key factors to consider:

• Make the CV interesting first and foremost. If it is uninteresting for you to read, it will be even more so for a prospective employer.
• Focus on achievements and give clear examples. Many CVs include more generic information than personal. A prospective employer will barely glance at this - they will be looking for the key points which separate your CV from others. For example in respect of Sales roles, quantifying performance in terms of 'pounds and percentages' is ideal. For Technical positions, there will be greater focus on qualifications and major project work undertaken.
• The CV should be concise. However whilst the accepted guideline is two pages, a longer document if acceptable provided the additional page or pages contain relevant information which will encourage further reading.

Interview Preparation & Hints

Prior to each interview which takes place, our candidates are furnished with all available information, in addition to generic interview advice. However we always recommend preparatory work beyond our own input, generally in the following areas:

Research - virtually everyone can access the internet, or someone who can do so on their behalf. Consequently our clients expect more than ever that candidates will have a degree of information regarding their organisation. It is always worthwhile researching the client company's own website and secondly, those of their main competitors in the market

Career reflection - very few candidates are able to recall on the spot, all of their most impressive and relevant career achievements. Even though many of these highlights will be upon the CV, there will be others which will stimulate interesting and positive discussion. It is vital to spend some time considering achievements in each position held and make a note of these. Candidates often conclude following an in depth period of self analysis that they are actually more skilled, experienced and talented than they give themselves credit for.

Appearance - in the same way as the appearance of your CV gives you the opportunity to attend an interview, your appearance and attitude on the day is vital to ensure the meeting offers any scope for further discussion. Interviewers are there to be impressed and appearance will help the meeting commence on a favourable basis. Wearing appropriate and professional attire is important, yet overall body language and self-motivation will score even higher. Enthusiasm is infectious and yours during the meeting will often be reflected in the interviewer. Look interested and feel free to smile, as this is another indicator of your interest. Ultimately your aim is to build a rapport and mutual respect as quickly as possible. Thereafter, the interview should take the form of a two way questioning process which, if there is synergy to progress further, should be genuinely interesting and gradually begin to feel more like an informative meeting than a pressurised interview.

Competency Based Interviews

Competency interviewing is an aspect of a recruitment process which, if not experienced thus far in your career, is something which requires the advice and support of your Consultant.

This more modern form of structured questioning is however, nothing to fear. Ironically whist this type of interview can present a major obstacle to those unfamiliar and unprepared, others who have requested our advice will find this to be very straightforward. It is arguably the only type of interview which you can "revise" for, the reason being that the questions seek specific examples of particular career scenarios and experiences. The format of the questions is reasonably standard and is something you can be ready for on the day.

Your Consultant shall be pleased to provide information which will ensure this type of interview questioning does not present an obstacle.

Psychometric Testing

This type of testing is generally utilised to highlight extreme characteristics which may influence an individual's ability to perform a role, or training needs upon joining the company. However it is rare for candidates to fail this type of written test provided the questions are answered honestly and consistently. There is literally no preparation you can perform for this type of testing, as the intention is to receive your on the spot responses.