Welcome to the new look Careercraft

When I launched Careercraft back in 2003 I built the site around a web based automated news publishing and content management system called PHPNuke.

The software worked well however it was full of bugs and more annoyingly security holes.

We have been hacked many times in the past and even though more recently the site was running pretty securely we were still seeing in the region of 2 – 3 hack attempts every week.

In addition, the internet has developed over the years and I wanted to offer a little more user interaction. With this in mind I have decided to start afresh with a new look and a new platform.

Careercraft is now based on the wonderful Blogging software created by the good folks at Wordpress.

The format of our articles and discussion will now be a lot more Blog based.

Doing a little research for my own job campaign I came across a very long list of ‘common’ interview questions which I thought I’d share.

I guess it would never hurt to be at least a little prepared so here they are. Enjoy!

# What do you know about our company?

# Who are our competitors? What are our products? Who are our customers?

# Why have you applied for this particular position?

# How did you learn of the vacancy?

# What are your salary/wage expectations?

# Tell me about the issues in the general press that relate to the industry/vocation for which you are applying.

(more…)

Top Tips for attending assessment centres.

Assessment Centres are often used when a large number of candidates are being interviewed for a set number of roles.

One of the main benefits to the potential supplier is the fact that they are able to observe behavior in a live environment as well as processing a large number of potential candidates in a shorter time..

`People watching` is often most key when an employer wants to gain an appreciation of your ability to work in a team and deal with people face to face.

Dependent on the type of role you may be asked to take part in a roll play excersise, this could take the form of you being the member of staff whist one of the assesors plays the customer. This is often the case when you are applying for a role relating to telephone based work where being able to deal with people over the telephone is a key skill.

Increasingly organisations are using computerised methods to process CVs so you may find that your paper CV is converted to an electronic version by scanning or you may be asked to submit an electronic version by e-mail or via an organisation’s web based system. For organisations handling a large number of CVs - large corporations or recruitment companies - electronic systems offer a huge cost and time saving. CV management systems can scan 30,000 CVs in as little as 6 seconds!

Many people think that with the advancement of scanning, CV management systems, and keyword searching on the Internet that you must develop a different CV from the one you have prepared to send to contacts via traditional methods. This is not true! You are not creating a different CV, you are merely altering the presentation format for the Internet.

Sometimes it seems like the hardest part of writing a CV is collecting the information in the first place - what’s needed and how much? Here’s a start with the main headings and a brief description of the level of detail needed…

Personal Data

Include name, address. E-mail and, if appropriate, home, office and mobile telephone numbers on the front page.

Profile or Summary

Only include one if you are sure it adds to your CV.

Dates of Employment

Normally the year is enough, for less experienced individuals, it may be appropriate to include the month. Any gaps in employment need to be explained, otherwise recruiters and even CV scanning systems will assume the worst.

Job Titles

State title and clarify ambiguities.

Career History

Try to substantiate your work experience with specific achievements and benefits. Highlight your strengths through carefully chosen examples.

Click the link below to download a Free CV Template in the Chronological CV format (Microsoft Word Format).

MS Word Chronological CV Template

Remember also to review our Overview of the Chronological CV to help you fully understand when you should be using this type of CV.

YOUR NAME
Home address including postcode
Telephone number: with STD (area) dialling code
(Work number, mobile number, e-mail address (if appropriate))

SUMMARY
A two to three line statement that describes your experience and your major skills and / or achievements. If you wish to continue working in the same field as you have worked in then mention the industry and professional sector.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Name of present/last Company - Job Title - Date in years
A brief description of the company, what they do any your role within the organisation. Only include your job title if it would mean the same to a new employer as it did to your current/previous one.

This is often the most widely used format of CV and is classed by some as being a more traditional and widely used approach to CV writing.

It places an emphasis on your employment history, where you worked and for how long. Your job titles, accomplishmetns and the results that you attained whilst being in this position.

Your jobs are listed in reverse chronological order so make sure you put your most recent job first.

Use the chronological style of CV when:

You are looking for work in the same type of field as you are currently working in.

You are transferring your current skills and experiece to the same or similar industry.

Your work history identifies significant career growth with increasing responsibility.

Click the link below to download a Free CV Template in the functional CV format

Functional CV Template

YOUR NAME
Home address including postcode
Telephone number: with STD (area) dialing code
(Work number, mobile number, e-mail address (if appropriate))

SUMMARY
Describe yourself in terms of your work strengths and experience in a two to three line statement Make sure with this statement you are emphasising words which will capture attention and allow the reader to envisage you in terms of their own requirements.

MAJOR STRENGTHS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Skills Area
Choose four or file key skill areas in which you achieved a great deal. Under the heading for each skill detail your achievements, emphasise the contribution you made to resolving a problem or creating a new business opportunity.

Quote examples
Figures to illustrate success should be used and written in numbers and percentages (e.g.. 10% 1,2,3,4). Figures in words are more difficult to read when buried in text and take up valuable space.