Top 5 Interview Tips

If you're counting down the days till your next job interview, these helpful hints will help you get in the right mood so you can leave a lasting impression on the interviewers.

1. Do your research 

Preparation is the key to a successful interview and to getting that appointment you desire. It is the little things that make the big difference.  Fail to plan, and you plan to fail. You are certain to be asked specific questions about the company, so make sure you've done your homework on things like their last year's profits, competitors and latest product launches. Also take a look at the latest developments in the industry so you can converse with confidence. 

2. Practice key interview questions & answers 

Although there is no set format that every job interview will follow, there are some questions that you can almost guarantee will crop up. You should prepare answers to some of the most common interview questions about your personal strengths and weaknesses, as well as being able to explain why you would be the best person for the job.

3. Look the part 

Appearances shouldn't matter, but the plain fact is that you are often judged before you've even uttered a word. Make sure your shoes are polished, your clothes fit correctly and that your accessories are subtle. Dressing one level above the job you're applying for shows a desire to succeed. 

4. Stay calm 

Good preparation is the key to staying in control. Plan your route, allowing extra time for any unexpected delays, and get everything you need to take with you ready the night before. Remember to speak clearly, smile and remember that your interviewers are just normal people, and the may be nervous too! 

5. Ask questions 

You should always have some questions for your interviewer to demonstrate your interest in the position. Prepare a minimum of five questions, some which will give you more information about the job, and some which delve deeper into the culture and goals of the company. 

If you feel you need expert assistance to prepare you for that all important interview or require a little help with creating strategies for a winning interview then why not join up to our Talentrack career consultancy programme.  

For further information click here. 

Top 10 CV Do’s & Don’ts

A Curriculum Vitae is an essential marketing tool and getting an interview can depend on how good your CV is. The way you present your CV can have an overwhelming influence over whether your CV is even read, let alone get an interview. You need to consider what to include, how much detail is needed and how to make your CV stand out from others.

Do...

1. Construct your CV with your prospective employer in mind. Look at the job advert or specification and think about what the job involves, and what the employer needs. Find out about the employer, culture, operating style and make your experience relevant.
2. Tailor your CV to the job. Your CV shouldn't be your life story but should be tailored for the job you're applying for, focusing on the aspects that are important for that role. 
3. Make it clear and tidy. Check your spelling and grammar and read it through carefully. It’s amazing how many CV’s have spelling mistakes in them.
4. Place the important information up-front. Put experience and education achievements in reverse chronological order. Include experience and interests that might be of use to the employer: IT skills, voluntary work, foreign language competency, driving skills, leisure interests that demonstrate team skills and organisation/leadership skills. 
5. Quote concrete outcomes to support your claims. For example, ‘This reduced the development time from 7 to 3 days’ or ‘This revolutionised the company’s internal structure which led to a reduction in overheads from £2.3million to £1.7m per year’. 

Don’t...

1. Include information which may be viewed negatively – failed exams, divorces, failed business ventures, reasons for leaving a job. Don’t give the interviewer any reason to not include you. 
2. Make your CV more than three pages long. You can free up space by leaving out or editing information that is less important. For example, you do not need to include referees or include a detailed account all of the jobs you have held since school. Place more emphasis and detail on the recent and most relevant ones. Add details about your most recent qualifications, which are more relevant, but summarize the rest. 
3. Dilute your important messages. Don’t bother with a list of schools you attended or a long list of hobbies. Such things like this and school grades can be summarised. Concentrate on demonstrating the skills they require, what you have achieved and what benefits your clients have gained from your work. 
4. Use jargon, acronyms, technical terms - unless essential. 
5. Lie – In this era of the “Information economy” people and employers have many ways of checking what you say is true, and may dismiss you from the process or at worst employment if they find this is untrue.

If you do not have the time to create a new CV or you feel you need expert assistance with re-writing or re-modelling your document why not join up to our Talentrack career consultancy programme.  

For further information click here. 

Are companies looking for the perfect CV missing out?

Are companies looking for the perfect CV missing out? The perfect CV doesn't always belong to a perfect candidate.

Many organisations still place too much emphasis on CV’s rather than the actual candidate. Many companies only consider interviewing applicants who have perfectly written CVs and as such many potentially great employees are being dismissed too quickly.

Mistakes are part of the learning process, why should a mistake detract from a CV? If it’s true that the person who never made a mistake never made anything, why should a tarnished CV hinder a career? Insisting on perfect doesn't make sense, especially not in a skills shortage.

In the 2011 PricewaterhouseCoopers Global CEO survey, nearly 70% of CEO's complained about a talent shortage. Meanwhile 25% of ‘star’ performers hired with often impeccable CVs expect to quit their current role within the next twelve months.

At interview, good people can become disillusioned at relentless questioning over a perceived weak point in their career… perhaps what looks like a poor job choice or a quick job change. These things happen, and while they are often logically explained, many employers get concerned about one small detail and not the bigger picture.

The result is that everyone now chases after the same ‘star’ candidates, making the situation of skills shortage doubly difficult.  If employers were more willing to take a calculated risk and interview other high performing individuals, the war for talent might well be eased. In his excellent book “Good to Great”, Jim Collins states: “Good-to-great companies place more weight on character than on specific skills or experience.” These companies place emphasis on a candidate’s outlook, personal values and approach over their experience or qualifications. 

Correct culture fit combined with behaviour and skills often say more about a candidate’s suitability than an excellent academic record. For these enlightened companies, obvious candidate credentials are only part of the story and they reap the rewards of this more open minded approach to hiring.

In our view, it’s essential for organisations to work harder at pinpointing the values and behaviours that will define success and look at candidates who match these criteria. It’s vital to include sound judgement, team compatibility, resilience to pressure, curiosity, desire to learn, self-motivation and commercial ability.

We work hard to help companies understand there is a lot more talent out there that can be utilised to greater advantage. So it’s not about accepting second best – it’s about delivering a true competency, culture and values based recruitment model to your organisation.

First female FM wins top Middle East award

Fawzeia Hamad Al Marzouqi, Emirati

Fawzeia Hamad Al Marzouqi, an FM manager with the Emirati government’s facilities services division, has become the first woman to win FM of the Year at the Facilities Management Middle East Awards in Dubai.

Fawzeia is seconded from the United Arab Emirates government’s Musanada division to Macro’s FM team, which is delivering FM services to hundreds of government buildings.

Musanada was set up by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates, in December 2007 as a shared service company serving government departments and agencies.
Fawzeia was recently appointed regional facilities manager of the western region and manages services delivery across a diverse portfolio, including schools, mosques and municipality buildings and other facilities.

Her primary focus is on the quality of service performance and maintaining a safe occupied environment. 

“For me as an Emirati woman, this is an honour, especially since I was shortlisted with four men,” she said. “This will inspire me in my career.”

Musanada and Macro are working on a long-term project to implement health and safety, as well as environmental programmes in Abu Dhabi. Fawzeia has taking a leading role in driving contractors’ compliance with regulations from the Abu Dhabi Environment Health and Safety Centre.

Fawzeia has also acted as head of the committee that worked on preparing a new strategy for service agreements with Musanada’s supply chain.

Musanada and Macro were jointly shortlisted for the Overall Facilities Management Company of the Year Award at the ceremony which took place at Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai on 4 June. Macro is a property consultancy and facilities management company working with Musanada, with Macro staff embedded within Musanada. Macro International, Macro’s Abu Dhabi-based operation, won the contract last September. It oversees a portfolio of nearly 3,500 buildings used by government of Abu Dhabi departments and agencies throughout the emirate.

At the time of the contract award, Macro managing director Bill Heath said it was “the most significant FM transformation project seen in the Middle East today”. Last month, Heath became chairman of Macro Group, covering the US, UK, Europe and the Middle East- northern Africa (MENA) region. Heath, who remains managing director of the MENA region, set up the facilities management arm of the Mace Group in 2002. In 2007, he moved to the United Arab Emirates to launch Macro International, which also operates in Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and Jordan. 

The company has grown from a staff of just two to more than 180 and has a turnover of around £14 million. 

In November 2008, FM World recognised Heath as one of the Pioneers of Facilities Management in the UK.

FM World; 18.06.2013