A Personal Letter Makes All the Difference!

There are usually three key elements in the first stage of a job application: the Curriculum Vitae or CV for short, the Application Form and the CV Cover Letter. It is the last of these which usually taxes the brain cells most of all. How do you write a succinct CV Cover Letter that uses just the right tone and conveys all the best aspects of your personality?

Step One: Choose the Right paper, Font and Layout.

Writing a CV Cover Letter is a professional task. This means that any old copy paper may not make the kind of impression you are looking for. You should select a slightly heavier weight than the pages you use in your photocopier but stick to the standard A4 size. Font and layout should also be drawn from the familiar repertoire of Courier, Times Roman, Arial, or whatever font you would normally use in your daily work. If you have very elegant handwriting, then by all means go ahead and craft a hand-written work of art. On the other hand, if like most people your scrawl is barely legible even at the best of times, then just type your letter neatly and sign it with a good quality gel or fountain pen.

Step Two: Maintain a Clear Focus.

As you start to write, think carefully about the three or four most important things you want to say. Don’t repeat all the details you have included in the other parts of the application, but single out just a few highlights which will hopefully mark you out as a person worth calling for interview. Say who you are (think of an up-beat phrase that describes yourself), the job you are applying for (just to keep the reader focused on the task in hand), why you are interested in the post, and what you can offer to the company. Finish with a word of thanks for reading your letter, and add a signature. Don’t launch into your life story and don’t try to be too clever. Just aim for clarity and authenticity.

Step Three: Spell Check, Re-read, Reflect and Revise!

This is perhaps the most vital part of CV Cover Letter Writing. There is nothing worse than a glaring grammar error or random spelling mistakes scattered throughout the text. Careful checking, and some revision here and there will improve your letter immensely.

Step Four: Repeat Step Three!

Yes, that’s right. You should put your letter aside for a while, sleep on it if you have time, and then read it again to check one last time for any minor flaws. Even better: ask a sensible friend to look it over for you and give some feedback. Now you can relax and send your letter off.

Guest copy: from DJG Consulting - Recruitment Paris specialising in Investment Banking jobs and executive assistant jobs

The tips that you receive before a job interview will depend upon whom you ask; but for the truly inexperienced who wish to acquire that dream job or that job that will get them by until they find their dream job - you're in need of job interview tips that will ensure you're shortlisted for the job that you want. Lucky for you, you've come to the right place.

How to Shoot Yourself in the Foot in the Interview

1) Stop using generalities, like “I’m a problem-solver” and “I’m a real team player.” Generalities about strengths are ignored, forgotten, or not heard. When interviewers evaluate a candidate they recall the examples and stories the candidate used to prove a point. From these examples they conclude to what degree the candidate possesses the strength or attribute.

2) Never say “I don’t have any weaknesses.” Everybody has weaknesses. The point of the question isn’t even about weakness, it’s an attempt to determine your character, honesty, and self-awareness. On the surface, saying you don’t have any weaknesses implies you’ve stopped growing, can’t learn anything new and can’t be coached. Openly stating a weakness, and describing how you’ve learned from it, indicates a willingness to get better.

3) Don’t give answers that are too short or too long. In an interview, you’re judged not just on the content of your answers, but also the quality of how they’re presented. The best answers are 1-2 minutes long. If your answers are too short you’re assumed to lack ability or insight, or interest. Worse, you force the interviewer to work too hard. Interviewees who talk too much are considered self-absorbed, boring and imprecise. Worse, after two minutes the interviewer tunes you out and doesn’t hear a thing you’ve said.

4) Don’t ask “what’s in it for me” questions. At the beginning of the interview, assume you’re the seller, even if you’re the hottest, in-demand candidate in the world. Asking self-serving questions like “what does the job pay?” or questions about benefits and related superficialities, are an instant turn-off. It’s certainly okay to ask about these things once the interviewer signals that you’re a serious candidate for the job.

5) Don’t look at your resume. During the interview you must not look at your resume. This is a sign you’re either nervous (which you probably will be), or you fabricated something. Interviewers expect you to know your work history completely, including companies, dates, job titles, roles, responsibilities and key accomplishments. To help recall these important details, write them down on a few 3X5 cards before the interview.

How to Gain an Interviewing Advantage

1) Be prepared. An interview is more important than any major presentation you’ll ever make. You need to be just as prepared. Part of this is reading about the company, the industry, the job description, and the LinkedIn profiles of the people you’ll be meeting. But this is just a start. Knowing yourself, your resume and work history inside-out, your strengths and weaknesses, and preparing to ask and answer interview questions is the hard part.

2) Ask insightful questions. Interviewers judge candidates on three big areas: the candidate’s first impression, the quality of the answers, and the quality of the questions. Great questions can often overcome weaknesses in the other areas. The best questions focus on the impact and challenges of the role, and the relationship of the job to the business. (see information at bottom of this sheet)

3) Convert the interview into a past performance review. If the interviewer seems to be box-checking skills and experiences, ask about the major performance expectations for the job. Then give examples of your biggest accomplishments to validate you’ve done work that’s comparable to what needs to be done.

4) Prove strengths and neutralize weaknesses. Write down all of your strengths and weaknesses. For each strength come up with 1-2 actual accomplishments you can use as examples to prove the strength. To neutralize a weakness, describe how you converted it into a learning experience, or how you manage to deal with it.

5) Ask about next steps. Towards the end of the interview, ask where you stand, and find out the next steps. If the interviewer is vague or non-committal, you’re probably not going to be called back. In this case, ask if there is something missing in your background or skill set that the job requires. Once you know this, you might be able to minimize the concern by describing some comparable accomplishment that was previously not considered.

For most hiring managers, the interviewer is more about box-checking and validating skills, combined with a big dose of gut feel and intuition. A savvy job-seeker can turn the odds in his or her favour by being prepared, recognizing that the interview isn’t a lecture or a series of 30-second responses, and asking insightful, business-oriented questions. Preventing what can go wrong, is a great way to ensure things go right.

The most important thing you must do in every interview is to ask great questions.

The key is to ask great questions- not to ask questions that you should know the answers to already (“What does the position entail?) or questions that make it all about you (“What is your vacation policy?”)

Here are 10 great questions you can use or make your own on your next job interview. Obviously they're generic and should be tailored based on circumstances:

Of course, the more research you do in advance, the more you can ask specific questions about the company’s recent news, blog posts, product launches, plans, etc. But here’s the bottom line:

Here are five questions great job candidates ask:

Maybe your top performers work longer hours. Or maybe flexibility and creativity is more important than following rigid processes. Or maybe landing new customers in new markets is more important than building long-term customer relationships. Or maybe spending the same amount of time educating an entry-level customer is as important as helping an enthusiast who wants high-end solutions.

Whatever the answer may be, great candidates want to know because 1) they want to know if they fit, and 2) if they do, they definitely want to be a top performer.

“What are the one or two things that really drive results for the company?”

Employees are investments, and every employee should generate a positive return on his or her salary. (Otherwise why are they on the payroll?)

In every job some activities make a bigger difference than others. You want your HR staff to fill job openings... but what you really need is for HR to find the right candidates because that results in higher retention rates, lower training costs, and better overall productivity.

You want your service techs to perform effective repairs... but what you really need is for those techs to identify ways to solve problems and provide further benefits -- in short, to generate additional sales.

Great candidates want to know what truly makes a difference for your company... because they know helping the company succeed means they will also succeed, on multiple levels.

“What do employees do in their spare time?”

Happy employees 1) like what they do, and 2) like the people they do it with.

Granted this is a tough question to answer. Unless the company is really small, all any interviewer can do is speak in generalities.

Even so, great candidates want to make sure they have a reasonable chance of fitting in with the culture -- because great job candidates almost always have options.

“How do you plan to deal with...?”

Every business faces a major challenge: technological changes, competitors entering the market, shifting economic trends... there's rarely a moat protecting a small business.

So while a candidate may see your company as a stepping-stone, they still hope for growth and advancement... and if they do eventually leave, they want it to be on their terms and not because you were forced out of business.

Say I'm interviewing for a position at your bike shop. Another shop is opening less than a mile away. How do you plan to deal with the new competitor?

Or say you run a poultry farm (a major industry where I live): What will you do to deal with rising feed costs?

A great candidate doesn't just want to know what you think; they want to know what you plan to do -- and how they will fit into those plans.

Finally, a new piece on how to succeed in an Interview :

https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140705055830-52594-the-five-deadliest-job-interview-mistakes?trk=tod-home-art-list-large_0

For more helpful tips take a look at our career advice or options below:

• INTERVIEW TIPS & PREPERATION 
• CV WRITING
• COVER LETTER WRITING
• RESIGNATION ADVICE
• LEGAL
• REGULATIONS
• GENERAL RECRUITMENT ADVICE
• NETWORKING
• Job Profiles

Our advice is not just generic recruitment advice we have tailored advice for each of the recruitment divisions we work in, including:

• Executive Search 
• Accountancy & Finance 
• Temporary & Interim
• M&A  
• Private Equity
• Real Estate 
• Capital Markets

We also have tailored advice on finance & accounting qualifications and career options with each qualification.

Qualifications - ACCA Qualification  ACA Qualification  CIMA Qualification  CPA Qualification  CA Qualification

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Circle Square Talent - Finance Jobs London

Financial & Corporate Recovery News

Fresh Fears for the Dying British High Street?

A dark cloud is hovering over the British high street in 2013, according to research, with 2012's financial misery already rolling over into this financial year. At the heart of the problem lies a range of serious financial issues which are facing at least 140 retailers.

Corporate Recovery

Begbies Traynor, a law firm specialising in the field of corporate recovery, has already claimed that in 2013 there will be a rising number of retailers in the high street facing a worrying and uncertain financial future.

This research looks at companies experiencing a range of 'financial distresses'. Even more worryingly, a number of these retailers are at the top of their yearly cash cycle, which means that they should, in theory, be experiencing their best cash position of 2013. 

You can read the full article from Begbies Traynor.

Market Challenges & Financial Distress

Retailers have been hit by various factors causing market challenges & financial distress in 2012 which have depressed their sales. These include wider economic problems and even the prolonged period of wet weather.

This has led to 140 UK retailers - from large national chains to small single-unit outlets - being added to the financial 'critical list' of Begbies Traynor. The Corporate Recovery firm believes that retailers on this list will not be able to survive over the next year, at least in their current operating form.

Certain sectors of the retail industry are experiencing particular financial pressure, such as independent chemists, off-licences and book retailers, who are all under particular pressure from large supermarkets and online retailers. The Corporate Recovery firm has also warned that their list is just the tip of the iceberg, with thousands of specialist and small retailers desperately struggling to survive in the current climate of austerity.

The impact of online shopping has also continued to affect the financial status of high street stores. Book stores typically have peak sales in the Christmas run-up, but consumers are increasingly using traditional book stores to simply browse and identify the titles they want before purchasing them online at a cheaper price. The book retail sector has also had another financial hit by the introduction of e-readers.

Financial Pressure and the Show-Rooming Trend

The latest consumer trend has been dubbed 'show-rooming' and it describes the growing tendency of customers to visit high-street retailers simply to test out a product, before using their digital device to find the best possible price online and purchase it. British shoppers may be becoming savvier with their purchasing but the financial impact is damaging the British economy.

Will Consumer Options & Financial Education be the death of the British High Street?

It is natural for customers who are increasingly cost-conscious and are also rapidly educating themselves about the benefits of online shopping and price-comparison websites. Even those who don't shop online are heading away from the high street and going to single-stop department stores and supermarkets, where they can buy the bulk of their products in one go and benefit from the perceived value of buying from a single retailer. Other factors include a rise in town-centre parking and travel costs, which are further discouraging shoppers from browsing in their local high street.

What Next for the UK's Ailing High Street?

The retail quarterly rental payment day fell on Christmas Day in 2012 and many will have found that this coincided with customers spending less, even in the January sales. This could put many new retailers under pressure and even drive up the number of insolvencies. Following the news that HMV is going into administration, this certainly seems to be the case. Market analysts and retailers will be viewing the next few months with trepidation as they hope to see some signs of a return of customers to the high street in the spring.

Is there any light ahead for the British high street or is are financial situation on a downward spiral, with corporate recovery firms being kept busy in the year ahead.

To search our current jobs: Accountancy & Finance Jobs   Private Equity Jobs  Capital Markets Jobs   Venture Capital Jobs   Real Estate Jobs   Interim & Temporary Jobs   Corporate Finance Jobs

Tory big beast warns markets will think electorate is ‘ridiculous’ if it ushers in a hung parliament tomorrow FINANCIAL markets will think voters are “slightly ridiculous” if tomorrow’s general election results in a hung parliament, Ken Clarke said yesterday.In an exclusive interview with City A.M., the shadow business secretary said: “My message to voters is this: get serious… you really ought to make a choice between the two credible governments on offer.”The former chancellor, who said the financial crisis demanded “a strong government with the authority to take some difficult decisions”, warned that markets would punish voters if no party wins an overall majority.“The idea of negotiations with Lib Dems, Scottish Nationalists, Ulstermen and so on fills me with horror. I think our creditors outside the United Kingdom would regard the electorate as slightly ridiculous if they plunge us into such a problem,” he said.Clarke warned there would be a “political crisis” if the Tories were forced into coalition talks with the Liberal Democrats or minority parties.He said: “We’d have an economic crisis coupled with a political crisis. The bond markets are going to be open from 1am. If that isn’t a warning signal to the public, I don’t know what is.”Clarke said he respected Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, who “is probably more of a Conservative than he is a Liberal Democrat sometimes”, but warned his party would descend into internal warfare over who to prop up in the event of a hung parliament.“Their followers are largely people who don’t want to be involved in government of any kind, with either of the political parties. They would be unable to agree among themselves who they might support,” he said.He added: “They have a laughable constitution in which a Liberal assembly would have to be held to approve any arrangement. I wouldn’t ask a Liberal assembly what day of the week it is, and I certainly wouldn’t give it a powerful position of control over the formation of the government in an economic crisis.”Clarke has consistently warned a hung parliament will spook bond and currency markets, pushing up the cost of government borrowing and depressing sterling.“I remember the Lib-Lab pact [of 1974] and it was a farce. At the end of it, we were in another position of huge government debt ,” he said.

Today’s YouGov poll for the Sun puts the Tories on 35 per cent, with Labour on 30 and the Lib Dems on 24. If repeated tomorrow, that would make Labour the largest party in a hung parliament.

My daily lunchtime visit to the BBC website usually serves up some educational, informative and entertaining tidbits to share around the office; can anyone else believe that it is the 25th anniversary of the .com domain? 

www.news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8568509.stm. 

I must confess that I struggle to recall QKL.com, Boxspark or Beenz.com as serious contenders for my browsing time however what is taking up a great deal of our time here is how we are looking to engage Clients and Candidates with new social media.    

Perhaps here at CSC we have taken for granted how social networking and its impact on recruiting is creating one of the largest changes in dynamics in how we interact with the people important to the success our business. Web 2.0 is empowering candidates and clients like never before, giving the less scrupulous amongst us nowhere to hide.     

The job seekers and Companies (even the BBC and MI6 are in on it) are beginning to lead the way in how they want to engage with, and as employers.  Never hearing back from your applications, interviews or recruitment agencies for most has been a standard experience, fed up with that? Let the online world know with Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook providing high profile forums to vent your frustrations or recommend services to others.   

This is what we are making our little project here at CSC, how to effectively engage you and how to get your feedback on us.  Its all green shoots stuff for us here in the office, something that we are looking forward to getting hands on with but more importantly having fun playing with to see what works best.  

Any suggestions? Feel free to get in touch, find us on twitter and Linked in we don’t have anything to hide!   

Fancy a couple of suggestions as to how we can help you find your new role? Get in touch – it’s what we do

The improving economic climate has seen the funds of the UK's final salary pension schemes move into a surplus for the first time in nearly two years.Figures from the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) revealed that the 7,400 pension schemes achieved a collective surplus of £0.3 billion in March.This compares with a deficit of £15 billion in the previous month. For the same period last year, the deficit was £242 billion.The last time there was a surplus was June 2008.The picture is not so rosy, however, when individual schemes are considered. Over two thirds (68.5 per cent) are still in negative territory, with just 31.5 per cent in surplus.

The reason for the overall improvement is that share prices have risen at a faster rate than the costs of paying out funds to scheme members.The PPF report said: "Total scheme assets amounted to £915.4 billion in March 2010, representing an increase of 3.9 per cent over the month and an increase of 22 per cent over the year to March 2010."Meanwhile, scheme liabilities decreased by 7.6 per cent over the year to March 2010, to £915 billion, but increased 2.1 per cent over the month from £895.9 billion in February 2010."Matters have been further helped by a change in the way that probable future costs of pension schemes are calculated, a move that has shaved some 8 per cent off scheme liabilities, or the equivalent of £70 billion.

The UK economy seems to have sidestepped the dangers of a double-dip recession but still faces many risks, a new study has claimed. According to the British Chambers of Commerce's latest quarterly survey, the economic upturn is on course. On the downside, however, the survey also found that business investment is declining, while job losses in the manufacturing sector continue to climb. The survey, which took in some 5,000 British firms, revealed that the service sector, which comprises the largest segment of the economy, enjoyed an improvement in both domestic and overseas sales during the first quarter of the year.

 Manufacturers, though, experienced stagnation, with sales barely positive and orders still negative. Employment over the last three months in manufacturing recorded a large fall, from +3 in the fourth quarter of 2009 to -16 in the first quarter of 2010. Worringly, investment in plant and machinery, and cash flow are still negative across both sectors, the BCC said. David Frost, the BCC's director general, described the results as mixed but containing some positive features, such as the service sector's improvement and the relatively strong export balances for manufacturers. Mr Frost said: "Businesses are showing resilience despite difficult and uncertain trading conditions. Confidence is building, and the government must nurture this with well-thought out policies that support business growth and job creation. "Special attention must be paid to bolstering our exports in goods and services, which will help rebalance the economy away from an over-reliance on debt and the public sector." Mr Frost urged the post-election government to avoid additional business taxes that could stifle recovery, arguing that the 1 per cent hike in employers' National Insurance Contributions, planned for 2011, should be scrapped and replaced by a 1 per cent rise in VAT. 

 The BCC also wants to see a three-year moratorium on any new employment legislation. David Kern, the BCC's chief economist, added: "These results support the view that GDP growth stayed positive in Q1, but the recovery is set to remain fragile and sluggish. While the upturn in the service sector is gradually gathering momentum, the manufacturing sector is still struggling to enter the recovery phase." Mr Kern highlighted the deterioration of investment levels in plant and machinery as a cause for concern, saying that, unless the sharp declines in capital investment are reversed, the UK's productivity will fall further and the economy will lack the capacity to meet growing demand when the recovery gains momentum. Negative cash flow balances suggest many businesses are still facing serious financial pressures, which are due more to lack of demand rather than to reluctance on the part of the banks to lend. Mr Kern concluded: "Whatever the outcome of the election, a new government must produce a more credible medium-term plan for cutting the country's huge Budget deficit and reducing spending. This will strengthen Britain's credit rating, make it easier for the Bank of England to keep interest rates low for a prolonged period, and underpin the recovery."

The traditional sick note is set to be replaced on 6 April 2010 by a new form of medical statement, called a statement of fitness for work or fit note.  The intention is that the new fit note will help to facilitate an employee’s return to work after illness, thereby reducing sickness related absence amongst the workforce.   

A doctor will be able to advise on the fit note whether an employee is either:   

a) Not fit for work 

OR

b) may be fit for work taking account of the following advice.    

If the doctor advises that option 2 is appropriate, the doctor can suggest ways for the employer to assist an employee’s return to work, for example, a phased return to work, practical adjustments in the workplace, altered working hours or a variation in an employee’s normal duties.   

The doctor’s suggestions are not binding on an employer or an employee, and ultimately it is the employer (and not the doctor) who will be entitled to decide whether any changes suggested by the  doctor and aimed at facilitating the individual’s return to work can be accommodated.    

Also from 6 April 2010, a medical certificate can only be issued for a three month period (instead of the current six months) during the first six months that an employee’s health condition subsists.   

Well all the indicators point to it, over the last two months every recruitment indicator has shown an upward trend, so whether it’s the volume of job orders or the volume of new starters all point to this re-assuring trend. How does this affect candidates? 

Well if you are thinking of looking for work now does appear to be the time to make the move, clients are looking to recruit they are interviewing and making offers to candidates. Our own internal figures show a 30% increase in job orders this quarter compared to the last quarter of 2009, but perhaps more importantly the numbers of people starting new jobs has increased by over 25% in the space over 3 months; not bad for green shoots!?   

The market is still difficult but there is a confidence returning to it that has been missing for the last 18 months especially within real estate and banking.   

If you are thinking of moving on…call us we would happily advise you on your options