Top 10 CV Writing Tips 

In this competitive job market everything can help…  

1- Spelling and grammar

The most common mistake and yet the most important thing to get right to make a good first impression. Get your CV checked and checked again  

2 - Where to start…

Recruiters want to know what you’ve done recently, so list your work experience in reverse chronological order and place your educational achievements after your work experience.  

3- Keep it concise

The average recruiter spends only a few minutes scanning a CV, so keep it to two pages or three at most for those in senior positions and attach a deal sheet if possible.  

4- Formatting

Remember what looks great on your PC screen might not display well elsewhere so keep formatting to a minimum. Recruitment consultancies often use their own templates, so make sure your CV is easy to copy and paste, and preferably in Word.  

5- Specify the key details

Great project manager, good communicator, dedicated employee – all great skills but worthless unless you demonstrate what you achieved. Ensure everything you say is quantified by specifying the actions you took and the results and/or benefits.  

6- Explain gaps in your CV

Your CV should read as a continuous, chronological flow of activities, so make sure you explain any gaps such as travelling, maternity leave, sabbaticals etc.  

7- Redundancy

In the current economy, stating that you were made redundant doesn’t reflect badly on you. And if you don’t include it the reader might assume you were fired.  

8- Exclude irrelevant information

If you’re unsure whether to include something, ask yourself: does this impact my ability to do the job? If no, leave it off. This includes: age, gender, marital and parental status and religion.  

9- Interests and hobbies

Although your hobbies and activities may be really interesting, unless they’re relevant to the role or demonstrate a particular skill, keep this section to a minimum.  

10- More than one version of your CV

Best kept secret - every role is different, so tailor your CV to that role. Go through the job spec and emphasise your relevant skills and experience on your tailored CV.

Best of Luck!

We hope our Top Ten CV Writing Tips helps

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SO Baroness Scotland falls foul of immigration law and is fined £5000.00. Her cleaner did not have the correct visa therefore she was not legitimately allowed to work in the UK. People often criticizerecruitment consultancies with good reason; however such checks are standard practice for agencies in the UK along with checking both professional and educational documentation and taking a reference…..

Moral of the story Baroness Scotland- Use an agency and don’t get fined £5000 as the responsibility is all ours under the 2003 Agencies Act to ensure all these BASIC checks are in place

With the staff attrition rates we have seen in real estate teams and related products in the last year you would be totally in your right to think real estate is over. However since January, we have seen there have seen ‘green shoots’ of real estate returning. They’re doing so not in the traditional format of the Big Banks and the traditional Advisory and PE businesses, but in new and exciting start-ups and other businesses.

They have looked at the market, seen the gap, and are now expanding into it. This is not only in debt restructuring but general real estate advisory. Will these start ups and new businesses really be able to take advantage of where the market goes and will it go the way they are expecting?

The debate seems to focus on when debt will come back to the market, where it will come from and who will be in a position to arrange that debt (client side). Right now, banks are unwilling to make loans and lack the associates and analysts to structure finance for their clients (I heard a rumour that one particular bulge bracket missed a deadline by two week due to lack of resources).

At the same time, the clients and PE houses do not have the resources (or the desire) to pull all the information together (the due diligence, the memos and the term sheets). Both these areas are ripe for start-ups to exploit. Equally, the source of funding has changed from the European Banks to the US Banks (admittedly only a few), the sovereign wealth funds, newly raised funds and private investors (due to the low value of sterling and subsequent decrease in the price of Central London Property for overseas investors). This is all creating demand for a new breed of real estate professional.

The new market needs people who can not only understand the financing and the numbers behind the funding, but can also operate from a cost saving perspective. In my opinion, therefore, real estate is coming back: New businesses out there that are going for it. And I suspect that established banks which have cut to the bone will be hiring like crazy into their real estate teams in Q1 2010.  

...Yes of course we do!

The last three years has seen massive growth in recruiters using the net but the last two years has seen an explosion in the use of social networking sites. Every consultant at Circlesquare has a LinkedIn account with which we use to network clients and candidates a like, indeed it’s becoming increasingly common for consultants to be targeted on the number of candidate referrals they can make on a weekly basis, and has become an integral part of a recruitment process.

This means that as a candidate you really need to be joining and updating your profile on a regular basis to ensure that potential employers or recruiters are seeing a real-time profile that clearly states what you are looking to do and what kind of things you would be interested in talking to them about. It sounds very silly and simple but you also need to respond to any of the invites sent to you by recruiters via the site!

I cannot overstate the importance of these sites I would suggest that over the last 12 months around 40% of our placements here at Circlesquare have come as a direct result of using a social networking site.

So keep updating and keep talking to your recruiters.

“Sony Music Entertainment is suing smaller rival EMI Music and one of its executives after he allegedly broke his promise to join Sony on a new $3m contract. The suit alleges that Ron Werre used his deal with Sony as leverage in negotiating a promotion at EMI. Sony charged that Werre, who had been EMI’s president of music services agreed in February to join Sony on a three year deal after his contract expired in 2010, according to documents filed at the NY Supreme Court.” (Reported City AM)

News of Sony Music suing EMI in the US could have a massive effect on recruitment in this country.

Sony's lawsuit revolves around one of their prospective employers who promised to join Sony from EMI. However he broke his agreement remained at EMI and got a pay rise! Ron Werre is accused of using the whole interview process as leverage to get a pay rise!!!  

Sony is now suing EMI and Werre, claiming that he used his Sony contract as leverage to score a promotion at EMI. What a crazy world.....  

                  Remember if you say YES it really needs to be a YES!

I would like to think that this will not become the norm on this side of the Atlantic, but it does throw up some interesting points....are candidates allowed to change their mind?

-Is it ethical/legal to use a recruitment exercise as leverage to ask for a pay rise?

-Is the counter offer dead?

-What was the recruitment consultant doing during this process?

-How binding is a "verbal promise?"  

Any thoughts let me know...  

British financial meltdown has sparked massive layoffs among Canadians, Americans in London's once-gilded City

London-The good old days are over for Canadians working in the City, the fabled London district that once gave Britain the world's most powerful international financial sector.

Tens of thousands of Canadians and Americans have for years been drawn to London to take jobs in banking, many of them working for the gilt-edged British operations of U.S. investment giants. But the appeal of the expatriate careers has been tarnished by the meltdown of the British banking industry as the recession that started on Wall Street 18 months ago spread around the globe. Estimates of jobs lost in London's financial businesses between 2007 and March 2009 run as high as 130,000.

"Yeah, and I think half of them are in my inbox," joked employee recruiter Josh Wright. "Every day you open the paper, it's doom and gloom," said Wright, a 25-year-old from Waterloo, Ont. "It's a completely different market than two or three years ago."

The grim job situation reflects an epic reversal of fortunes in the City. Fed by cheap debt, a housing bubble and freewheeling markets, bankers racked up dizzying profits and bonuses as financial companies led a giddy run-up of wealth during Britain's 15 years of steady economic growth. But no one's looking for sky-high payouts now.

"The bonus this year is that you kept your job. If you're working, you're grateful," said a young Toronto MBA graduate who asked not to be named. He himself has been looking for a full-time position since being laid off by a large finance company in London nine months ago.

"It's been an uphill struggle to find work. It's pretty bleak out there. And it's getting worse. In the last two weeks, I had four friends who lost their jobs."

It's not just the unravelling of big-name financial houses like Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers that has drained jobs from the City. Dozens of other shell-shocked British operations – as well as companies from continental Europe, Canada and the United States – have reduced their presence in London to cut costs, observers say. And a new survey by the Confederation of British Industry predicted another 15,000 jobs will disappear by summer.

In the boom years, banks were in such need of personnel they would take on employees with a minimum of training or skills. But now financial institutions can have their pick of highly qualified job seekers.

"Some think the worst is behind us but that doesn't mean that there won't be additional layoffs," said Ryan McGaw, 33. Many Canadians and Americans working in banking in Britain are young and their plans are changing as the lure of the City fades, the former New Brunswicker said. "Some people are thinking of travelling for six months, and, especially in the expat community, some people are just thinking of going home. "I knew someone who always wanted to move to Australia. So after he got laid off, he did."

The urgency of the job search is compounded by the cost of living in London, one of the world's most expensive cities. On top of that, working in the City has lost some of its traditional cachet. One senior executive saw his house vandalized and protesters tried to break into a downtown bank branch recently as the backlash against the financial community peaked.

With many Britons accusing financiers of wrecking their economy in an orgy of greed and risk-taking, bankers here have been appealing for an end to the "public flogging" of their industry. Until 2007, banking had been the driving force behind Britain's growth. But Russell Jones of RBC Capital Markets says the sector's economic potential has been reduced by a third in only 12 months.

The lucrative merger mania of recent years is over and investors have been spooked, said Jones, RBC's global head of fixed income and currency research. Referring to the risky securities that played a key role in the international crisis, Jones said, "For some of the more esoteric products which developed over the last couple of decades, some of those markets have just ceased to exist and London was at the forefront of them.

So it's a sector of the economy which is under acute duress." Looking ahead, British leaders wonder if the City will some day resume its former stature or whether major centres such as New York or Frankfurt will erode London's pre-eminence as a global financial hub.

"The financial world has changed beyond recognition over the past couple of years," said Richard Lambert, director general of the Confederation of British Industry. "No one knows quite how this story is going to end. But one thing we can be sure of: We are not going back any time soon to those balmy days of yesterday that ended with such a loud bang in the summer of 2007.

"Still, while the jobs picture may not be the same for expatriates after the slump, it will continue to have a strong appeal, said Wright, the financial services headhunter. "London's not going to die as a competitive city," he said. "It may take a while but it will come back."

I have worked in temporary recruitment for over ten years and still today I hear horror stories about recruitment consultancies not passing on to their temporary staff their full holiday entitlement? Why does this still happen? Are recruiters still scamming their candidates, unfortunately this does appear to be the case which is really bizarre as recruiters would never dream of trying "to hide or steel" anyone's National Insurance contribution or perhaps more relevantly trying not to pay their own consultants holiday pay. Under recent changes in legislation all temporary workers are now entitled to 28 days holiday and your agency should set the money aside until you are ready to take that holiday...it doesn't cost anyone anything its your money and has already been accounted for and paid for by the client you are working for.  

SO TAKE YOUR HOLIDAY AND ENJOY YOUR CASH! DON'T STAND FOR ANY EXCUSES AND DON'T ACCEPT THAT ITS "INCLUDED IN YOUR RATE" OR ANY OF THE OTHER VAGUE EXCUSES AGENCIES COME OUT WITH  

QATAR will overtake sluggish European funds to become the largest real estate investor in the world this year, according to a report by property consultancy Jones Lang LaSalle out yesterday.The country has emerged as a global powerhouse in property, and will become the top source of overseas capital in 2010, says the report.“Cash-rich and with a strong appetite for splashy overseas assets, Qatari vehicles have lately outshined their counterparts from the region and are projected to carry on with their rapid expansion across the real estate world” the report said.Qatar Holding, the investment arm of the Qatari state, bought Harrods last month for £1.5bn and owns a large stake in Canary Wharf property firm Songbird. The report predicts high profile purchases across Latin America, Eastern Europe and Asia.

The International Monetary Fund expects the Qatari economy to expand by 18.5 per cent this year, on the back of increased gas and oil exports. It has enjoyed average economic growth of 17.4 per cent over the last five years.Qatar’s prominence in the property market is aided by a slowdown in real estate activity from German funds, which were among the largest global investors in 2009.“Qatar is the epitome of energy-rich Gulf nations, with a large appetite for real estate,” the report said.

Accountancy Graduates on the Increase

Figures recently released by the Big Four reveal an unprecedented level of interest from graduates and school leavers this year.

Over the last five years, despite the global economic crisis, the number of applications for graduate roles at PwC, for instance, has more than tripled from around 7,000 to over 22,000. Although the number of graduate places offered by the firm has increased by around 17% during this time period, there are still only 1100 available, so competition is intense.

Gaenor Bagley, Head of People at PwC, has stated that the industry needs a solid pipeline of talent to attain the growth rates expected for the sector - she is confident that PwC's investment through the downturn has paid off and will positively impact the firm's growth plan.

PwC's chairman, Ian Powell, has spoken to the Telegraph on the subject and described the tricky situation of having to interview nearly 7,000 candidates. The sheer number will mean that a lot of people have to be eliminated on paper. So Powell is fearful of losing some diversity of background and experience from those joining the firm.

Deloitte has responded to the overall increase in demand by offering one of the largest numbers of places for graduates it now totals 1200, which is almost 10% up on 2011.

KPMG has also benefited from the surge in graduate interest - the firm has received 21,000 applications for its graduate scheme, which offers 650 spaces. This figure is up significantly from 18,500 last year. At the same time, prospective candidates for its school-leaver programme increased from 1200 last year to 1900   for only 150 positions.

Ernst & Young is in a similar situation with its school-leaver training scheme   the firm is almost doubling the number of places available on the scheme from 80 to 150 due to increased demand, with applications up 25% on last year. Additionally, graduate job applications at the firm are up an incredible 140%, making the chances of securing a place slimmer than ever before.

Stephen Isherwood, the head of graduate recruitment, said the firm had received four applications for every place on the graduate trainee scheme - so students should get organised and start applying if they want to get their dream job secured after university. He added that the firm's applications were opened three months earlier than two years ago and places were already starting to fill up.

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Following the last few years of economic uncertainty, all eyes have been on the financial markets to do well and so far this summer the markets are indeed looking good. And despite the initial backlash caused by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's decision to begin scaling back asset purchases from September this year, the short-term prospects are looking better and any panic seems to be subsiding.

It seems that this summer's numbers have shown that share prices have been at a significant high compared to the last few years and it seems as though they might well stay at these levels. This appears to be good news for a number of different sectors and, of course, the future job market.

The bond market in particular appears to be doing well once again, having grown slowly over the last year. With an even stronger bond market predicted both in Europe and the US for 2014, this is good news for everyone. With people's interest in bonds growing each month, the prices of the bonds themselves are expected to slowly lower, which in turn will make them more attractive for investors at all levels.

The positive financial news is being seen throughout many countries around the world, with the US seeing a vast improvement in its economy over the last year. It is still early days, of course, but the upturn is slowly gathering pace, driven mainly by a stronger housing market and a slowly recovering labour market. In Europe the signs are good too and as 2013 continues the eurozone economy is stabilising. Predictions for the future are that we could see even more positive growth from as early as the second half of 2013.

Boosted by the growing confidence in the economies of its trading partners, it seems the UK's economy is also starting to strengthen. Though the recovery is likely to be a slow one, recent surveys of British business owners and managers show that there is rising confidence about the future, which is good news for the previously precarious job market. With this renewed confidence in a stronger economy, more investment is already going into attracting the right staff for companies and creating new jobs and opportunities across the country. Although this recovery may indeed be a slow one, the news that it is happening is very welcome and can only mean good things to come for recruitment in the UK.

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