Building a CV that works for you -Your CV is often the first impression a potential employer will have of you. It needs to be clear, relevant and easy to read. A few straightforward changes can make a significant difference to how your application comes across.
Your name, phone number and email address should be clearly displayed at the top. You don't need to include your date of birth, marital status or full home address.
Write a brief introduction summarising your experience and what you're looking for. Keep it specific to the type of role you're applying for. Focus on what you can offer an employer rather than what you're hoping to find.
List your most recent role first and work backwards. For each position, include: dates of employment, company name, job title, a brief description of your responsibilities, and your key achievements or results.
Include skills that match the roles you're applying for. Where possible, show how you've used them through examples from your work history rather than simply listing them. This helps employers understand the context.
Include relevant qualifications, certifications, professional memberships and any applicable training. If a particular qualification is important for the role, make sure it's easy for the recruiter to find.
The most reliable way to answer competency-based interview questions is to use the STAR approach. It gives your answer a clear structure that's easy for the interviewer to follow.
Before your interview, read the job specification carefully and identify the key competencies the employer is looking for. Think of a specific example from your experience for each one. If you don't have work experience for a particular competency, examples from education, voluntary work or community activities are equally valid.
Two pages is a good guide for most candidates. If you have significant experience, your CV may run to three pages. The priority is always relevance. Only include information that adds value to your application. Don't cut important experience just to hit a particular length.
You don't need a completely different CV for every application, but it's worth adjusting the emphasis to match each role. Look at the job description and make sure the skills and experience the employer is looking for are clearly reflected where they genuinely match your background.
Save your CV as a Word document (.doc or .docx) wherever possible. Word documents are easier for recruitment teams and employers to process through recruitment systems, and they're simpler to edit and adapt. Only use PDF if the employer specifically requests it.
Yes, a short personal statement (three to five sentences) helps a consultant or recruiter quickly understand who you are and what you're looking for. Keep it specific to the type of role you're applying for and avoid generic phrases like 'motivated team player'. A strong personal statement makes it easier for us to match you to the right opportunities.
Be honest and keep your explanation brief. Gaps for study, caring responsibilities, health, or travel are all entirely normal. Frame your time productively wherever you can - courses you completed, skills you developed, or voluntary work you did. A clear, confident explanation is far more reassuring to a recruiter than one that seems evasive.
A competency-based interview uses structured questions designed to test specific skills. Each question targets a particular competency, such as teamwork, communication or decision making, and your answers are scored against a set of criteria. They're the most common interview format because they give employers a fair and consistent way to assess all candidates.
Examples don't have to come from paid employment. Think about situations from education, voluntary work, sport or community activities where you've demonstrated the relevant skill. Use the STAR approach and your answer will work just as well.
The preparation is the same, but there are a few practical things to sort in advance. Check your technology, camera, microphone and internet connection, at least a day before your interview. Make sure you're in a quiet space with good lighting. Have your notes nearby, but aim to speak naturally rather than reading from them.
Choose a genuine weakness, not a disguised strength and focus on what you've actively done to address it. For example, if you've found public speaking difficult, describe the steps you've taken to improve, such as volunteering for presentations or attending a workshop. Interviewers are looking for self-awareness and a willingness to grow, not perfection.
Prepare two or three questions in advance. Good options include asking about the day-to-day shape of the role, the team you'd be working with, or what success looks like in the first few months. Avoid asking about salary or benefits at the first interview unless the interviewer raises it, your Rullion consultant is the right person to handle pay discussions on your behalf.
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