Category: Applications and interviews
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Why do you want to work for us and other tricky questions
Q. Why do you want to work for us? It’s implicit isn’t it that if I take the trouble to send a CV off or fill in your overly complicated application form OBVIOUSLY I want this job. Why on earth are you asking me this question? Actually it’s a really good question that measures your…
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Why we all need feedback
If you are yet to be convinced of the value of feedback both for improving your performance and saving yourself time and energy, here are five good reasons to seek someone else’s thoughts on how you are doing. Feedback gives you something unique We are all different with our own perspectives on life, so…
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From Old Trafford Kiosk Attendant to University Admin Assistant: Presenting part-time jobs on your CV
From guest writer and former Careers Service MGP, Jenny Sloan. So you’ve managed to bag a few hours every week working in an administrative post in an office? That’s fantastic, you’ve got essential office-based work experience that employers value so highly! But what if, like the majority of the working student body, you’re slaving away…
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How my “wrong” experience was actually just right…
It’s not uncommon to meet dejected-looking students coming to The Careers Service filled with anxiety that they don’t have “relevant” experience or the “right” experience to put on their CVs in order to apply for jobs in their final year. If this is a concern you share too then fear not – it can be…
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Telling your Story – create impact on your CV and at interview
What is it that makes a CV, application or interview performance stand out and have real impact? It could be the story. Telling stories is a powerful way to communicate. It allows the author to reveal something unique about themselves; evokes emotion and is something other people can relate to. Story telling is an ancient…
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Are your hobbies and interests really that interesting to an employer?
Sometimes it feels a bit like filler on your CV. You scratch your head to think of activities you do outside work and study and you come up blank. What exactly do you put? It’s not an absolute must have if you can’t say anything sensible or relevant; but most people can! Think about the…
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After the Interview: A Recent Experience
In the last month I’ve had some interviews for full-time graduate roles – two with a Manchester-based marketing agency and one for a graduate scheme at a PR agency in London. I thought I’d share my experiences to help you think about how you could approach any interviews you have coming up. After the Interview If…
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During the Interview: A Recent Experience
In the last month I’ve had some interviews for full-time graduate jobs – two with a Manchester-based marketing agency and one for a graduate scheme at a PR agency in London. I thought I’d share my experiences to help you think about how you could approach preparing for any interviews you have coming up. During…
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Before the Interview: A Recent Experience
With my MGP role in the Careers Service set to finish in July, over the last few weeks I’ve been sending off job applications and attending interviews as I hunt down a graduate scheme or full-time role that would make a great next step in my career. It’s not unusual to move jobs in the…
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How to ask for letters of reference
What do referees need to know? the deadlines how the reference will be collected any relevant details of the application process your reasons for wanting the job or doing the course selection criteria relevant academic/professional/other experience What documents might be helpful to your referee that you should have readily available? CV Application Job advertisement HOWEVER,…
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