SIC understands the unease of the client regarding their stay in a different country and to prepare them for it. We arrange a Pre-Departure session where we give our clients some tips regarding their stay in abroad which will help them to cope with the new country.

Proper preparation can have a major impact on interview performance. Please find here below, some of the main steps that you can take to improve your chances of success. As with preparing a CV, the key is to try and adopt the employer’s perspective, in order to avoid potential pitfalls.

Punctuality

Being late for an interview can seriously undermine your chances of getting the job, as it sends a very negative signal to the employer. Please make sure you are clear about the location of your interview, and how you are going to get there. Plan your journey, so that you arrive in good time, without any panic. You should also have the name and contact details of the person you are meeting, so that if there are any unavoidable problems or delays, you can call ahead rather than just arriving late.

Look the part

First impressions count! Please ensure that you are professionally presented and formally dressed.

Think ahead

Please do some research about the company before the interview: an employer will appreciate it, if you have taken the time to better understand their organisation. Think about possible questions that may be asked of you, and consider any tangible evidence and career achievements that you can put forward to demonstrate your potential value to the company. You should also prepare some questions that you would like to ask of the employer at the end of the interview – these should be questions that demonstrate that you have really thought seriously about the opportunity.

Answer the questions

Listen carefully to the questions, and answer in a clear and concise manner. Avoid the temptation to waffle. If an interviewer wants more detail, they will ask you to elaborate further.

Be positive

Employers like enthusiasm! Please do not denigrate your current or previous employers. Try to convey a positive attitude and communicate in terms of what you can bring to the company.

In most cases, your CV will be the first impression you make on a potential employer. As such, it is worth spending the time to ensure that your CV properly and clearly highlights your skills and experience, as well as avoiding common errors which can adversely impact your chances of securing an interview. Here are some simple steps you can follow to create an effective CV:

Step 1 – Think like an employer

The first and most important step is to consider the perspective of the potential employer who will be reading your CV. Your aim is not to create a work of art or a literary opus, but to ensure that the CV is clear, concise and effective. You have a limited amount of time to capture a decision maker’s attention and should therefore endeavour to keep your CV as short and focused as possible. We would suggest one or two pages; three as a maximum. It is advisable to include a brief summary section early in your CV that clearly presents your key skills and achievements to an employer.

Step 2 – Remember the essentials

There are certain categories of information that are essential to include on your CV: education, qualifications, training and employment history are the obvious categories. However, it is surprising how many people fail to provide detailed contact information on their CVs. Make sure that you provide a permanent email address.
In this region it is common for CVs to include a photo and this is largely a matter of personal preference. If you do decide to include a photo, it should be highly professional in appearance. Again, always consider the reaction of a potential employer.

Step 3 – Keep it simple

It can be very tempting with Microsoft Word to indulge in extravagant experimentation with your font and formatting. We would strongly advise against such innovations as Word Art and Sparkle Text on your CV. Try to avoid using tables and use bold, italic and underlined type sparingly and for key emphasis only. Brightly coloured text is not recommended on a CV, nor is utilising too many different fonts.

Step 4 – Remember your key words

Key words are important for two reasons: firstly, an employer will often look for certain terms on a CV; secondly, CVs are increasingly found using key word searches on databases. What constitutes a key word will vary according to your industry specialisation and job role. For example, if you are a finance professional with knowledge and experience of GAAP and SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley), these are key words that should be included in your CV. Try to consider how your CV might be found using key words.

Step 5 – Check and double check

Spelling and grammatical errors in your CV can have a very negative impact on potential employers. As well as running a spell check using your word processor, have a friend or relative proof read your CV for you. A fresh pair of eyes will often identify mistakes that you have missed. Finally, print your CV and go back to step 1: review your CV as if you were a potential employer to ensure that it is an effective marketing tool.