Candidate services from Morgan Gray

• Stick to one to four pages. Vary the length depending on your experience.
• Write the most about positions most relevant to the role you’re applying for, about your most recent role, or about the one you’ve spent most time in.
• If your career spans decades then feel free to just list the company and your position for your earlier roles – especially if they’re not relevant to your current career.
• Put work experience in chronological order with your most recent position at the start.
• Go with an MS Word or PDF document.
• Avoid using the third person.
• Generally, avoid pictures and graphics unless they’re relevant to the position. If you have a portfolio of relevant work you could include it as a separate document.
• Include achievements and outcomes. Put these as a separate section, or under each work experience listing. Try to add context and detail, tell a story and include key facts and figures.

• Let recruiters and employers find you: upload your CV to the main UK job boards and complete all the relevant fields – the more information you provide the easier it is to be matched with appropriate opportunities.
• Set up alerts for new jobs matching your skill set.
• Following up an application with a phone call to a recruiter or hiring manager can increase your chances of securing an interview.
• Be honest with your recruiter – we’re here to help.

• Check the address and route on Google maps as a minimum, and ideally do a test run to the site beforehand so you’re confident you know where you’re going.
• Allow lots of time. It’s far better to sit outside in your car for 30 minutes than to turn up five minutes late feeling flustered!
• It’s worth confirming the dress code beforehand. If in doubt, smarter is a safer bet.
• Arrive at reception about ten minutes before your interview appointment time.
• Take a copies of your CV, your most recent/relevant qualification certificates, and, depending on the role, examples of previous work or projects.

• Test the link for the video call beforehand to check it works.
• Join the meeting a few minutes before it starts so you’re ready.
• Check your camera, microphone and headphones or speakers are on and working.
• Dress as smart as you would in person. Well, at least your top half!
• Turn your mobile off, mute other notifications and try and ensure nothing distracts you during the meeting.
• Make sure your background, real or virtual, looks professional.

• Research the company beforehand via their website, Companies House and Glassdoor, and look for recent press coverage in local, national or industry media.
• Check out the people interviewing you on LinkedIn. Look for common ground or shared experiences.

The questions you ask can make or break an interview. These suggestions might help:

• Ask specific questions about the company from the research you’ve done.
• Try asking in a way that ‘imagines you in the job’. For example: “What would you expect of me in the first six months?” or “What would I be walking into on day one?”.
• Ask the interviewer a question about their experience in the business, or what the company culture is like.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback: “How did I get on today?” – or even braver: “What concerns have you got about my ability for this position?”.