...CV Writing and Interview Techniques...

By Ruth Allanson of Beach Baker Property Recruitment

Beach Baker Property Recruitment Beach Baker is a professional recruitment firm dedicated exclusively to

the property industry.

We recruit across the following sectors in a permanent, interim, contract or part-time capacity:

-Town Planning-General Practice Surveying-Rural Surveying-Building Surveying-Quantity Surveying

We work with a wide range of clients including property companies, planning consultancies, environmental consultancies, architectural firms, global property firms, developers, banks, finance firms, asset and pension funds, retailers, local authorities and other government institutions.

Getting your CV right.....

CV’s – The facts.....

Employers make up their minds about candidates 30 seconds after reading their CV

80% of CV’s fail the first paragraph test

Cover letters – Most employers read covering letters after the CV

Writing your CV......

Read the job advertisement thoroughly

- Highlight skills required- Highlight personal attributes required

First paragraph: 2 versions – ‘General’ & ‘Specific’

- General: (For speculative approaches). - Specific: (For specific roles).

CV Format.....Page 1

Name (MRTPI/MRICS)Postal address, phone number (home/mobile), e-mail address

Personal Profile:(The first paragraph test)

Professional Memberships:(e.g.) Member of the Royal Town PlanningInstitute since 1995.

Education:(Most recent first)

Date-Date School/College/UniversityCourse title. (Result/Expected Result)

-Take your education back to secondary school.-If you are a graduate with limited/no industry experienceinclude here details of your dissertation and the modulesyou studied at undergraduate and postgraduate degreelevel.

Page 2

Employment History:(Most recent first, your current/most recentrole should contain the most detail)

Date-Date Employer(inc months i.e. Jan 06 – Dec 08)

Job TitleA summary of your role (day to day and any areas ofexpertise) and your responsibility (where you fit into the

teamand what your role requires of you). You could also includehere details of the size of the company, size of your team andany teams/people you manage, current/past projects, clients,achievements etc.

Additional Skills/Attributes:(Computer skills, additional training courses, etc)

Hobbies/Interests:

References:

X 2 (Either your two most recent employers or your mostrecent employer and one character ref).

-Do not use family members as a reference.

CV’s ‘Do’s’ and ‘Don'ts’.....‘Do’s’

-DO include your FULL contactdetails.-DO be positive, concentrate on yourstrengths rather than weaknesses.-DO always write in reversechronological order.-DO give the most space to the mostimportant facts.-DO proof read for spelling andgrammar mistakes.

‘Don’ts’

-DON’T make your CV overcomplicated with tables/fancy fonts andunnecessary information.-DON’T use inappropriate e-mailaddresses.-DON’T leave gaps in youremployment history. -DON’T use up valuable spacedescribing a role that isn’t relevant toyour current career/job applying for.-DON’T include huge lists of hobbies, acouple of interests will suffice.

You have an Interview!!!

Interview Preparation..... Thoroughly read the company website, download any literature

to study and thoroughly research the business of the firm including their competition.

Review your CV. Know it inside out.

Prepare some questions based around the company and what you know/want to know about the role.

Think about questions you might be asked and prepare some answers.

The day of the Interview..... Check the date, time and location of the interview the night

before.

Print a copy of your CV and any supporting material such as relevant project examples etc.

Dress smartly.

Arrive early and plan your route so you will get there in time, allow for traffic etc.

Turn off your mobile phone!!

The actual Interview..... Listen carefully, don’t rush in with an answer straight away, think

about it and answer the questions directly.

Don’t try and fill any silences.

Be confident in asking questions yourself.

Aim to close the interview. - Ask how it went.- Do they have any concerns?- What is the next stage?- Tell them you are keen if the role has interested you.

REMEMBER...“The best prepared

candidate usually gets the job”...

RUTH ALLANSONSenior Consultant (Planning)

T: 0117 985 69 09

F: 0117 921 15 94

M: 07825 081 392

E: ruth@beachbaker.co.uk

A:West Point, 78 Queens Road,

Clifton, Bristol. BS8 1QU