CV Advise

CV Writing Tips
A great CV is the key to getting the perfect job for you. Both employers and recruiters within the industry can receive 100’s of CV’s for every vacancy they advertise. Time can be tight for these professionals, so it is important that your CV stands out from the rest. You should use your CV to showcase your strengths and to sell your background to the reader, demonstrating that you are the right person for that particular job.
As a jobseeker, you may find these guidelines helpful if you are wondering how to structure you CV and what to include in it:

Contact details: Make certain that your contact details are easy to spot. They should be at the top of the first page of your CV. Include:
· Name
· Home address
· Email address
· Telephone number

Education: Detail the educational establishments at which you have studied including the attendance dates, in chronological order with the most recent first. You should include any relevant industry modules, projects or dissertation work you have completed.

Work experience: List your most recent first. This makes it easier for the reader to see if you have the right experience and whether have gained it recently. Put your other jobs after your current role in reverse chronological order. You should include:
· Name of the employer
· Job title
· Responsibilities
· Achievements gained

Interests: Employers will be particularly interested in activities which have developed your leadership and team-working skills. You should also mention here any volunteer work you have done.

References: It is best practice to give two employment references, one from your recent employer and one from your place of study. Include address, telephone number and email address.

Availability: It is a good idea to mention the notice period required by your current employer.



Further Tips
It is important that you are proud of your CV. After all, if it is effective, it is going to open doors for you. Below are some more handy hints to help improve your chances of getting a great job:

Tailor your CV to the vacancy: Read the advert or job specification closely and tailor your CV to the vacancy. If your experience matches keywords in the job advert, make sure they feature prominently on your CV and or covering letter. Make it very obvious to the reader what you have done, when you did it and where, in a simple and concise manner.

Less is more: Ensure your CV is easy on the eye and that it is a maximum of two A4 sides long. There should be plenty of open space in your CV. By using bullet points and good formatting to ensure that your CV is not too wordy.

Do not repeat yourself: If you repeat yourself in your CV, it will look like you are padding it out or that you have nothing much to say.

Do not make silly spelling mistakes: Either get a friend you trust or your Recruiter to check it over for you.

How to Write a Cover Letter
You may have a brilliant CV, but submitting a poor cover letter with your application can pretty much ruin your chances of getting a great job.
Your cover letter can sometimes be the only opportunity you get to tell the employer exactly why your CV is worth a read and why YOU are the perfect person for that job.
Here are a few handy hints to ensure your cover letter stands out from the rest:


Research the company/pharmaceutical industry: By doing your research you are actively demonstrating to the employer that you are serious about this job. During your research, it is a good idea to focus on the following:
· What is the organisation’s mission and values? Do you believe in it?
· What are the organisation’s target market?
· What is the history of the employer?

These are all questions which will be useful when preparing for your interview also.
Analyse the job description: Keep an eye out for the key competencies and experience necessary for the role – do you fit the criteria?

Personalise your cover letter: It is vital that throughout the letter you align your accomplishments and achievements with the criteria of the job. You need to assure the reader that you are a great match!

Keep it brief and to the point: Don’t extend the letter to more than 1 A4 page. Think about using bullet points and highlighting to make important points stand out.

Check, check and check again: Submitting a cover letter that is littered with spelling mistakes and grammatical errors will ensure it goes straight in the bin. Use a spell checker AND get a trusted friend, or a recruiter to check it over for you.

Not sure how to structure your cover letter? Here’s how…

Include your address in the top right-hand corner.

Address the reader: ‘Dear Mr/Mrs/Miss…’ Always address the letter to the decision maker in charge of the pharmaceutical role. If you are unsure who it is, the HR department will always help you.

Paragraph 1: Clearly state your intention to apply for the job, including any references numbers you have been given. If you are not applying for any specific job, and simply inquiring, ask if the company has any relevant openings at present and then state why you would like to work for that company.

Paragraph 2: Outline your qualifications and experience and then match them to the requirements of the job you are applying for (these will be found in the job description). Go on to demonstrate your motivation and enthusiasm to help the company achieve their goals within the industry. This is where the research you conducted about the company will come in handy. Impress the employer and show off your research here!

Paragraph 3: It is a good idea to end with a positive statement here. Then go on to
direct the reader to your enclosed CV and inform them of your availability for interview. Finally, thank the reader for their time and consideration and welcome them to get in touch to discuss the job in more detail.

Conclude with:
· ‘Yours Sincerely’ – if you have addressed the letter to the named contact
· ‘Yours Faithfully’ – if you have used ‘Dear Sir/Madam’

LinkedIn is one of the best tools you can use to help you find that dream job. LinkedIn is a business networking site which was launched in May 2003 with only 300 users. Since then it has seen unprecedented growth with 50,000,000 users in October 2009, and 1,400 new users each day. It is essentially your chance to showcase your strengths, thus encouraging not only the right people, but also the right opportunities to come to you. The best way to do this is to create a great profile. Below are some tips to help you do so:

Linked In Profile Tips

Upload a picture: Make this a professional headshot – nothing inappropriate!

Summary: Write this in the mindset of a prospective employer. It might be best to write this in Microsoft Word first so that you can easily cut, paste and edit – this might also help you to organize your thoughts. When writing the summary it might be useful for you to keep in mind the following: If someone were introducing you to another person, what would you want this person to know about you and why? Mention the following:
· Who are you currently? What company do you work for and what makes them special?
· What have you accomplished? Pick 3-5 things – they can be regarding jobs, education, and honours.
· Goals that you would like to achieve in the future.
· In the specialties section, list any trade or skill which you think you have learnt with some ability.

Descriptions about past jobs: This will help viewers understand where you come from in more depth than your summary will.
· Treat this as your online CV – the easiest way to complete this section is to cut and paste sections of your CV, to ensure it includes a good number of keywords.
· Use bullet points.
· Include any contract work, non-profit assignments, or any other work experience.

Education: Start at Secondary and Undergraduate education. You can also list vocational education or any courses you have attended.

Have more than 30 contacts: This shows viewers of your profile that you are professional and that you know how to network. Also, by increasing the number of people you are connected to, you increase the likelihood of people viewing your profile.

Recommendations: Sometimes, what other people write about you is more valuable that what you write about yourself. A good way to get recommendations is to recommend other people. Recommendations don’t necessarily have to come from people who work above you.

Customise your URL: This will help your profile rank higher on Google and make it easier for people to find you. Your LinkedIn URL should appear as “http://linkedin.com/in/yourfullname.” To do this, go to your profile and click “edit” and then next to where it says “public profile,” click “edit” again. At the top, you’ll want to click “edit” one more time next to “your public profile URL,” and then type in your full name, without spacing, and click “set address.” If the unique URL is taken, then try using a period between your first and last name or use your middle initial.

Top Tips
· Make sure your profile is completely grammatically correct and that each section is complete.
· Flood your profile with lots of keywords relevant to the industry you work in.
· Frequently update your status with useful content, where possible including a link back to the company website.
· Actively comment on Linked In discussion forums – this gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your skills and knowledge of relevant industries. These discussion forums are essentially a 24/7 networking event.

The Best CV Buzzwords
There are a number ‘feel good’ buzzwords or phrases that you should use on your CV or application to help make your CV or application form for that great job sparkle.
The following competencies and associated keywords may help you when putting together a CV or application form:

TeamworkAdvised, co-operated, counselled, facilitated, guided, managed, negotiated, participated, presented, supervised.

Problem-solving Implemented, Improved, instigated, interpreted, initiated, inspired, introduced, investigated, account for, resolved, executed.

Taking the InitiativeCreated, designed, developed, devised, directed, established, formulated, innovated, motivated, negotiated, organised, originated, lead, innovation, instigate.

Coping with routineConscientious, consistent, controlled, coped, dealt with, efficient, managed, performed, meticulous, participated.

AchievementsAccomplished, achieved, co-ordinated, created, developed, formulated, revitalised, recommended.

How does the growth of the CIPHER Framework benefit Capita Interims

As a Capita interim how does the growth of the CIPHER Framework benefit you??

Retaining experienced workers with the right skills and knowledge of the industry is as important to Capita as it is to our Public Sector clients.

As an interim you are engaged to provide services for project work and not on a permanent basis, therefore it is likely that at some point your contract may not be renewed or may end prematurely if the project is complete or coming to an end. Any Interims in a position where contracts are not renewed or end before the current contract end date will immediately go onto the CIPHER redeployment list. Your profile is then matched against every current and new CIPHER vacancy that our recruitment team work on. As we on-board new clients/government bodies we hope to open the doors to far more opportunities for our interim population.

If you have any queries on how the recruitment team can help you with redeployment, please contact the Interim Relationship Team on 0845 602 7216.

Capita supports the DWP's Customer Charter

Capita supports the DWP’s Customer Charter.

In 2009, following extensive research into its customers’ satisfaction, DWP launched its new Customer Charter with the public.

The Charter is built on the four Key Drivers that DWP customers reported had the greatest impact on their customer satisfaction:

· Right Treatment
· Right Result
· On time
· Easy Access
The Charter and the Key Drivers it is based around are now firmly embedded in the way the Department trains and measures the performance of its staff, and this has become an important step in building a sharper focus on the Department’s customers for all its staff.
As a supplier of people based services to CIPHER Framework, Capita will endeavour to follow the approach laid down in the Customer Charter in all our activities with all of our clients, and we would like to encourage everyone providing services via Capita to do the same.

For more information on the DWP Customer Charter please visit www.directgov.uk/dwpcharter

Agency Workers Directive

May 2008; After a period of negotiations between unions, government and the Confederation of British Industry the government adopted the AGENCY Workers Directive (AWD). The AWD has been put in place to protect workers classed as being vulnerable. If “implemented” the AWD will give agency workers full employment and pay rights after 12 weeks of service with the same client.

The implementation date has been put back to Oct 2011, this has been due to a number of issues around the definition of ‘equal pay and employment rights.’

Due to the directive not being formalised it is very hard to fully assess the affect it will have on LTD/umbrella company interims.

We will keep you posted on any developments to the AWD.

SPOTLIGHT - Government Legislation - IR35

As the elections are looming and the government is reviewing the way we all pay our taxes we thought it would be an appropriate time to review some of the governments’ key interim legislation.

What is IR35?

IR35 was introduced by the labour government in 1999 as a tax legislation and in some way it affects all interim workers although all interims may not fall inside of IR35 (LTD company workers). It came into force on the 06th of April 2000 and has since been a HOT TOPIC within the contract market.

The HMRC use this piece of legislation to identify and stop National Insurance and tax avoidance schemes (eg. Intermediaries). Through this process the HMRC have reviewed the way in which interims are perceived on the tax system. They found that where workers were originally classed as “self– employed” they should have been PAYE with the end client due to working practices and the terms and conditions they were working to. Such workers were deemed by the HMRC as employed therefore tax and NI reclaimed. Since 2000 the courts have established employment and tax status criteria in the form of ‘Employment Status Tests.’

Does IR35 affect you?

PAYE workers fall within IR35, deductions are automatically made for tax and national insurance contribution from the workers salary; all income is subject to employed levels of PAYE/National Insurance Contributions.

LTD company workers can fall within and outside of IR35, however this piece of legislation is very subjective therefore the LTD company must be able to demonstrate the assigned worker is providing services over a fixed period to a client through a business to business relationship.
LTD companies that fall outside of IR35 are more efficient in terms of tax and national insurance contributions.


How to reduce the risk of being investigated by the HMRC or if you are investigated how to reduce the risk of being caught inside of IR35;

The company should ensure that the terms and conditions in place between them and the agency/client clearly identify the company as being outside of IR35.
A LTD Company contractor should not be seen to be treated as an employee of the Client. There should be a clear distinction between the way contractors are treated for IR35 purposes.
The LTD Company should be seen to have conducted a full assessment for each assignment and should not presume that each assignment has the same IR35 status.
The LTD Company should be able to demonstrate that it is providing a service

If you require further information you/your LTD Company should seek expert IR35 advice.

12 Days of Job Hunting

On the First day of job hunting…Be realistic Competition is fierce so you have to accept that you will be up against a lot of people for every role you apply for. These are tough times for jobseekers. Many of the companies who are not actively laying-off staff are freezing recruitment. That said, the fundamentals of the job market haven’t changed, even if the odds are a little longer. Vacancies are certainly scarcer, but this just means that you have to be better prepared.

On the Second day of job hunting…Target your niche marketIn the current climate it might be tempting to apply for every single job you are qualified for (and sometimes over qualified for) and just take whatever comes along first. You wouldn’t dream of being so unselective if you were house hunting so why do it when you’re job hunting? Instead of blindly sending out your CV’s to every Tom, Dick and Harry, target those in the know. Seek out agencies with consultants who a) really know what they’re talking about and b) have great contacts to ensure you get put forward for the jobs which best suit you before they even hit the market. Remember this could be an opportunity for life, not just for Christmas!

On the Third day of job hunting…Get ahead of the crowd Instead of wasting hours of your own time tracking down vacancies make sure you get the right jobs coming directly to you. Registering for job alerts will enable you to save your job searches, set-up email alerts to make sure you get the latest jobs, upload and save your CV and review your previous applications.

On the Fourth day of job hunting …Develop the perfect CVEvery job hunter needs an impressive CV that describes their educational and professional history. A well-prepared and individually tailored CV is invaluable and can greatly improve your chances of getting the job you want.

On the Fifth day of job hunting…Make sure you’re relevant It is surprising how many people send in CV’s that haven’t been tailored to specific job criteria. In order for recruiters to get through the bulk of applications received, they scan through the details, noting keywords, skills and specific work experience that match the details of the job ad. That’s why, to get yourself noticed, you need to concentrate on getting your CV to talk directly to the recruiter and in the language they understand. By adapting this, each time you apply to a unique job vacancy you can make sure you are telling them exactly what they want to hear.

On the Sixth day of job hunting…Get organisedMake sure you keep a record of all the roles you have applied for and use a spreadsheet to document all of your applications. Include contact details and make sure you follow up all your applications. It’s also a really good idea to log all your meetings and interviews in a calendar.

On the Seventh day of job hunting…Get expert help We’ve got 30 years worth of recruitment experience so why not take advantage of it? Our recruitment consultants work a niche, verticle market structure for each specialist division, giving unrivalled coverage and understanding. In this way, we offer a truly consultative recruitment service.

On the Eighth day of job hunting …Be patientBe prepared to accept that you could be looking at longer time scales than you might have expected a couple of years ago. A lot of recruiters are taking more time to make sure they recruit the best applicant and therefore it can be a much longer process.

On the Ninth Day of job hunting…Use technologyTo stand out from the masses, you have to be creative to get noticed. A well written CV and cover letter is only just the start. What about creating a blog to boast about your skills? Employers know that the most productive employees are those who take initiative and are excited about their work. By taking these extra steps, you’re positioning yourself as the talent that they’re looking for, not just another resume in a pile.

On the Tenth Day of job hunting…Get networking Whether you want to discover a better way to write your CV, find job leads faster or simply network better then using social media tools like LinkedIn and Twitter could really give you the edge. The bigger your network the more contacts (and potential employers) you will be exposing yourself to.

On the Eleventh Day of job hunting…Be resilientThere are many reasons that you might not be selected for a role and its best not to take it too personally. More often than not, there may be a ‘behind-the-scenes story’. Take any feedback on-board and work though any areas you might want to improve on. It may take time but you will get there in the end, with some careful thought and some good advice.

On the Twelfth Day of job hunting…Shine!So you’ve done your research, found the perfect role, written a spot-on CV and bagged an interview, now what? When it comes to landing that dream job, it is usually the candidate who performs best at the interview who wins. Even if other contenders have more impressive resumes, better qualifications and more experience, employers are invariably swayed by the person who has obviously done extensive job interview preparation and impresses most on the day. With all of that done, the dream job should be yours for the taking - good luck!