old perseans
reer w a o C
rk sh o p Job hunting can be dispiriting, particularly if you send off application after application yet somehow rarely get invited for an interview. In this article, Dr David Cottenden provides a behind-the-scenes and tell-all view of how to create that successful CV and job application, based on his experience as a physicist recruiter at TTP plc, one of Cambridge’s top science and technology consultancies.
W
hen you’ve spotted an appealing job ad, before you sit down to update your CV and draft that application letter, consider
your tactics for a moment. In many of the applications I review, I encounter an applicant telling the recruiter about themselves. I would suggest that, instead of focusing on biography, your overall objective should be to show the person reviewing your application that you understand how to be successful in the role, and to provide evidence that you can do it. Employers are all different (more on this later), but one thing they all have in common is that they want to be successful. Recruitment is a big part of company success, so your primary objective is to show the person who is reviewing your application that you understand what success looks like for that organisation and in the role you’re applying for.
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