Frequently Asked Questions

In today’s competitive labour market, each job we advertise receives an average of 45 applications.

With this in mind, we’re sure that’ll you’ll appreciate that we have a lot of CVs to analyse and assess. This can take time.

We do, however, understand just how frustrating it can be when you don’t hear back when applying for a job. Therefore, irrespective of whether or not we feel your CV matches the criteria for the role you applied for, we guarantee that you will receive a response from us within 5 working days.

Of course, modern technology can occasionally let us down, so in the unlikely event that you don’t hear back then please give us a call on 0191 4151100.

Given that we receive hundreds of CVs every day, we believe that we know what makes a good CV and how it should and shouldn’t look.

In our experience, the best CVs are the ones that are simple, easy to read and not too lengthy.

A CV should be well formatted, free from spelling and grammatical errors and should include contact details, education, qualifications and career history.

You should also ensure that you only state facts and truth. If prospective employers discovered you have lied, they will simply file your application in the “No Pile” (also known as the bin).

Try not to waffle, and keep your points brief. Bullet points are always good, they keep your CV looking neat and tidy.

Ensure that you always highlight your key strengths, especially those that are appropriate to the role you are applying for. After all, there’s no such thing as a “One Size Fits All” CV!

For an easy to follow guide on producing a document that will help to sell you to employers, simply click here where you can create a professional looking CV using our online registration tool.

There are indeed. Don’t forget that our online registration tool takes you through the step-by-step process of producing your CV. However…

Do

• Use a standard font type that is easy to read with a point size no less than 11

• Format your CV so that it is atheistically pleasing

• List education and career from the most recent and then work backwards

• Use short and punchy sentences, with bullet points that are easy to read and will eloquently portray your experience and achievements

• Think carefully about your achievements and try to include the ones that are relevant to the role you are applying for

• Include a short section on your interests outside work. This shows that you have a life outside the workplace. Try and state interesting hobbies though; reading, walking and socialising are over-used.

• Use a professional email address that won’t give the wrong impression of you

• Be factual. Don’t lie!

• Keep industry jargon to a minimum

• Ask someone else to read your CV to offer some constructive feedback

• Include a covering letter to introduce yourself to employers

• Check, check and check your CV again for spelling or grammatical errors

 Don’t

• Include unnecessary information that is not relevant to the role

• Rely on spell checker – check it yourself too. Bear – bare, there – their, etc

• Be unprofessional in any way about former employers

• Include references at this stage – only provide them if they are requested. You can, however provide contact names of referees

• Include misleading information, e.g. a degree without mentioning the grade or the institution at which you studied

• Include humorous or sarcastic quips

• Provide too much info on employment from more than 10 years ago

• Mention salary – past or present

Your CV is used to outline what you have done so far. A covering letter allows you to elaborate on who you are and why you applied for the job.

It is an excellent opportunity for you to sell yourself to an employer. We recommend that you take your time to put together a bespoke covering letter for every single role that you apply for. This will enable you to sell yourself and help you stand out from the crowd.

Ensure that you highlight what you have achieved in your career that is relevant to the role you are applying for. Employers do like to be able to gauge who you are before short listing, so ensure that you really sell yourself and show the employer that YOU are the perfect person for the role.

• Yes, always be prepared.

• Most companies have a website so do some research and find out about the company in advance.

• Aim to be there 10 minutes before your appointment time, make sure you have the correct address and plan your route.

• Switch off your mobile telephone.

• First impressions count so ensure you are dressed smartly, smile and greet the interviewer with a good firm handshake.

• Take two or three copies of your CV and any relevant  qualifications and certificates.

• Speak clearly and precisely, don’t fidget and ensure you maintain good eye contact.

• Know your weaknesses and be able to answer any questions referring to them.

• Be enthusiastic, wherever possible try to turn any negative into a positive.

• Don’t lie, you will only get caught out.

• You may be asked to give examples of how you have reacted to certain situations in the workplace so have a few answers prepared.

• Ensure you have questions prepared to ask the interviewer.

• Don’t give up – if you don’t succeed then ask for feedback and use the information to prepare for your next interview.

We will invite you to our offices to register.  On arrival we will ask you to complete some paper work then you will then meet with one of our experienced consultants for an informal one-to-one chat.

This is where we get to know real person behind the CV, your ambitions, your likes and dislikes and to discuss your future career plans and any current job opportunities.

Please be honest with us, the more you tell us the better chance we have of finding you that perfect job. The interview will also give you the chance to ask questions and for us to explain our recruitment process.

We believe in building relationships with every candidate and client that we work with. We do this via regular telephone conversations and emails.

That said, we’re sure that you’ll appreciate that it is physically impossible for us to call every candidate every day (much as we’d like to) but rest assured we will be in touch as soon as we have something that matches your profile.

Meanwhile, please feel free to give us a call at any time if you’d like a catch up, need any advice, or just to let us know how your job search is going.  Your consultant  will give you  a 24 hour number at registration so keep in touch, we are here to help you, and remember to inform us if your personal circumstances or contact details have changed. 

We appreciate that it may not always be convenient to speak to us between 9am and 5pm. If you’d like to arrange a short telephone meeting outside of your working hours, simply email us and we will come back to you with an allotted time exclusively for you.

Alternatively, you can always get in touch with us via Facebook and Twitter on your lunch break.

Don’t forget to keep checking out this website for all the latest job news and vacancies.

Yes, of course. We are investing a lot of time and effort into our social media. We recommend that you follow us on Facebook and Twitter. You can also follow us on LinkedIn.

Our Marketing team monitor these pages throughout the day. If you have a basic enquiry such as whether or not we received your email,  if a particular consultant is in the office that day or if we have any vacancies in a specific field then you can ask us here and generally receive a quick response.

We will also be utilising our social media networks to post the latest vacancies, so if you want to be one of the first in the queue – follow us now!

Absolutely not.  We make our money by charging our client a “margin” per hour.  Your wage is not affected at all. When we tell you your annual salary or hourly rate, you will receive the full amount and nothing less (apart from tax and National Insurance of course).

You will be paid weekly in arrears on a Friday. What does this mean? In a nutshell, you will work your first week and then get paid at the end of week two. A timesheet will be submitted to us, either by our client or yourself. Don’t worry too much about this because your consultant will inform you how this works as every client varies in the manner in which timesheets are submitted.