Your CV is an essential document when applying for a job. A good CV will increase your chances of getting an interview by highlighting relevant skills, experience and value to a potential employer. All CV's are different but must follow some basic criteria.

The essential information you will need to put on your CV must include a personal profile, your skills, experience, achievements, education, individual qualities and interests. You should tailor your CV to the role you're applying for, but always keep it relevant and succinct. Do not fabricate. We recommend you should try and keep your CV to two pages.

Key Points:

• Ensure your CV is grammatically correct with no spelling mistakes. It also needs to be in chronological order, making sure it is concise and relevant.
  
• Use a confident tone and positive language and words such as ‘developed', ‘managed', 'implemented', 'launched', 'reorganised ', etc. avoid tenuous words like 'liaised' that make an employer question your role in the process. Showcase where you added value and how your skills set advanced the task as a result.
  
• Keep it succinct, use bullet points to highlight key areas.
  
• Highlight your personal/educational achievements and successes in your previous roles – including dates achieved.
  
• Ensure your most relevant experience and skills stand out.
  
• List skills that differentiate you from other candidates, such as languages and IT skills.
  
• Personal Details – Make sure you have the following information on your CV: name, address, contact information (telephone numbers, email address), nationality and visa status (include NI number) and your date of birth.
  
• Personal Interests – Increasingly our clients are looking at their potential future employee's personal interests and achievements, where you believe they have relevance or you feel that you achieved success it maybe worth showcaseing them (charity, special interests etc.).

Potential Mistakes:

• Don't leave any gaps in your work history, or potentially not providing enough information on the companies that you have previously worked for.
  
• Don't lie. Ensure all details are accurate. Companies will and do check.
  
• Don't put a photograph on your CV unless it has been requested.
  
• Do not use elaborate fonts, colours or graphs .
  
• Do not rush your CV. You should take several attempts to get it right. Speak to your Recruitment Consultant to get a second opinion. Review and update it on a regular basis. Make sure it is working for you.
  
• If you require further advice on putting together your CV call the team at RPCushing Recruitment on + 44 (0) 207 401 6066.
  

We also recommend the following books on putting together a great CV:

'Brilliant CV' & 'The Perfect CV'

The interview gives the employer and potential employee a chance to discuss the position and exchange information, and enables each party to see if there is a good 'fit'. Whilst interviews can often be nerve-wracking, there are many ways to make them as painless and successful as possible. By reading and adhering to the following points you should be able to make the most of any interview.

Interview Preparation

During the interview by demonstrating your understanding of the company, including it's history, the markets they operates in, including their future plans and most importantly the role you will be doing, will increase your chance of success.

We recommend that you do the following:

• Check out the companies website as well as industry generally including competitors.
  
• Publications that the company may produce including reports and statements.
  
• Use search engines and relevant industry websites for information on the company.
  
• Remember your recruitment consultant. They will have developed a relationship with the employer and understand what they look for, what your interviewer maybe like, as well as understanding the clients business.

First impressions do count, particularly in an interview situation - being prepared is important, if you make a poor impression you may struggle to get through to the next round. Make sure you know your CV, also be prepared with some questions that you would like to ask. Your Recruitment Consultant can help you with these.

The Interview Day

Ensure that you arrive for the interview on time - if you are going to be unavoidably late, call your consultant, it maybe worth doing a dummy run if you are unfamiliar with the area or make sure that you have a map & detailed instructions.

Dress smartly; your consultant can give you advice on what or what not to wear. On arrival make sure that you are polite to the people that you meet, you never know who they are, Shake the interviewer's hand firmly, smile and thank them for meeting with you.

The interviewer will most likely set the tone and pace of the interview so let them, don't get caught off guard. Remain confident - you have been invited to an interview so the employer already feels that you have something positive to offer.

Remember to listen carefully to what is said and make your answers are considered and relevant, speak clearly at all times. We cannot know all the questions that an interviewer is likely to ask, but generally they will want to test your character or your technical knowledge. Some of the questions they may ask are:

• How would you describe yourself?
  
• What motivated the decisions you have made so far in your education/career history?
  
• What are your main weaknesses and describe a time that you overcame them?
  
• When have you shown tenacity in a business environment?
  
• What has been the most difficult decision you have made in your career?
  
• What are your motivations for joining us?
  
• If we hired you, what long-term benefits would you provide the business?
  

Remember play to your strengths and not to your weaknesses

As mentioned previously having questions for the interviewer will demonstrate your interest and also redirect pressure from you. Ensure that your questions are probing and intelligent, some areas that maybe worth covering are:

• What would your career path be within the firm? Perhaps ask for an example of someone who has done this role previously.
  
• What kind of training does the company offer?
  
• Recent news that you heard about the business within the media - where do they see the organisation heading?
  
• What support structure does the company offer - will they sponsor for additional professional qualifications, etc?
  
• Why did the interviewer join the business?
  

Make sure that your questioning is pertinent to the role. There are, of course, some things that you do not discuss during the interview process. If you are using a recruitment consultant then they will negotiate your salary and benefits for you under your instructions with your potential new employer.

Interview Close

Whilst first impressions count, so do the last ones. On leaving the interview room, ensure that you leave on an upbeat note. You should ask when you should expect a decision; if you feel that it is appropriate you could also ask how they thought you performed. Do not express any misgivings you may have about the role to the interviewer - talk them through with your recruitment consultant. Above all, leave on a positive note.

The above is a guideline, but by following them you can maximise your potential during interview. And remember, the employer has requested that YOU attend the interview; they already feel that you can do the job. Now you just have to prove them right.

Further information about the interview process and effective interview techniques can be obtained from your Recruitment Consultant.

For your information certain companies use Numerical and Verbal Reasoning tests during their recruitment process. For Practice Tests click here.

We recommend the following books on interview skills.

'Brilliant Interview' & 'Interview Skills'

There are two ways of getting into Market Research. Firstly, you could apply directly to an established Research agency or to Blue Chip clientside organisations offering a graduate scheme or Junior/Assistant Research Executive level position. Alternatively, you could contact RPCushing Recruitment and investigate what junior roles we are currently recruiting.

Market Research is a graduate-led industry. You will need to demonstrate solid analytical and communications skills, as well as impressive organisational skills. One character trait that all market researchers should possess is an interest into the 'why?' Before taking the leap into market research it is worth considering the career path you wish to take. Market research is split into Qualitative and Quantitative methodologies and each requires a different skill set.

The Market Research Society provides a useful insight into the difference www.mrs.org.uk. If you think Market Research is for you, what do you do next? Below are some links and information that may assist you.

R-Net

R-Net is a network of young researchers whose aim is to provide support and information to those new to Market Research. The organisation is affiliated to the MRS and offers mentoring and social interaction for researchers and graduates keen to establish themselves in the industry.

Recruitment is a global activity. Our business partnerships, including the US and Australasia, provide us with the reach for worldwide sourcing and placing of professionals at all levels.