Your CV – Make it work for You!
The information on your CV is generated from our database directly from your original application form. All the CVs we send out to companies are in the same format, simplifying the process for potential employers. However, the content is your own, so it is worth spending some time in making this a document to ‘sell’ yourself as effectively as possible. Remember, you will be competing with other Year in Industry students for interview opportunities.
Following submission of your details, you have the opportunity to amend or improve this document and can contact us at anytime to add new information. E.g. predicted grades, passed your driving test etc.
Due to the volume we process, mistakes made on your original application are sometimes missed. Please check again for spelling mistakes etc. As a general rule your CV should fill no more than two pages.
Tips for completing The Year in Industry CV sections
Practical Skills
Keep in mind what you have/potentially have to offer an employer, and make sure you include these skills in the CV.
Most companies will be very interested in your practical skills. This could include things you have done at home, work or at school/university. Consider your degree and the type of work you are seeking when writing about your practical skills, and try to relate the two, citing personal examples wherever possible. E.g. engineering students might like to
include they have a motor bike which they repair on their own; can fix cars or computers, were an EES team member with brief details of the project and their personal contribution to the team. Business students – computing & / or office experience, communication and organisational skills and where / how they developed and applied them. IT students may assist family members or peer groups with hardware or software problems or may have built their own web site.
Useful phrases could include:
- I have used equipment/programmes….
- I designed and built …..
- I have taught myself to …..
- I have had some experience in… but would like to learn more about…
- I was given responsibility for….
Remember to include evidence & examples of where you learnt these skills.
Qualifications
If you are an undergraduate, include all your module subjects and any achieved results. Provide us with updates to this information as we go through the year. It is also a requirement for many undergraduate employers that you state your predicted degree outcome. E.g. 2.1, 1st
Career plans
You may like to start with your long-term aspirations; you can then relate these to how your gap-year can help fulfill these. What do you hope to gain from your gap or sandwich year – skills, life, experience, enhanced graduate status etc. Indicate the type of work you are looking for in your gap-year, but keep it flexible to some extent, as the same CV will be sent out to a variety of companies.
Show some degree of enthusiasm for your chosen degree path. Why you chose your particular field, what you like about it and what areas you hope to get involved in during your year out. Remember it will pay to be open-minded at this stage.
Work experience
Indicate whether school organized, part time work, voluntary or vacation. Include:
- Dates (from month/year to month/year)and the name of the company
- What was your job title and give a brief outline of your main responsibilities
- If you enjoyed it – say so
- What skills did you use/enhance/acquire – are they transferable?
- What did you learn
- What qualities/strengths did people observe in you.
Positions of responsibility
This might include information relating to being a project/team captain/project leader or
otherwise club/team memberships, committees, previous work experiences etc
- What difficulties did you face and how did you overcome them
- What lessons did you learn
- What skills did you use or develop
Hobbies and interests
Keep this to a shorter length but mention where appropriate
- Achievements/show of commitment
- Team involvement/leadership
- Interests or hobbies that illustrate your commitment to and interest in youracademic or career aspirations. E.g. read science magazines; build your ownhardware; member of book club etc.
- Don’t make things up to impress – you’ll befound out!
Pay attention to the sort of language you use!
- Short statements are generally better than long winded sentences, getting your message across succinctly. Make it easy for the employer to find the relevant information. Use bullet points where appropriate. Long phrases take up space so use shorter ones i.e., replace ‘owing to the fact that’ with ‘because’.
- Use business language and think about how your previous experiences or skillswould be viewed by a future employer. Remember your role was valued highly enough to be paid to do it! For example don’t say ‘cleaner’ – instead say ‘created aclean, pleasant and welcoming environment’.
- Don’t start all of your sentences with ‘I’.
- Use positive words i.e. achieved, created, delivered, established, strengthened…rather than tried, feel, hope…
- Spelling and grammar must be checked before submitting – ask someone else to check it for you, as often you cannot see a mistake yourself. Use one of the websites available on the internet if you are unsure of your grammar.
Most students need to update/improve their CV following the initial interview with Year in Industry staff or as time passes. If you would like changes made to your CV please contact your regional office (see contact page). Do not go back to your original online application form to make changes. HIGHLIGHT ALL CHANGES IN RED BEFORE RETURNING, SO IT IS EASY FOR US TO SPOT WHERE THE ALTERATIONS ARE. This will enable us to simply copy and
paste alterations onto the database.
Please note the format and all headings are set by the system and cannot be changed, so do not waste time rearranging the page layout. However, the content within each section is in your own words, so spend time ensuring the text ‘sells’ you as much as possible to a potential employer. You can find a lot of information on the internet about writing CV’s or ask a parent / careers advisor / tutor for their opinion. You can of course always telephone for help or advice regarding your CV or your application generally.
Interview tips
THE POSITIVE INTERVIEW GUIDE
This guide is based on cumulative experience and feedback from company managers. YINI students rarely fail an interview on academic ability but lack of preparation is a common fault and one that can easily be addressed, so please read these notes carefully!
PREPARATION, PREPARATION, PREPARATION!
- Check out the company web site and job profile. Re-read your CV before the interview.
- Ensure you research their web site thoroughly and ask questions at the interview. Think about how your skills and academic knowledge fit in with their company / environment etc and be prepared to talk about them.
- Think about the questions you may be asked and write down some questions to ask the interviewer – this demonstrates enthusiasm.
- NB: Lack of research (on the company particularly) is a very common complaint from interviewers and it costs otherwise excellent candidates job offers every year!
ON THE DAY Dress appropriately and smartly. If in doubt, dress conservatively – try not to stand out too much! NO casual wear or trainers!
Lads – polished shoes, shirt and tie, jacket if you have one or a suit. Avoid bulky coats or comedy ties.
Girls – as above avoiding short skirts keeping make up to minimum.
Generally if you wear it for clubbing, it is probably not right. Check all clean and ironed
night before.
DO NOT BE LATE! Know where you are going (check your route) and allow yourself plenty of time to get there. If you are delayed i.e. traffic – ring the company to explain.
Remember the interview starts from the moment you arrive on the company premises and doesn’t end until you leave. The receptionist/secretary may be asked for an opinion.
- AT THE INTERVIEW
- Take off your coat. Give a brief firm handshake and don’t be afraid to smile! You are pleased to be there; it’s an exciting opportunity.
- Sit up straight and look at the interviewer.
- Speak clearly, don’t fidget and be yourself.
- Take a copy of your CV and record of achievement along, and use them as a memory jogger. Offer the interviewer a copy. (Take certificates of achievements your are proud of and examples of projects you have completed. NB: not a suitcase full or tatty carrier bag, but an A4 folder)
- Be friendly, polite and enthusiastic. You need to let the interviewer know that you really want the job.
- Ask questions about the placement and company. NB - This is not the time to ask about holiday entitlement and don’t mention salary unless this is mentioned by the interviewer first! These are details we can clarify at the point of offer.
- Show interest and be positive.
Avoid yes/no answers but don’t waffle.
Listen to the question and think before you speak. When the interview is coming to an end, thank the interviewer for seeing you. Re-state your interest and ask when decisions will be made. It is ok to do this; it shows you really are interested.
AFTER THE INTERVIEW
If you are offered the job ask yourself whether you are genuinely excited about the prospect of working for the company for a year and talk to your Year In Industry contact. Do not wait several weeks before saying ‘no’. There may be another student who genuinely wants this job. Try to make your decision within a week of the offer being made.
If you are not offered the job
Review you performance objectively with yourself and ask your YinI office for any useful feedback.
TYPICAL QUESTIONS FROM COMPANY INTERVIEWERS
Education
Your predicted exam or module results; what you got out of school or university; your reasons for wanting to study your chosen course; you may be asked to talk about your academic interests and current knowledge. Be Prepared!
Interests/ activities
How do you use your spare time? Activities you have organised; your interests and hobbies; what have you gained from these activities – i.e. Duke of Edinburgh, football/rugby team etc.
Work experience
What did you learn? (Your list should include things like: developed team working & communication skills – things that employers value) Did you have to deal with any awkward people? (can you keep your cool and diffuse awkward situations or do you know when to involve a supervisor?)
What aspects of the work did you enjoy most? Have you a part-time job – e.g. Saturday job?
General
- What do you want out of life?
- How would you sum up your strengths?
- Why are you interested in this job? What other jobs are you applying for? Why should I employ you?
- What can you offer the company? Have you any questions?
- What are your weaknesses? NB: for this one, think of something you had a problem with but have already found a solution for.
When thinking about answers to these questions, remember to ask yourself why a company manager might ask you a given question and what kind of answers they will actually want to hear; essentially, they want to know if you will turn up every day, fit in with the team you will be working with, be proactive and ask questions when you need to, follow instructions and focus on the job in hand.
Most employers today will also want to see evidence of these core skills: communication; teamwork; initiative; innovation; problem solving and personal development. Think of personal examples where you have used or demonstrated these skills and incorporate them into the answers you give.
Company managers are looking for enthusiastic students who are genuinely interested in working for their company and learning as much as possible; are knowledgeable about their chosen study subject, beyond simply being able to pass exams; have a ‘can do attitude’ and are motivated by the desire to: learn; experience the working environment;
inform their career choices and make a positive lasting impression on the company and colleagues when the placement is complete. Your answers to interview questions should reflect these qualities. Research and practice are essential.
THIS LIST IS NOT EXHAUSTIVE BUT IF YOU HAVE CONSIDERED ANSWERS FOR THESE QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO IMPROVISE A RESPONSE TO MOST INTERVIEW QUESTIONS.
Please do contact your Regional YINI office (See contact page) if you would like to discuss your company interview. We will be delighted to help. You can also visit this useful link: http://www.careersbox.co.uk/ where you can watch 3 short films to help you prepare for interviews (find the BT Level 1 Application and level 7 Interview techniques movie under the latest films listings).
