October 2013 | healthandsafetyatwork.com5656

recruitment

ask the recruitment expert

The strength of your CV and cover letter is what will get

you in front of your prospective employer. Here are 10 simple things to check before you send your next application. These basic steps, which many people get wrong, could just help you get ahead.n Names : F ind the name of the person you’re writing to and use it. An impersonal, “Dear Sir/ Madam” looks lazy and shows a lack of care.n Make your letter relevant: Many people don’t bother with a cover letter. By writing one at all you’re helping your application to stand out. If you’re going to write one, as a minimum, make sure you’re using the company name and job title of the job for which you’re applying.

n Make your CV relevant: You’ve read the advert and decided to apply. The advert has told you what the job entails so make sure that your CV includes your relevant experience. This will take some effort but if you want the job it’s worth making the effort. n Spelling: Nowadays, there’s abso-lutely no excuse for spelling mistakes. Use spellcheck and then read and reread through your application. Don’t forget your grammar.n Achievements: Make sure your CV says what you’ve achieved. A long list of roles and responsibilities, cut and pasted from your job description, is not going to impress anyone.n Impact: You need to make a good first impression. You’ve got 20 seconds to get noticed. If the best part of your CV is halfway down page 2, you’re going to miss out.

n Order: Write your CV in reverse chronological order. Recruiters want to know what you’re doing now, what you’ve been doing recently and why it’s relevant. Your first job is much less important.n Size: Two pages is the perfect size for a CV, though three could be acceptable. There’s no reason why you can’t create a strong, relevant CV on two pages of A4, whether you’ve been working for five years or 25. Seven page CVs won’t be read and will ruin your chance of success.n Honesty: Don’t claim qualifica-tions or professional memberships that you don’t have. It only takes a phone call to find out the truth.n Photos: If people want to see what you look like, they can find you on LinkedIn. It’s rare that a photo makes an application stronger, so please, no photos on CVs.

Mark Burton, Attwood Burton

Attwood Burton is a health, safety and environment recruitment consultancy.www.attwoodburton.co.uk

I think I’ve got a good CV and cover letter but I’m not getting anywhere. What do you suggest?

HSE Manager (Heavy Civils) – London – AB1718 – Perm c£75k or Freelance £Excellent Daily RateOne of our key clients has a need for an experienced HSE Manager to work on a major tunnelling project in London. Site based, you will be working “client side” reviewing Contractors’ management systems and supporting the project delivery team to ensure legislative compliance. CMIOSH desired but not essential.

QA Manager (High Rise Construction) – London – AB1717 – To £60k + excellent benefitsThis company is involved with constructing some of the largest projects in London. Boasting a highly skilled, highly experienced team, they are naturally looking for a consummate QA professional to join them. Is that you?

For a confidential discussion, please contact Alistair Attwood on 01932 213202 or email your CV to alistair@attwoodburton.co.uk

Head of Sales – Home Based – Midlands/ North West – AB1712 – c£65k + Car allowance + excellent benefitsDo you have strong sales experience, specifically in health and safety, the environment, quality assurance or inspection services? Are you looking to develop your career and to take on responsibility for leading a remote team of sales professionals? Can you demonstrate a strong track record of success, both exceeding your own targets and making sure that your team does the same? Can you manage existing accounts as well as proactively generate new business? If so, please contact me to discuss this excellent role in more detail. The role is a business critical appointment in an international, multi- disciplinary consultancy and offers superb opportunities for career development.

EHS Advisor – Cheshire – AB1715 – c£33k + benefitsAn international chemical manufacturing company is actively seeking a new EHS Advisor to join the team. Based on a site in Cheshire, with travel to another local site and reporting to the EHS Manager, you will work to drive the continuous improvement of EHS standards across sites. This is a diverse site, involving hazardous chemical processing, heavy plant, FLTs, heavy lifting and working at height, so experience in an industrial setting is very important. The role offers great opportunities for career and professional development, with support for advancing your qualifications and growing in to a larger role over time. Applicants should have experience of working in a similar role in manufacturing, ideally chemical manufacturing and will ideally be Grad IOSH. My client is looking for candidates with excellent communication skills at all levels.

For a confidential discussion, please contact Mark Burton on 01932 213203 or email your CV to mark@attwoodburton.co.uk

For many more great roles visit www.attwoodburton.co.uk or call us for a confidential discussion