WRITING YOUR CV

Another good thing about the last set of exercises is that you will be able to use them for writing up your CV.

There are a number of theories about how you should present your CV, but whichever approach you take, keep it:

• 1.clear
• 2.brief
• 3.relevant.

Keeping it clear

• don’t use jargon
• use short sentences
• type or word process your CV using black ink
• use white paper
• use a clear, easy-to-read font
• don’t use lots of bold, italics or underlining.

Keeping it brief

Keep your CV short and no more than two sides of A4 at most. Remember that the person reading it at the other end may have hundreds of applications and a tight deadline – a long CV could lose the reader by page three.

Keeping it relevant

Making your CV relevant to the position you are applying for is very important. This is why a template like the one discussed earlier is useful. You won’t want to put everything from it on your CV, so you can pick and choose according to the skills required in the job you are applying for.

If you are making a speculative application you won’t be able to tailor your CV to any particular job, so it’s important to do some general research about the organisation to know what kind of things are important to it. It’s also important to be clear about what kind of work you want.

Presenting your CV

The way you present your CV is your first opportunity to make a good impression. A well-presented CV tells the reader that the applicant is smart, self-disciplined and organised, that you don’t waffle and that you might be the right person for the job.

You need to include:

• your name and address
• your work history
• your education
• any special achievements or skills that are relevant.

You can put referees on your CV, but if you need to run on to three pages just to put them on, it probably isn’t worth including them. Also you don’t need to put ‘CV or ‘Curriculum Vitae’ at the top of your CV – it takes up space and it’s obvious what it is anyway. (See Figure 8 for an example of a CV layout.)

FILLING OUT THE APPLICATION FORM

There are a number of points to consider:

• Before filling in the application form properly, either take a copy of it and fill that in, or fill in the original in pencil. This way you can make mistakes on a practice run.
• Use black ink or type (it photocopies more clearly) unless asked to do something different.
• Write in block capitals where possible unless asked to use your own handwriting.
• Keep within the space given unless the form indicates you can use extra sheets – but, as with CVs, it’s a good idea to keep things brief.
• Don’t use jargon.
• Don’t write ‘see CV unless you are asked or given permission to include one with your application form.
• Read all the information sent with the application form and make your response to the questions relevant.
• Keep a photocopy of your completed application form for your reference.

REGISTERING WITH AN AGENCY

There are several specialist agencies that help to place people either as volunteers or as paid workers.

Volunteers

In almost every town in the country you will find some organisation that knows what is going on in your area in terms of voluntary work. It could be a volunteer bureau, a citizens’ advice bureau, your local information office or your local library. They will have noticeboards and stocks of leaflets with information about volunteer groups and projects.

Volunteer bureaux are run slightly differently from town to town. Some operate registers or lists of people who want to find volunteer positions. To get on the register all you have to do is call in at your local bureau, fill in a form and have a short discussion with one of the staff. This will help them to see what your skills and interests are so they can match you up with the right kind of organisation. Of course, the choice is yours, because you can say what kind of organisation you are interested in and you don’t have to accept the first thing that’s offered.

The charity REACH operates as a linking service between late career/early retirement professionals looking for voluntary work and voluntary organisations that may need their skills. The ‘linked’ individuals work on an expenses-only basis. If you want to do voluntary work overseas there are several agencies you could contact and some useful addresses are listed in Chapter 8.

If you want to be a trustee you could register with Charity Appointments (see below).

For more information on finding voluntary work see Chapter 5.

Paid workers

There are several agencies specialising in charity recruitment, though you could always contact one of the many high street recruitment consultancies to see what services they offer. The agencies specialising in charity recruitment are:

• CF Appointments
• Charity Connections
• Charity People
• Charity Recruitment.

CF Appointments (also known as Charity and Fundraising Appointments) is a charity operating a recruitment consultancy for executive and trustee appointments in the voluntary sector. If you are in this category, looking for a voluntary sector position, you should send your CV with a covering letter, outlining the kind of work desired and your salary expectations.

Charity Connections recruits temporary and permanent positions for the voluntary sector. It specialises in office staff from clerical through to senior management levels.

Charity People recruits for the voluntary sector in the following areas: administration, senior administration, chief executive, communications, finance, fundraising, IT, management and marketing.

Charity Recruitment has a register of experienced people who are actively seeking work in the voluntary sector. It also runs a search and selection service for voluntary sector organisations.

Voluntary sector organisations operating registers of potential overseas workers can be found in Chapter 8.

HANDLING THE INTERVIEW

It may seem trivial, but one of the most troubling things when going to an interview at a voluntary sector organisation can be deciding what to wear. To an extent it depends on the organisation and the job you are going for – firstly whether it’s voluntary or paid. If you are going for a job as a finance director in a major charity it would be unwise to wear sandals and jeans. But if you wanted a volunteer place on an archaeological dig a suit would be inappropriate (and uncomfortable). Smart and casual is acceptable for most interviews, though if you are at all unsure, simply phone up and ask what’s expected.

There are three keys to handling an interview well:

• 1.preparation
• 2.personal comfort
• 3.listening skills.

Being prepared

If you are invited to an interview you need to know:

• what it is for
• when it is
• where it is
• how it will be done
• what they will be looking for.

Some organisations are very good at keeping people informed and you will have all this information in the invitation to the interview, or even before. For example, some organisations, when they send you an information pack, will include a person specification indicating at what stages they will be looking for different things (see Chapter 6 for more about this).

However, if you are not sure, telephone the organisation and ask questions such as:

• Which post am I being considered for? (If you have applied for more than one.)
• How many interviews will I have?
• How many interviewers will there be in each interview?
• How long will each interview last?
• What will each interview cover? (Don’t expect a detailed answer, but it’s useful to know which interview is covering personal issues and which one is focusing on your skills.)
• Will there be any activities/tasks and what sort?
• Do I need to bring anything with me (for example, certificates or portfolio)?

Having this kind of information will mean that you are not taken by surprise if you are faced with a panel of five interviewers when you were expecting only one. It will also mean you can plan your return journey in advance if you know how long you can expect to be kept for – and that’s one less thing to worry about on the day.

Also, once you have the information you can do some rehearsing:

• If possible, travel to the interview location before the interview date to be sure of where you are going and to see how long it will take you to get there.
• Decide what clothes you will wear and make sure they are in good condition for the day.
• Look through the job description, the person specification and other information and write out a list of questions that you would ask if you were the interviewer.
• Write out a list of questions that you would like to ask the interviewers.

Figure 9 gives a sample of some questions you might be asked during an interview for almost any position in the voluntary sector.

Being comfortable

Make sure you arrive for the interview or selection day a good 15 minutes in advance of the start time, so that you feel relaxed and comfortable. Take something with you to read in the gaps between interviews and exercises – something light or humorous will keep you relaxed and make you feel more positive. Also take a snack with you in case there are no biscuits available when you arrive; it’s amazing how tiring interviews are, so it’s useful to keep your energy levels up if you can snack between. But don’t eat chocolate bars – small bits of chocolate melting on your clothes does not create the right image!

If you need to go to the toilet make sure you go in plenty of time before you are called in to the interview. If you have just poured yourself a drink ask if it’s all right to take it with you into the interview. But never eat, smoke or chew gum in an interview – don’t even ask.

Listening skills

Listening is an important part of communication skills, if not the most vital one. During an interview or assessment exercise you will need to use your listening skills to their utmost:

• Listen with full attention to what is being said.
• If you do not understand something or think you may have misheard, ask for clarification.
• Answer the question that you are asked.
• Be aware of any subtle body language signals the interviewers may give to show they have heard enough – draw your point to a rapid conclusion and wait for the next question.

During the day

Being interviewed

Just because you have applied to a voluntary sector organisation, don’t expect an easy ride as far as interviews and other selection procedures are concerned.

• Whatever documents you take in with you, make sure they are organised and relevant.
• Have a copy of your application form to hand and don’t be afraid to look at it or refer to it.
• Clarify at the start whether there will be time at the end for you to ask questions or if you can ask questions as you go along (the first is more usual).
• Have a large notepad to hand and several pens available. Don’t be afraid to take notes during the interview; there may be something you want to come back to when you get your chance to ask questions. This notepad should be where your prepared questions are written down.
• Stay relaxed, talk clearly, be brief, don’t ramble, and keep good eye contact with your interviewers – smile, it may be difficult but it helps.
• If the interviewer asks for evidence of something you say, it is important that you come up with something (this is where the exercises under ‘Knowing what you have to offer’ come in useful).

Doing assessment exercises

Assessment exercises can take different forms, from psychometric tests to problem-solving in groups. If you have to do an assessment exercise it’s important not to try to second-guess what the assessors are looking for. For example, you may be going for a management position and have to do a group exercise or discussion. If your previous experience has been in a tough commercial environment it would be easy to assume that the assessors are looking for the kinds of qualities that helped you survive there. But remember, voluntary sector culture is different. The only real answer is to be yourself and not to act out a role.

Also, in some assessment exercises it may seem to you as though you have been over the same ground in other exercises or interviews. There will be good reasons for this and the assessors/interviewers will be looking for different things each time.

Following the interview day

Before you leave an interview, ask when you can expect to hear the results. If you haven’t heard anything by the given date make a phone call to find out what’s happened.

If you haven’t been successful, make sure that you ask for some feedback on your performance. Then you’ll have something to work on and improve for the next time.

CASE STUDIES

Chris Black, student

‘I left school and did an HND in computing and then went straight to work for an IT company. I didn’t really think about it, it just seemed the obvious thing to do. The problem was I stopped enjoying it.

‘So I started thinking about what I wanted in life. I did some career planning and took a good look at what I’m really interested in.

‘I’ve done a lot of two-week stints of volunteering on conservation projects over the past six years and really enjoyed it. Last year I got involved in some of the public relations work for the organisation. Nothing much, but enough to give me an insight – and I got a real buzz when I wrote a press release and the story appeared in the local paper.

‘There are lots of other things as well, but in a way it was that that made me realise how much conservation issues matter to me and how much I enjoy talking to people about them. I knew I didn’t have the technical knowledge to get one of the more scientific jobs, but I realised I was good at getting messages across. I looked into public relations courses and now I’m back at college doing a PR qualification. My aim is to get a PR or information job with a conservation or wildlife group.’

Jane Biggs, recruitment officer, international charity

‘I think what I find amazing is the number of people who seem to put no thought into their application. Maybe they expect that because we’re a charity it’s OK to send the form in a bit crumpled, to write illegibly, or to ignore instructions.

‘For example, it says quite clearly on our application form “do not send a CV”, but people still do and they just write in the boxes on the application form “see CV”. They get rejected.

‘The most amazing one, though, was the doctor who wrote “GP” under the job title column and “self-evident” under the description of duties column. My speciality is recruiting people so it’s not my job to make assumptions and that means that nothing that anyone does is self-evident.

‘Generally, by the time we get people to the assessment centre stage, we have a pretty good bunch of candidates. But there’s sometimes one who interrupts to answer a question before we’ve finished asking it; or they try to take control of a group exercise – generally they come across as arrogant and insensitive.

‘I think the one piece of advice I’d give to anyone applying to work in the voluntary sector is to try to think about the person at the other end, the person who’s going to look at your application form or interview you. You’re going to have to use all your communication skills to their best and that means following instructions, listening skills, empathy, clarity – in other words, a lot of hard work.’

CHECKLIST

• Where do you want to be in five or ten years time?
• What motivates you?
• What skills do you have and can you back them up through experiences?
• Is your CV brief, clear and relevant?
• What should you remember when filling in an application form?
• How can you prepare for an interview?

USEFUL RESOURCES

Useful addresses

Further reading