Why is focus important in the context of finding a job? The simple fact that many people are in completely inappropriate job roles points to a significant lack of focus in peoples past job searches. Too often, people fall in to jobs that they are unhappy in and start to blame the employer. The fact is that it is not the employers job to make your role fit you. You have to make sure that you choose the correct job role for you. Stay focused

What exactly does focus mean? To me, focus means gathering up every available resource that you can get your hands on and driving the result that you want through using every available tool. Focus needs motivation, and a total absence of anger

The golfer Tommy Bolt, famous for his outbursts of anger stated in an interview that anger is the enemy of focus. I totally understand that from a golfers viewpoint. In context of looking for a better job however, the illustration is perhaps more obtuse. If you have been made redundant or lost your job, it is perhaps natural that you may feel angry and let down

Check and check again to make sure that your CV is absolutely positive and focuses exclusively on selling you in the best way possible. Including your career achievements is one of the ways in which you can make your CV stand out from all the others. Intense focus on seeing the document through the eyes of a recruiter Will help your cause no end. There is no place for simmering resentment or anger in your job application

Being focused helps you create your ideal CV. You need to set aside a day to get it sorted out. Research and collate all your past achievements, no matter small, going through your whole career. Pay more attention to your most recent career as that is by far the most relevant. An employer is interested in whilst you can do for them

Your achievements in past roles show an employer what you are capable of achieving. Focus is extremely important here as it is easy to drift into describing responsibilities. People often confuse these two things, particularly in the context of a CV. Recruiters expect you to have carried out your job responsibilities- it is what you were paid to do. Achievements separate the great from the ordinary employees

Extraordinary CVs get people interviews. You should seriously consider employing the services of a professional CV writing service if you are not sure that you can do this yourself. Most people can actually write an excellent CV but there are definitely ways to get your CV noticed. Buy a good book on the subject and study it intensely if funds are low

As the saying goes - fail to plan, plan to fail - preparing well for your interview is one of the most influential things you could do to enhance your career. It is the best prepared candidate at interview who succeeds - not the technically best candidate.

Work out how you will respond to the questions:

It’s difficult to precisely predict the questions that will be posed to you in your interview. However, you can shortlist the types of questions that have a high likelihood of coming up in your interview. If you have throughly prepared how you can present the desired elements of your candidacy - work history, skills, achievements, etc - as persuasively as you can, then you will be well placed to succeed in your job interview.

Investigate the corporation:

Make certain that you are able to talk about the company and the industry in which it sits. Try to be knowledgeable and as authoritative as somebody at your level of seniority could be expected to be. Do you homework by investigating the company on the internet. You may even want to talk to a few people who work there.

Get A Plan For Getting There:

It is astounding how many people turn up late for an interview, because they got lost. Know the address, print out a map and if possible do a trial run so you know exactly how long it will take to get there. Always take the main reception telephone number with you, in case of an emergency, and give yourself plenty of time.

Stay focussed on the interviewer’s agenda. Understand which points you want to make and ensure that you get those specific points across in your responses.

An interview isnt all about being reactive. Try to get the interviewer to tell you what skills they are looking for early on and make a mental note of any information that they give you. This way you can tailor your answers accordingly and ensure you say what they want to hear.

It is critical that you exude enthusiasm in every action that you create and every word that you utter. Your first impression will determine 80% of your outcome in your job hunt at interview. If you pay attention to the details, then you will succeed.

If you have sent your CV to what seems like thousands of recruitment agencies and have applied for job after job and you’re getting nowhere, it just could be that your CV sucks! Recruiters today have hundreds, sometimes thousands- yes, really! of CVs and application forms landing on their desk every day. Gone are the days when employers were desperate to employ anybody- your CV now needs to be outstanding to even get a look in

The basic, old fashioned details have always been important, now they are just plain vital. Contact details like name, address, phone numbers and email address must be placed prominently at the top of the CV. Make sure that the employer can get hold of you quickly when they want to. Write your CV in MS Word. Want to get rejected? send your CV as a .pdf attachment. I can’t believe that people nowadays still seem to think that quirky gets you jobs. It doesn’t- grow up!

It is now taken as read that you did what you were supposed to in your jobs. Your job responsibilities therefore are pretty much irrelevant. What does matter though is what you managed to achieve for the company that you worked for. Skillfully written bullet points showing your key achievements and very subtly tick the box that you satisfied the job requirements or responsibilities along the way. By the way, don’t pad out your CV by copying and pasting your job responsibilities from your job description.

Starting with your most recent (or current) employment, work back wards through your career history. This is called revers chronological order and is the most accepted method of showing your experience. You most recent 8-10 years work experience are clearly far more relevant than anything older than this. Use a section of your CV that you can call “other work experience” to show employment history that is older and therefore, less relevant

Clarity is absolutely vital in a CV. Arial, Verdana and Times New Roman are very easy fonts on the eye as long as they are printed large enough to read easily. Font sizes between 9 and 11 point are easy to read and easy on the eye. Black type on a white background is the norm. Avoid fancy fonts at all costs, particularly fonts with serifs or anything that looks like fancy handwriting. If you are physically sending your CV, print it out on decent quality paper and make sure your ink cartridge prints properly

Pay particular attention to a recruiters name and make sure you spell it properly. Get this wrong and you’re asking for trouble. Make sure your email is conventional. If you need a new email address just for job hunting, get one, there are hundreds of free email accounts out there. Make sure that it is an email address that you check every day

Facebook, Bebo, Myspace, etc. are great fun but should be used with care. It is now almost certain that a potential new employer will search their own social networking sites for the your name to see what comes up. Don’t believe me, just do the search yourself. Delete all old profiles that you don’t want anyone to see. If you’re embarrassed that your mum would see it, what do you think an employer will feel like?