Tiku Shah, a specialist in Business Development and New Business recruitment shares everything she tells her perm candidates when it comes to CVs and interviews
CVs
KISS it – Keep It Short and Simple
A wordy CV will be less impactful, bullet point it and be succinct
List your responsibilities clearly followed by your achievements
In a BD/new business led role, clients want to know your successes and how you are going to make an impact. List your RFI to pitch-conversion rates, highlight the parts you played in winning new business as often it is a team effort. If you opened up an initial opportunity then mention that. If you are able to state the value of an account won, then mention that. If you work to a target then state how you performed against that. You get the gist….
It is better to tailor your CV to the job spec and what your recruiter tells you about the role. This way you can dial-up certain aspects of your experience, as one size will not fit all.
INTERVIEWS
Prepare, prepare, prepare.
Make sure you do plenty of prep and don’t leave it all to the last minute.
It’s a cliché, but the 1st impression is also the last impression, so be sure to make it a good one!
As always, we have two ears and one mouth and a great conversation starts with good listening. Always back-up what you say with examples. “My key strength is innovation. In my current role I initiated and ran several projects that created points of difference for my company, real competitive advantage and generated more sales….” Is more impactful and also leads to deeper conversation as to how you went about it.
The second interview will almost always be a presentation. Again don’t leave it to the last minute. Back everything you say with examples, stats and figures etc. If you are unsure about an aspect of the brief then question it and ask for clarification.
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