CV & Interview Support
We have put together some key words and interview help that we think could benefit you in your job search and application process.
Describing Your Experience
Think hard about your “transferable skills”. What skills did you practise in your previous posts or outside work activities that could be useful in the position that you are now after. It is up to you to make the connection with the employer. Tell your employer about:
– Relevant experience
– Assessing risk
– Recruiting talent
– Presenting to clients
– Advising Clients
– Evaluating businesses
– Negotiating deals/contracts
– Building models
– Managing a team
– Developing business plans
– Preparing projections/forecasts
– Raising funds
– Selling products
– Running meetings
– Delegating responsibility
– Writing reports
– Performing acquisition searches
– Budgeting
– Designing new products
– Analysing data
– Supervising others
– Enforcing regulations
– Using language skills
– Evaluating performance
– Applying IT solutions
– Conducing due diligence
– Identifying new opportunities
Don't Forget About Environment
Tell the employer which working environments you have been a part of, for example;
– An environment which gave constant contact with clients/senior executives
– An international/world-wide/
– A rapidly changing business
– A fast growing operation
– An aggressive and demanding business
– A highly competitive player
– A leading edge technical environment
– A position involving difficult conflicts
– A high pressure, deadline sensitive business
– A situation that demanded innovative and creative solutions
– Business success depended on working closely with colleagues from differing cultures
– A turnaround situation
If you want to stress your competence, here are some words or phrases you might use
Strength in
Ability to
Experienced
Well grounded in
Proficient
Effective
Capacity for
Adept at
Technical competence in
Thoroughly trained
Aptitude for
First hand knowledge of
A practical approach to
Thorough understanding of
Want to get involved
Ability to see the larger picture/long term
Impact
Solid foundation in
Sound overview of
Sparked
Performance-oriented
Proven tract record
Think and act maturely
Comprehensive knowledge
Aggressive, tactful and results
Oriented
Creative
Kept up with current trends in
Capable of formulating and directing
Strong dedication to
Not wedded to fixed ideas
Integrity and drive
Inspire confidence
Ability to make practical decisions
Proficient at
If you want to stress your competence, here are some words or phrases you might use
ability to
experienced
well grounded in
proficient
effective
capacity for
adept at
technical competence in
thoroughly trained
aptitude for
first hand knowledge of
a practical approach to
thorough understanding of
want to get involved
ability to see the larger picture/long term
impact
solid foundation in
sound overview of
sparked
performance-oriented
proven tract record
think and act maturely
comprehensive knowledge
aggressive, tactful and results-
oriented
creative
kept up with current trends in
capable of formulating and
directing
strong dedication to
not wedded to fixed ideas
integrity and drive
inspire confidence
ability to make practical decisions
proficient at
Words or phrases that reflect intelligence:
ability to think analytically
logical thinker
probing mind
fast thinking
perceptive
lateral thinker
active mind
good intellect
common sense
excellent memory
creative
innovator
strong mental capacity
stimulating
If you want to stress your ability to handle details:
detail-minded
systematic
precise
accurate
well organised
take pride in work
adept with figures
careful
pay attention to detail
orderly
fastidious
methodical
Action Verbs: What you did
accepted
accelerated
accommodated
accomplished
accorded
accounted
accumulated
achieved
acknowledged
acquired
acted
activated
actualised
adapted
added
addressed
adhered to
adjoined
adjusted
administered
admonished
adopted
advanced
advised
advocated
affected
aggregated
agreed
aided
alleviated
allocated
allotted
altered
amassed
amended
amplified
analysed
animated
annexed
annotated
announced
answered
applied
appointed
apportioned
appraised
appropriated
approved
arbitrated
argued
atranged
arrayed
articulated
ascended
ascertained
assembled
assessed
assigned
assisted
associated
assured
attained
attended
attested
audited
augmented
authenticated
authorised
automated
averted
awarded
backed
balanced
bargained
began
benefited
bequeathed
bestowed
bettered
billed
blended
blocked out
bolstered
broached
broadcast
broke ground
budgeted
built
calculated
caliberated
called
campaigned
canvassed
capitalised
cared for
carried out
catalogued
categorised
caused
celebrated
cemented
changed
Characterised
charged
charted
chosen
chronicled
circulated
clarified
classified
cleared up
coalesced
coded
collaborated
collated
combined
commanded
commenced
commended
committed
communicated
compared
compelled
compiled
completed
composed
comprehended
compressed
computed
computerised
conceded
conceived
concentrated
concluded
concocted
concurred
condensed
conducted
conferred
confirmed
confronted
connected
considered
consolidated
constituted
constructed
construed
consulted
contacted
contemplated
continued
contracted
contrasted
contributed
controlled
convened
converged
converted
conveyed
convinced
Co-operated
co-ordinated
corrected
correlated
corresponded
corroborated
costed
counselled
covered
created
critiqued
culminated
cultivated
customised
dealt with
debated
debugged
decided
decreased
dedicated
deduced
deemed
defended
defined
delegated
deliberated
delineated
delivered
demarcated
demonstrated
depicted
derived
described
deserved
designated
designed
despatched
detailed
detected
determined
developed
devised
devoted
diagnosed
differentiated
digested
diminished
directed
discerned
discharged
disciplined
disclosed
discovered
discriminated
discussed
disentangled
dispatched
dispensed
displayed
disposed
dissected
disseminated
dissuaded
distilled
distinguished
distributed
diversified
divided
divulged
documented
dominated
donated
drafted
earned
cased
edified
edited
educated
effected
elected
elicited
eliminated
elucidated
embarked
embodied
embraced
employed
empowered
enacted
encoded
encompassed
encouraged
endeavoured
endorsed
enforced
engaged
engineered
enhanced
enjoined
enjoyed
enlarged
enlightened
enlisted
ensconced
ensued
ensured
entailed
entertained
enumerated
enunciated
epitomised
equalised
equipped
eradicated
erected
established
esteemed
estimated
evaluated
evinced
evoked
evolved
examined
exchanged
excited
excluded
executed
exercised
exerted
exhibited
exhorted
expanded
expedited
expelled
experienced
experimented
explained
explored
exposed
expounded
expressed
extended
extorted
extracted
extrapolated
extricated
fabricated
faced
facilitated
fashioned
favoured
federated
figured
filed
filled
finalised
financed
fine-tuned
fit
flourished
focused
followed
forecast
formed
formulated
fortified
forwarded
fostered
founded
framed
freed
fulfilled
functioned
funded
furnished
fused
gained
gathered
gauged
gave
generated
governed
graded
graduated
granted
grasped
grew
guaranteed
guarded
guided
handled
hardened
harmonised
heartened
heightened
helped
hired
hypothesised
identified
illustrated
imagined
imparted
implemented
implicated
imported
impressed
improved
improvised
inaugurated
incorporated
increased
indexed
indicated
induced
inferred
inflated
influenced
informed
infused
initiated
injected
innovated
inquired
inserted
inspected
inspired
installed
instigated
instituted
instructed
insured
integrated
interfaced
interpolated
interpreted
interviewed
introduced
invented
investigated
invigorated
isolated
issued
itemised
judged
justified
kept informed
landled
labelled
launched
led
learned
lectured
legislated
lessened
licensed
limited
listened
lobbied
localised
located
made
magnified
maintained
managed
manoeuvred
manifested
manipulated
manufactured
mapped
marked
marketed
marshalled
mastered
matched
matured
maximised
measured
mechanised
mediated
merged
merited
meshed
met
metamorphosed
minimised
mitigated
mobilised
modelled
modernised
modified
modulated
mollified
monitored
motivated
mused
mustered
narrated
navigated
negotiated
neutralised
noticed
notified
nursed
nurtured
objectified
obliged
observed
obtained
occupied
officiated
offset
opened
operated
orchestrated
ordained
ordered
organised
orientated
oriented
originated
outfitted
outlined
overcame
oversaw
packaged
paid
parcelled
participated
particularised
partitioned
perceived
perfected
performed
persevered
persisted
persuaded
pictured
piloted
pinpointed
planned
played
pleaded
pledged
pointed out
pondered
popularised
portioned
portrayed
positioned
postulated
practised
precipitated
predicted
prepared
prescribed
presented
preserved
presided
prevented
priced
printed
prized
probed
proceeded
processed
proclaimed
procured
produced
proffered
profited by
programmed
progressed
projected
promoted
prompted
pronounced
propelled
proposed
prospered
protected
proved
provided
provisioned
publicised
published
purchased
pursued
qualified
quantified
questioned
quoted
raised
rallied
ran
ranked
rated
ratified
reached
reacted
read
realised
reasoned
reassured
rebutted
recalled
recapitulated
recast
received
reckoned
recognised
recollected
recommended
reconciled
reconsidered
reconstructed
recorded
recounted
recovered
recreated
recruited
rectified
redesigned
redressed
reduced
re-examined
refashioned
referred
refined
reflected
reformed
refurbished
refuted
regulated
rehearsed
reinforced
rejoined
related
relayed
released
relieved
relished
remained
remodelled
invigorated
isolated
issued
itemised
judged
justified
kept informed
landled
labelled
launched
led
learned
lectured
legislated
lessened
licensed
limited
listened
lobbied
localised
located
made
magnified
maintained
managed
manoeuvred
manifested
manipulated
manufactured
mapped
marked
marketed
marshalled
mastered
matched
matured
maximised
measured
mechanised
mediated
merged
merited
meshed
met
metamorphosed
minimised
mitigated