Before you even get a foot through the door, your CV must sell you.  No two things have more influence over whether or not you get the job you want than the CV and the interview.  Yet these are the two things that job applicants most often mess up.  Ask any employer; they will reel off tales of CVs sent in on scraps of paper, or people who mumble their way through interviews.

Your CV is a marketing tool.  It has to sell you and your skills to an employer who has never heard of you before, and who has a pile of other applications to wade through.  Research shows that a recruiter will spend just 45 seconds looking at a CV, so sending in which could pass as an autobiography is clearly not a good idea.  Make sure it looks good and is specific.  It should never be more than two sides which means you must edit your details and provide only the most important and relevant information.  Also make sure you know what you have written.  A good CV should leave the reader wanting to know more about you.  It should prompt an interview not replace it.

So you've got the interview. This is not a cue to relax; employers say the best interviewees are those that have done their homework.  "I am always impressed by candidates who have done some research on our company and know why they are coming for an interview and why they want to work for us" said Patricia Nicholson Holbeck Ghyll Country House Hotel.  So read up about your prospective employer.  Find out if it is privately owned or part of a group.  If it's part of a group, where is the head office, how many sites has it and how many people does it employ?  What plans does the company have for the future?
When it comes to dressing for the interview you must look the part.  Don't go over the top or wear anything too bright or distracting. 

During the interview answer questions honestly.  The interview is your last chance to really shine, to impress upon the interviewer what it is that makes you the right person for the job.  Ideally your CV will already have given the employer an idea of what makes you so special.  The interview gives you a chance to elaborate on those points and illustrate your accomplishments.

In the tourism industry people are generally looking for extroverts. So you need to show high levels of energy and enthusiasm for however long it takes for the interview.  Answer the questions honestly, don't answer questions too quickly; try and think behind the question and why it is being asked.  Think about your body language and how you sit.  Always make eye contact.

Finally, to get the job you must also ask questions which show you've thought about the position and the industry.  Write them down beforehand, as it will help you remember them.  You can always take a notebook in to the interview with you.  Above all be yourself.  Be as natural as possible, and if you're really nervous, say so.   If you aren't sure about the job, you can make the decision when you've got it.  But if you go in with that impression the interviewer will make that decision for you.

 Terms of Use  Privacy Policy
© Cumbria Tourism 2004 to 2007