Job - Development Chef vacancy - FoodIndustry - £30k - SouthEast England - http://ping.fm/nOPul

Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to all our Clients and Candidates from everyone at KPI Recruitment!

Job - Trading Controller vacancy - FoodIndustry - £58k - SouthEast England - http://ping.fm/SFmiD

Job - Production Planner vacancy - FoodIndustry - £24k - SouthWest England - http://ping.fm/fpeDW

Job - Buyer/Trading Manager vacancy - FoodIndustry - £58k - SouthEast England - http://ping.fm/pRu28

Job - Engineering Manager vacancy - FoodIndustry - £40k - SouthEast England - http://ping.fm/XT81Q

JOB - Quality Manager vacancy - Food Industry - £35k - SouthWest England - http://ping.fm/a2p4g

Writing a Winning CV!

Writing a winning CV is as easy to get right as wrong. The good news is that it is acquired knowledge, quite straightforward really, and starts with putting yourself in the shoes of the person you plan to send it to…

Imagine you are a Production Manager in a busy factory. Christmas is approaching and you are already feeling the pressure from the supermarkets as the volumes start to build. You’ve arranged additional agency staff for the lines and you are running on Saturday mornings to increase production; perhaps you have even laid on an extra shift. Motivating your team is starting to become a struggle. Energy levels are starting to flag, the agency staff need greater supervision and support because they don’t know the jobs as well as the permanent operatives and you are spending an increasing amount of time on the shop floor propping up your team. During the summer one of your supervisors left and as volumes were low, and even with people on holiday, you didn’t notice you were a pair of hands short. You certainly do now! It is becoming increasingly difficult to find supervisory cover for overtime and tempers are starting to fray. With everyone back from their tea break and the lines running well you nip into the production office for a moment only to be greeted by another note in your tray from the HR Manager asking if you have looked through the CVs of Production Supervisors who applied to the recent advert. The reminders have been part of your daily routine for the past fortnight and while you find yourself feeling under siege, you know it needs doing so you pull over a seat and grab the pile of about 40 CVs from the top of the filing cabinet. You start to go through them and out of the corner of your eye you can already see one of the Chargehands striding towards you. Despatch have been putting your team under pressure all evening as trailers are starting to back up in the yard waiting for product and by the look on your chargehand’s face you suspect things have just come to a head...!

Now imagine that one of the CVs in the pile is yours. You’ve been in production a while and you certainly know what it’s like when volumes go through the roof! You also know that communicating effectively in that environment face to face can be challenging as everyone is so busy. So if it’s difficult to get your message across effectively face to face, how do you think the 2 pages of A4 that make up your CV are going to fare? Will they command attention, spark intrigue, get the Hiring Manager excited? Will they get you an interview or will you, like the majority, get filed in the bin?

The scenario above is not uncommon. If there is one thing all of our client’s have in common it’s a shortage of time. And the most common mistake candidates make when writing their CV is failing to take this into account! It is assumed that your CV is going to be read thoroughly, from beginning to end, and if you match what they are looking for they will invite you in for interview. The reality is that your CV will get nowhere near the level of attention you think it will. Hiring Managers already have full time jobs, reading CVs is squeezed in amongst all the other demands on their time, and there is not a huge amount of time standing between you and the bin!

Think about how much time you give a job advert – 10, 20, 30 seconds? If the advert hasn’t sparked your interest after 30 seconds it is probable that it never will and yet the job might be perfect, it might just be a badly written advert. Perhaps it didn’t sell the company, failed to tell you about the prospects for promotion, didn’t give you any indication of how senior the role was or what challenges you could look forward to getting your teeth into.

The advert that you reply to is the one that sells the company, and the role, to you most effectively – and in the shortest possible time! HR Managers and Hiring Managers are the same as candidates. The same things excite, interest or motivate them to take action that excite, interest or motivate you and I. Most CVs are simply a list of Qualifications, Companies worked for, Job title, some basic responsibilities in the role, contact details and hobbies. In the modern job market this is not enough to compete effectively for the juiciest roles!

Imagine you had 30 seconds to pitch face to face for a job. What would you say? Would you say you are highly motivated, work well in a team as well as on your own, are committed, dedicated, have good attention to detail? Or would you say that in your last role you reduced changeover times by 20%, increased efficiencies by 10% and successfully managed the transition from day shift working to alternating shifts? You can be/have done all of those things but only one of the statements is likely to make someone want to interview you, ask you about your achievements and try and find out if you could do the same for them. The first statement (motivated, team worker, committed) will be on every other CV in the pile. It will not allow the reader to choose you above the other applicants and will either be ignored or be taken to mean you lack imagination. Either way it is not a good use of space!

So what is? Let’s go through the basic building blocks of a CV.

Name & Address:Keep it clean, centred and basic (no crazy fonts, colours or pictures), first and surname only. If you are more commonly known by an abbreviated version of your first name put that. If, however, the abbreviation sounds too informal then go for the full version.

Profile:This is your first opportunity to grab the reader’s attention. We would recommend three sentences, each no more than two lines long. They should contain concrete, measurable facts about you that make it clear who/what you are and will make you stand out from your competitors. For example:

“A Food Science Graduate with 3 years NPD experience in Ready Meals, Soups and Sauces.

Proven track record of working closely with leading retailers including M&S, JS and Tesco.

Led Continuous Improvement team delivering cost savings of £15k per annum through effective process re-engineering.”

Achievements/StrengthsAgain, another opportunity to brag a little. Try and use percentages, £’s or numbers wherever possible so that readers can get a sense of the scale of your achievements. Avoid listing characteristics that all other applicants will use such as team player, motivated etc. Acronyms are also good such as HACCP, EFSIS, BRC, RFID or the names of specification systems such as Ramesys. The more specific the strengths the easier it will be for the reader to get a clear picture of what you are about.

EducationThis section could also appear at the end of your CV after “Employment History”. If you have some kind of relevant vocational qualification such as a Food Science or Engineering degree then this section should be on page one of your CV straight after “Achievements/Strengths”. However if your qualifications are general in nature and don’t strengthen your argument in relation to your ability to be a Production Supervisor, NPD Technologist, QA Manager etc. then bump it to page two and move straight to detailing your work experience.

Keep it short and punchy. Employers won’t need or want to know exactly what grade you received for every single qualification you gained. If you have a degree, providing some guidance regarding the modules can be useful. Just remember to use your judgement – as you career progresses this section of your CV should become more concise as achievements in the work place start to take priority. You have a limited amount of space on a CV, us it wisely!

Employment HistoryThere are two basic ways to present your employment history. The first is in chronological order, with the most recent first.

The second method is what is called functional. This is best suited for people who might have changed careers at some point in the past. Instead of listing a variety of jobs, ranging across two or three careers in straightforward chronological order, split your “Employment History” into “Relevant Employment History” and “Other Employment History”. “Relevant Employment History” should come first with the jobs listed in chronological order, and then do the same with “Other Employment History”.

Each job detailed should contain the Company name, Your Job title, the dates of employment including the month, and a brief outline of your duties/responsibilities/achievements. If the company used unusual Job titles, substitute these with the commonly used title which most accurately describes the role.

The duties/responsibilities/achievements are another opportunity to sell yourself. Keep them brief, and try and include as many numbers or achievements as you can to spark the interest of your reader.

Hobbies & InterestsThis is a key area and often doesn’t receive the thought and attention it should. There are the usual tips such as listing a team sport, charity work etc. and these are certainly valid.

What is more important is considering what you should avoid mentioning. Everyone is entitled to do what they want in their spare time but you cannot avoid people making judgements about you based on what you tell them. If you think that any of your hobbies or interests could be deemed as frivolous or inappropriate leave them out! Your CV is supposed to get you an interview and in most cases what you do with your spare time is your business, just bear in mind that not everyone will approve and if you are in any doubt – don’t include it!

The other thing to factor in is that you might have to answer questions about your hobbies and interests as it is an easy way for an interviewer to build rapport and try and relax you. If the last time you did any Judo was when you were eleven it might be time to consider trimming it from your CV!

Remember, your CV is supposed to be a discussion document not War and Peace! Don’t be afraid to leave some blank space, use bullet points to make it easy for the reader to scan quickly and hint at things you achieved to spark interest. If you tell someone that you have done something interesting/exciting and you haven’t told them how there is a very good chance they will get in touch to ask you!

Your CV is an advert which gets less than 30 seconds to sell you to a prospective employer! And while there are many different opinions about how to structure a winning CV the one thing they all agree on is the importance of taking the time to put together a good CV if you want to compete for the best jobs!

For more help and advice on Jobhunting skills click here to visit our “Tips” page where you can download CV templates as well as a comprehensive Job Seekers guide covering everything from where to find vacancies to answering the trickiest of interview questions.
 

Interview Success!

Everyone approaches a job interview with some degree of apprehension. But if you believe in yourself, it will be easier to convince the interviewer to believe in you!

The most important factor is preparation!

During the Interview

According to research, employers’ impressions are made up in the following way:
1.         Body Language and Image (70%)
2.         Tone of Voice (20%)
3.         What you say (10%) 

From the very first moment, you are being judged and measured.  The impression you create in the first few seconds is crucial.
Look the interviewer in the eye, but don’t make it a staring contest.  The way you act, your posture, gestures and facial expressions will reveal a lot about you.  Research has shown that interviewers make decisions within the first 5 minutes of an interview.
Carefully analyse the interviewer’s conversation, body language and style.  Without making it obvious, gently reflect key words, attitudes or phrases back to the interviewer.  If executed with extreme care this will produce a positive reaction. 

Do’s and Don’ts:
DO try to build up rapport with the interviewer as quickly as possible
DO be enthusiastic, but without sounding false
DO maintain eye contact
DO believe in yourself, your abilities and the value you can bring to the company
DO speak with confidence and be clear
DO be positive with your answers
DO keep to the point and be mindful of time
DO try to be honest and open
DO avoid yes and no answers
DO take your time to answer questions if necessary
DO smile when appropriate
DO listen and keep your concentration levels at their optimum
DO be prepared for the unexpected question that is designed to see how you cope with the unexpected
DO ask relevant questions, but try not to repeat information already discussed earlier during the interview 

DON’T be late
DON’T vigorously shake the interviewer’s hand or go overboard by gripping the offered hand like a vice-grip!
DON’T sit down until you are offered a seat
DON’T go to the interview laden down with bags
DON’T slouch or sit defensively with your arms and legs crossed
DON’T waffle or avoid questions
DON’T fidget or play with your hair, clothing, items in your pockets etc
DON’T use negative phrases such as: ‘I don’t know’ or ‘I’m not sure’
DON’T indicate that you are desperate for a job
DON’T get into discussions about your personal life, and decline any bait to mention secrets of your present employer.  The interviewer should respect your trustworthiness and integrity
DON’T go to the interview smelling of strong odours for example garlic, alcohol or even perfume / aftershave
DON’T wear lots of jewellery
DON’T embellish answers or lie!  Be as honest as possible
DON’T forget to thank the interviewer for their time

Qualifying and Closing
Ask qualifying questions to gain commitment and to assess how things are progressing.  This allows you to measure the interviewer’s impression of you.  When asked are there any final questions, ask the interviewer how they see things progressing from this point. 
Will you be invited to attend the next interview?
Do they see you making a contribution to the team?
Have they any reservations as to your ability to do the job at this stage?  If they have reservations, this is your one and only chance to prove that you are the person for the job.  If the role is a sales position, you must demonstrate your sales and closing techniques. The interviewer will be disappointed if you fail to do so.

Types of Interviews
There are 4 types of interviews – telephone, one-to-one, panel interview, assessment centre or a combination.  Employers are increasingly turning to psychometric testing, which we will also cover in this section.

Telephone Interview
This is a cost effective way for employers to pre-screen applicants prior to face-to-face interviewing.  Employers benefit from the ability to interview candidates from a wide geographical spread in much greater numbers than a face to face interview would allow, whilst at the same time, minimising on cost and time spent on the process
It is important to avoid distractions and ensure you have your CV, the job description, company information, pen and paper close to the telephone.  Remind yourself of why you think your skills and achievements match this position.
Remember to relax as much as possible and ensure that you speak clearly and concisely.
A telephone interview can involve periods of silence.  Don’t be tempted to fill in.  Let the interviewer keep control over the situation.
Telephone interviews can be particularly daunting, especially if this is the first time you have experienced one.  It is important to remember that the employer will put a great deal of emphasis on your tone and manner of voice in order to build up a mental picture of you.

One-to-One Interview
This is the most common type of job interview you are likely to experience.  It consists of just you and a single interviewer.  As with any interview, the key to success is the preparation you put into the process both before and during the interview.

Panel Interview
Panel interviews generally consist of between two and six people drawn from a range of positions within the company and will normally include:
         One person with a detailed working knowledge of the requirements of the position, usually a supervisor or manager
         One person trained in selection techniques, perhaps a HR professional, and
         One person from executive or general staff
Panel interviewing is favoured by many employers as it tends to be less subjective than a one-to-one interview and affords the opportunity to gain a broader opinion basis from one interview situation.  From the job seeker’s point of view, it can also work to your advantage by allowing you to build up rapport with at least one panel member.
Remember to maintain eye contact with the person who asks you a question and as you continue, move your eyes along the panel to make eye contact with the next person and so on, finish your answer back with the person who originally asked the question.  This method will ensure that each member of the panel is encouraged to listen to your answer and provide an opportunity for you to establish rapport.  Remember to smile and convey enthusiasm at all times.

Assessment Centres
Assessment centres normally involve a group of candidates who are assessed over a period of time, lasting anywhere between a couple of hours to a couple of days.  The content of an assessment centre interview can vary dependent on the type of role you are applying for.
Group Discussions – designed to assess how well you work with and integrate with others
Role-Plays – to recreate a particular aspect of the role you are applying for i.e. dealing with a difficult or angry customer
Presentations – to assess your ability to clarify and present information either individually or as part of a group

Psychometric Assessments
Psychometric assessments are tools often used by employers as part of their selection process.  They are used to assess the character strengths and weaknesses of a candidate, providing accurate profiles of their suitability for a position.  Employers can use these tests at any point during the selection process.  Sometimes they are used at the beginning, as a way of screening out unsuitable candidates.  Other employers prefer to use them towards the end of a selection process….but don’t panic…psychometric tests are almost always used in conjunction with more traditional selection methods.
Psychometric tests normally take on one or more of the following:
Ability testing – measures an individual’s potential for specific skills, focusing on what a person is capable of achieving as opposed to what they may have achieved in the past
Aptitude testing – very similar to ability testing, the main differences being that Aptitude testing is used to measure a specific ability such as computer programming and ability testing is used to measure your general ability
Personality testing – used to measure the key personality traits of a potential employee.  It is import to ensure that you answer the questions posed in an honest manner to ensure that your personality type will fit into the organisation and vice versa
Psychometric tests generally have a number of in-built mechanisms designed to spot inconsistencies in your answers.  Try not to answer as you think the employer would want you to but concentrate on how you would respond to a given situation or have responded to an actual situation in the past.

The Informal get-together at the Pub to Meet the Team
There is no such thing as an ‘informal get-together at the pub to meet the team’.  It is another form of interview to measure you and to see how you behave.  In spite of what the interviewer may say, this meeting is not off the record.  At this meeting they will certainly offer you drinks to relax you and to see what you are made of and how much you drink.  Your drinking capacity will lose you points, encourage you to let your guard down and almost certainly increase the odds of the offer going to another more prudent candidate!

Whatever form they take, interviews will always cause some apprehension. But they are a great opportunity to stretch yourself, identify what your strengths are and refine your ability to sell yourself to others. There are candidates out there who get offered every job they apply for and they are not doing anything that you cannot learn to do yourself. Preparation is the key, get it right and you will have companies running after you!

JOB - Quality Manager vacancy - Food Industry - £35k - SW England - http://ping.fm/0kS4n

JOB – Maintenance Engineer - Interim role vacancy - Food Industry - £26k - Scotland - http://ping.fm/ccLed

JOB – Maintenance Engineer vacancy - Food Industry - £26k - Scotland - http://ping.fm/xW1i3

JOB – Senior NPD Technologist vacancy - Food Industry - £30k - SE England - http://ping.fm/8vI14

JOB – NPD Technologist vacancy - Food Industry - £25k - SE England - http://ping.fm/xuMiG

JOB – Production Manager vacancy - Food Industry - £25k - NE England - http://ping.fm/JwHr2

JOB – Chief engineer vacancy - Food Industry - £45k - NW England - http://ping.fm/CmBMr

JOB - Quality Control Technician vacancy - Food Industry - £17k - SouthEast England - http://ping.fm/DXjC3

JOB - NPD Technologist vacancy - Food Industry - £30k - NorthWest England - http://ping.fm/piLQN

JOB - Laboratory Assistant vacancy - Food Industry - £17k - Wales - http://ping.fm/Lk5m0

JOB - Process Engineer vacancy - Food Industry - £35k - EastMidlands - http://ping.fm/3XJM8

JOB - Product Development Technologist vacancy - Food Industry - £35k - NorthWest England - http://ping.fm/njLbt

JOB - Development Technologist vacancy - Food Industry - £29k - SouthEast England - http://ping.fm/6ny2E

JOB - Maintenance Electrician vacancy - Food Industry - £32k - Scotland - http://ping.fm/iXa5B

JOB - Shift Engineer vacancy - Food Industry - £29k - NorthWest England - http://ping.fm/bnwrL

JOB - Recruitment Consultant vacancy - Recruitment Industry - £30k OTE - Edinburgh - http://ping.fm/vMN77

JOB - Senior Production Manager vacancy - Food Industry - £45k - SouthEast England - http://ping.fm/05nVn

JOB - Assistant 3-Piece Can Manufacturing Manager – Saudi Arabia – up to £50,000 TAX FREE + full benefits – Mechanical Engineering background + 3-piece tin can manufacturing experience ESSENTIAL - http://tinyurl.com/37gq753

JOB - Senior Engineering Managers – Automation – Saudi Arabia – up to £45,000 TAX FREE + full benefits – Electrical Engineering background + Process Control + Siemens S7 and Wonderware PLC systems - http://tinyurl.com/39qgjo2

JOB - Senior Engineering Manager – Electrical Infrastructure – Saudi Arabia – up to £45,000 TAX FREE + full benefits – Substations, Transformers, Switch Stations - http://ping.fm/VVwKw

JOB - Engineering Manager – Hampshire, England – up to £50,000 – Experience of Steam Extraction and Still Production methods advantageous - http://tinyurl.com/2w7ayey

JOB - Electrical Engineer – Leicester, England – up to £30,000 – PLC systems experience required - http://tinyurl.com/38kcx8g

JOB - Engineering Manager – London, England - £33-38,000 – Multi-Skilled background desirable - http://tinyurl.com/399rpfb

JOB - Engineering Manager – Fraserburgh, Scotland - £40-50,000 + pension + relocation assistance - http://tinyurl.com/34nw83q

JOB - Process Development Technologist vacancy - Food Industry - £29k - SouthWest England - http://ping.fm/uO9kv

JOB - Senior Food Technologist vacancy - Food Industry - £35k - SouthEast England - http://ping.fm/pdI1u

JOB - Engineering Manager vacancy - Food Industry - £50k - Scotland - http://ping.fm/rjTiV

JOB - Planning Manager vacancy - Food Industry - £35k - NorthEast England - http://ping.fm/LPjah

Movember – View photos of the KPI team’s fundraising facial topiary at http://ping.fm/8kDWr

JOB - Process Technologist vacancy - Food Industry - £20k - SouthEast England - http://ping.fm/izuzd

JOB - QA Technician vacancy - Food Industry - £20k - SouthWest England - http://ping.fm/8Kmat

JOB - Technical Manager vacancy - Food Industry - £34k - SouthEast England - http://ping.fm/6f5fg

JOB - Technical Manager vacancy - Food Industry - £36k - NorthEast England - http://ping.fm/LWxee

FoodNews – “Access-all-areas” 2 week open house promotion at Just-Food + genuinely Free Market Intelligence Reports - http://ping.fm/U1l1X

FoodNews - "City: Mass factory closures unlikely in Greencore - Northern Foods merger" - http://ping.fm/yj6QX

JOB - NPD Technologist/Manager vacancy - Food Industry - £40k - Scotland - http://ping.fm/57jPd

JOB - Can Manufacturing Supervisor vacancy - Food Industry - £40k - SaudiArabia - http://ping.fm/mDKFm

JOB - Senior Engineering Managers (Automation) vacancy - Food Industry - £45k - SaudiArabia - http://ping.fm/kPSwD

JOB - Asst. Can Manufacturing Manager vacancy - Food Industry - £45k - SaudiArabia - http://ping.fm/pZ1TJ

FoodNews - Northern Foods and Greencore agree to merge - http://ping.fm/eMRyh

FoodNews - "R&R Ice Cream builds up warchest" - http://ping.fm/PeSlK

JOB - Project Manager (Plastics/Blow Moulding) vacancy - Food Industry - £45k - SaudiArabia - http://ping.fm/x23nw

JOB - Senior Engineering Manager (Electrical) vacancy - Food Industry - £45k - SaudiArabia - http://ping.fm/j5zrx

JOB - Packaging Development Manager vacancy - Food Industry - £50k - WestMidlands - http://ping.fm/MpA2U

JOB - NPD Technologist vacancy - Food Industry - £29k - SouthEast England - http://ping.fm/p2LNm

FoodNews – “Hundreds of jobs at risk at Headland Foods” - http://ping.fm/aDTL3

JOB - NPD Technologist vacancy - 12 month contract - Food Industry - £20k - SouthEast England - http://ping.fm/Ggrdk

FoodNews – “Wiseman to supply another 35m litres to Tesco” - http://ping.fm/1KfKx

JOB - Sales Manager vacancy - Food Industry - £45k - SouthEast England - http://ping.fm/T4gP9

JOB - Stock Controller vacancy - Food Industry - £17.5k - SouthWest England - http://ping.fm/zf5rr

FoodNews – “Premier Foods in talks with Princes over two sites” - http://ping.fm/qD0jo

JOB - Group Quality & Food Safety Manager vacancy - Food Industry - £80k - UK wide - http://ping.fm/IafUA

JOB - QA Manager vacancy - Food Industry - £30k - SouthWest England - http://ping.fm/Bb2hR

JOB - Engineering Manager vacancy - Food Industry - £50k - SouthEast England - http://ping.fm/kV142

FoodNews - Training cash for South West England food firms - http://ping.fm/QeB5J

FoodNews - Rachel's boss takes helm at Loseley Dairy Ice Cream - http://ping.fm/CjiII

JOB - Quality Manager vacancy - Food Industry - £34k - SouthEast England - http://ping.fm/4NS2q

JOB - Senior Technical Projects Consultant vacancy - Food Industry - £50k - Scotland - http://ping.fm/w5BXO

JOB - Technical Manager (6-12 month Maternity cover) vacancy - Food Industry - £35k - Scotland - http://ping.fm/7km0L

JOB - Hygiene Manager vacancy - Food Industry - £32k - EastMidlands - http://ping.fm/WvuJP

JOB - Interim NPD Buyer vacancy - Food Industry - £17k - Scotland - http://ping.fm/eFphS

JOB - Quality Supervisor vacancy - Food Industry - £20k – SouthEast England - http://ping.fm/lLqWW

JOB - Factory Manager vacancy - Food Industry - £40k - SouthEast England - http://ping.fm/MHwEb

Food - Northern may put Fenland Foods factory up for sale - http://ping.fm/ir3x5

This month KPI Recruitment are indulging in Moustachioed tomfoolery again in aid of The Prostate Cancer Charity. Please support our top lip shenanigans by donating what you can at http://ping.fm/A6e6r

FoodNews - Council expects payback as Northumberland Foods revived - http://ping.fm/sYlSS

#Food - Unite issues Heinz bosses notice of Kitt Green strike ballot - http://ping.fm/4EmyD

#JOB – Interim Development Account Manager vacancy - #Food Industry - £30k - #Scotland - http://ping.fm/yWyPe

#JOB - Purchasing Manager Vacancy - #Food Industry - £38k - #NorthEast England - http://ping.fm/KjKH9