CHOOSE HELP CAREFULLY

By Hugh Oram.

An industry has grown up around advising candidates on how to win success. Some companies advise on how to make CVs stand out and others do mock interviews. Standards vary; some firms give very good information for the price, while others may charge as much for less return. If preparation is done properly, it can pay dividends, as Aaron O'Brien of CPL explains: "Many candidates are unsure about how to structure their CV and how to conduct themselves at interview. They should seek advice before they meet an employer - it could be the difference between getting the job and not."

One of those providing coaching services is Career Stages. They cover everything from CV and cover letter creation through to interview preparation. It says that the cost of helping a candidate prepare a CV will vary from €80 to €250. ETC Consult does a full programme. Candidates go through an interview evaluation process and, after being sent away for 10 days with some 20 questions to practise, they return for an interview. Pat Shortt of ETC Consult says that the process helps candidates perform optimally.

Rowan Manahan of Fortify Services says that many companies offer mock interview services, but that people should look out for warning signs about poor quality services. Mr. Manahan says that the biggest failing is a weak counsellor. A referral from someone you know is more valuable than a slick advertisement or website, he believes. It is an expensive business, anything from €250 for a one-off session to €150 and more per hour for open-ended sessions. "This sounds like a lot of money, but it's just another level of investment for your career."

In the end, concludes Christine O'Mahony of Career Matters in Dublin, "It's all about getting your message across and highlighting the unique selling points of each individual." She advises people to "keep enhancing your skills and updating your CV."

In picking a company to advise on a CV or prepare you for an interview, choose carefully.

CHOOSING HELP - GUIDELINES

By Rowan Manahan

The advantages of a practice interview with a stranger are that it will (1) provide you with objective feedback, (2) desensitise you to at least some of the unpleasantries of the interview process and (3) give you an insight into what is in the mind of the modern interviewer. A tailored session will allow you to voice your concerns and gain insight into the most positive methods of self-presentation. If you can’t afford or access a fully-fledged mock interview, use the questions from a good book or download some from the internet and get a friend to take you through them and tape or film you as you answer them. You will probably be amazed by how you look and/or sound, but the experience can be valuable if you have no insight into how you are perceived.

A caveat on professional mock interviews: many companies offer these services and some of them are very good and have a high success rate, but many of them are not. Watch out for these warning signs of a below-par service:

	The session will be of a fixed duration. The mock interview should take as long (or short) as the session needs – any company that can’t accommodate that is not worth your time or money.
	The company doesn’t ask you about the job you are going for or doesn’t ask to see your CV in advance. The first means that you are going to be put through a ‘by the numbers’ generic interview, with no tailoring to the nature of the role. In today’s market, this is worthless.
	The company insists on videotaping the session and trumps this as some sort of BIG DEAL. If you have significant concerns about your ability to perform effectively in the interview setting, someone shouting "Lights, camera, action" as you begin a dry run is probably not going to be helpful. Audio or videotaping has its place (see above), but a perceptive, empathetic adviser who just plain talks to you is probably going to be more useful at the outset. If it is a senior role and you are doing multiple sessions preparing for it, then the camera is invaluable. If you get the feeling that the session is built around the camera because “that’s how we do things around here”, look elsewhere.
	The biggest failing that I constantly hear about in mock interview sessions is a weak counsellor. If the person conducting the session has no commercial or industrial experience and that is the nature of your upcoming interview, ask yourself just how useful they are likely to be. It’s your money, your time, your career and your make-or-break interview – shop around. A referral from someone you trust on your network is worth 10 times as much as a slick advertisement in the Yellow Pages. People can be quite shy in admitting that they have used a career management service – encourage them to share their experiences, good and bad, and make your choices from that base.

original article available to Irish Times subscribers here