The Motivation letter

• Your motivation letter is important. It is your potential employer’s introduction to you and creates their first impression of you.
• Make sure there are no spelling mistakes or grammatical errors.
• Action Appointments does not edit or correct your motivation letter. Your letter will be sent directly to the client. It is up to you to present yourself well and to ensure that your letter is to the point and well-written.
• In your first application to Action Appointments it is fine to send a generic letter. If you are short-listed for a position we will ask you to write a more detailed motivation letter specific to the position you are applying for.
• In your letter state why you feel you are suited to the position by highlighting the skills, experience and qualities you have that relate directly to the job you are applying for.
• Also include any special personal qualities that indicate why you are suitable for the position, e.g. passion for the subject, personality strengths, ethics, etc.

CV Writing Tips

Send your CV to us as a word document – not in pdf format. Please do not use tables in your CV. 

• Keep your CV short and to the point. People are busy - very long CVs are off-putting.
• Include all of your contact details: Include your address, email address and telephone number/s. You can also supply contact numbers for a spouse or relative
• Include a brief overview of your professional qualities with a summary of your key strengths, skills and areas of knowledge.
• Education details:

Don’t include school details.
List your tertiary qualifications with your latest qualification first. Provide only the institution name/s and date/s. Don’t include subject details.

• Employment record:

List your previous positions in chronological order with your current or latest job first. Include dates of employment, position title and employer/organisation name. Include your key responsibilities for each position. Don’t include job descriptions.

• References:

Provide current telephone numbers and email addresses of at least three contactable referees. These referees should preferably have been your supervisor. Don’t include family members or people who can only provide character references.

• Notify us if we should not contact your current employer.

Preparing for the interview

• Research the organisation; read their website.
• Make sure you know where the venue is and how long it will take to get there.
• Be clear in yourself about the kind of working environment you are looking for and thrive in.
• Think about any questions you have about the organisation or the position. Eg. Company history, management structures, clarity on any aspects of the position you are applying for, working environment.
• Make time before the interview to consider about how your work experience, qualifications and character strengths make you suitable for the position so you can express yourself confidently.

The Interview

• Present yourself well physically, dress professionally. If in any doubt about the dress-code dress more formally.
• Don’t be late – this creates a very bad first impression.
• Don’t worry if you are nervous. It is normal to be a bit nervous at a job interview and creates an impression of excitement and eagerness.
• Thank the panel for giving you the opportunity to be interviewed.
• Smile, speak clearly and project your voice.
• Listen to the questions carefully. It’s fine to pause and take a moment to pause think about your answer.
• Look at the person who is talking and asks you the question and direct your answer to them.
• But make sure you make eye contact with all members of the panel during the interview.
• Be succinct. Answer the question and then stop talking.
• It’s fine to occasionally say, ‘I don’t know’ or ask them to rephrase the question if you don’t understand.
• Wait until the end of the interview before you ask questions.
• Don’t bring up the question of salary until your interviewers do. If necessary, Action Appointments can negotiate your package for you.
• As you leave, thank the panel again for their time.

Telephonic interviews

• It is not possible to have the same level of dialogue or interaction in telephonic interviews compared to face-to-face interviews, so there can be a tendency to talk too much.
• Speak clearly and keep your answers short and succinct.
• It is fine to pause to consider the questions before you answer.