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Making recruitment personal means we get to know candidates so we can put them forward for just the right roles.
Of course, this makes us popular with clients because we don’t waste their time – and it’s also great for job-seekers. We know from feedback that they appreciate the honest and straightforward way we work with them.
When you choose us, we’ll keep you in the loop throughout the process, from telling you the latest jobs we have that might work for you, to updating you on the responses after we put your CV forward. We’ll also check in with you after an interview and always pass on feedback promptly, whether it’s good news or not. We know the last thing you want is to be left wondering whether silence means ‘no’, so we’ll encourage our clients to make a decision and share it as soon as possible.
We also offer a CV review service, when one of our professional recruiters looks over your CV and advises on ways to improve it, from sharpening up your spelling and grammar to really selling yourself to a potential employer. We offer this affordable service to everyone, even if they’re not on our books as a candidate for our clients.
We have reviewed thousands of CVs over the years and we estimate 80% of these have some kind of grammatical, spelling or formatting issue. We want you to have a perfect CV so we are offering a CV review service that will evaluate your CV and address the following most common issues:
Research the company – no need for huge amounts of detail but just know who they are and what they do.
Find out what type of interview it is – informal, competency based or technical. If it’s competency based, the STAR technique could be helpful. Download this below.
Prepare some questions for the interviewers (steer away from salary based questions though unless they bring it up and then it’s fine to discuss). Maybe 5 or so depending on time constraints.
Questions they may ask you. We don’t have a crystal ball and there are too many to list so we have listed the most common and some of the more tricky ones. You can download this here.
Find out what the next steps are and a rough idea of time frames.
We do offer free career advice but you’ll need to either call into the office on
01937 541888
or fill in your details here and we’ll give you a call.
Carole McGuinness: The Interview Skills Coach with a Wealth of Experience
Carole’s career began in financial services, where she honed her skills as a manager for more than two decades. This hands-on experience provided her with a comprehensive knowledge base which enabled her to establish her own consultancy firm in 2010.
Over the last 13 years she has worked with high street banks and on line retail stores, managing various change projects and delivering high quality learning and development solutions.
What sets Carole apart as an interview skills coach is not only her professional journey but also her extensive experience on both sides of the interview table. Having interviewed countless individuals and been interviewed herself on numerous occasions, she possesses a unique perspective that enables her to connect with clients on a personal level. Her ability to empathize with the challenges faced by job seekers and hiring managers alike adds a layer of authenticity to her coaching approach.
The culmination of Carole’s expertise is evident in the practical workbook she has created titled “Preparing for Interview Success.” available on Amazon from Feb / March ’24. Drawing on her years of experience, the book serves as a comprehensive guide for candidates wishing to prepare thoroughly for their interviews.
For those who need some extra support to help build confidence before an interview Carole offers one to one coaching sessions.
As an interview skills coach, Carole not only imparts valuable knowledge but also instills the confidence necessary for individuals to showcase their true potential in any interview setting.
To find out more you can email Carole at carole@danianconsulting.com in complete privacy to discuss your individual needs.
paid to anyone who recommends Solo Search to a new client which leads to a successful contract or permanent placement (*Terms apply)
* Terms: Must be a new client with whom Solo Search Services has not previously provided recruitment services to. A placement means either a contract placement of a minimum of 6 months or a permanent hire. Payable on payment of our client invoice.
paid to anyone who recommends a candidate for a role we are recruiting for and we subsequently place them in said role (**Terms apply)
**Terms: A placement means either a contract placement of a minimum of 6 months or a permanent hire. Payable on payment of our client invoice.
If you have applied for one of our roles, we will endeavour to review your CV within 3 days of receiving your application. We will be in touch via email or phone to let you know if your application has been shortlisted and, if for some reason we cannot take your application forward, we will provide feedback explaining why.
If your CV is not getting the desired response, there are a few things that you can check:
If we haven’t responded to your application, then please call in to the office. Sometimes we do get inundated with applications and it can take a while to get around everyone who has applied (but we will get back to you!).
If we have submitted your CV to the client and you haven’t heard from us, this doesn’t mean that your application has been rejected. It just means that we are still waiting to hear back from the client.
Timescales can vary depending on the client and how many applications they receive from us and likely other recruiters also. We aim to provide candidates with weekly updates, even if there is no news, but if you have any concerns then you can always give us a call and we’ll be happy to give you an update.
If you have been offered a position following your interviews, we would recommend that you hand your notice into your current employer after you receive an official offer in writing from your new employer. Offers are usually sent to you via email and occasionally in the post – each client is different, but we will advise you accordingly.
Great! You can manage your situation to your advantage!
Transparency is key!
Let your interviewers and/or your recruiter know that you have other job offers or final stage interviews. Ultimately, you will need to weigh up your options depending on what your motivational drivers are (everyone’s are different!). At this stage, you may want to cancel any further interviews just to eliminate any options that you know you wouldn’t accept even if offered.
If you need any guidance then we are always available for a chat.
Depending on what you are doing now and where you want to get to, you may need to undertake some studies to kickstart your new career. We would recommend studying alongside keeping your current job (this may not always be possible depending on the intensity of the studies!) so that there is less of a gap in work experience on your CV.
Your first role will be a junior position; therefore, you must be prepared to take a lower salary until you build up sufficient work experience to move up the ranks.
This is very normal, but the important thing is to acknowledge the gaps. Explain what you have been doing in that time, i.e., sabbatical, maternity leave, studies, relocation, etc.
Include a sentence or two on your CV to explain the gaps as this will be better than not having anything written at all. The goal is to reduce the number of questions relating to your application by being completely transparent. A CV should tell a story with no jigsaw pieces missing as you don’t want the reader making any incorrect assumptions.
Absolutely! We can schedule a time to run through interview preparation. Just give us a call if this is something that you would like to do and we can book some time aside. It’s best doing this over a call rather than e-mail though.
You can also request a downloadable guide for interview tips here.
As a graduate with no commercial experience, we would recommend that you tailor your CV for the role you are aiming for by highlighting any projects you have completed. This way you can showcase the skills you have learnt and have effectively put into practice. As well as projects, include any on-line learning, webinars or meet-up groups you have attended. It wouldn’t do any harm to do some voluntary work and even find yourself a mentor.
It can sometimes be difficult to offer advice and guidance over email or through a website as everyone’s circumstances are so different. We always encourage you to give us a call for a chat if you need more specific guidance on 01937 541888.
Whether this be on a spreadsheet, Word document or in an old-fashioned notebook, it is key that you know the roles you have applied for and where your CV has been sent. Whether this be directly to a company or via a recruiter make sure you keep track of the main points like – date, role, company name, location and have you applied directly or has a recruiter sent your CV (if so, take their details). If applying in volumes simply staying organised it will make the whole process less stressful when you receive all those requests for interviews! Not knowing how you ended up sat in front of a hiring manager could lead to an awkward conversation. Note – A recruiter should ALWAYS tell you the name of a company before they send your CV!
Before you start applying for jobs, stop and think, what can potential employers see online about you? Do you have Facebook? Instagram? Twitter? What is in public view and would you want people to see it. You need to think what it says about you and is this the image you want to portray to your future employer.
Need to cancel or retract interview or a job offer, keep in mind that companies grow and acquire and other people move jobs too, even the hiring managers! Everyone understands that you need to make the best decision for you and sometimes you have to let someone down but try do this with class. It is hard to guide you on what’s right and wrong but use your gut instinct, if it’s as serious as retracting a job offer the day before you start as you have had a better offer then make sure you not only contact the recruiter but perhaps consider a direct explanation to a hiring manager also. You never know what the future holds!
Regardless of how good of an employee you say you are or how much your personality shines through, remember when applying for a job the thing all employers see first is your CV. So, don’t be lazy here! Spend some time making sure this is up to date and the best it can be. The following points are the basics for you –