One of my regular columns in Health and Safety At Work Magazine, responding to questions and giving careers advice and guidance to health and safety professionals.

1. recruitment
ask the recruitment expert
I think I’ve got a good CV and cover letter but I’m not getting
anywhere. What do you suggest?
Attwood Burton is a health, safety
and environment recruitment
consultancy.
www.attwoodburton.co.uk
The strength of your CV and
cover letter is what will get
you in front of your prospective
employer. Here are 10 simple things
to check before you send your next
application. These basic steps, which
many people get wrong, could just
help you get ahead.
n Names: Find the name of
the person you’re writing to and
use it. An impersonal, “Dear Sir/
Madam” looks lazy and shows a
lack of care.
n Make your letter relevant: Many
people don’t bother with a cover
letter. By writing one at all you’re
helping your application to stand
out. If you’re going to write one,
as a minimum, make sure you’re
using the company name and job
title of the job for which you’re
applying.
n Make your CV relevant: You’ve read
the advert and decided to apply. The
advert has told you what the job entails
so make sure that your CV includes
your relevant experience. This will
take some effort but if you want the
job it’s worth making the effort.
n Spelling: Nowadays, there’s absolutely no excuse for spelling mistakes.
Use spellcheck and then read and
reread through your application.
Don’t forget your grammar.
n Achievements: Make sure your CV
says what you’ve achieved. A long list
of roles and responsibilities, cut and
pasted from your job description, is
not going to impress anyone.
n Impact: You need to make a good
first impression. You’ve got 20 seconds
to get noticed. If the best part of your
CV is halfway down page 2, you’re
going to miss out.
n Order: Write your CV in reverse
chronological order. Recruiters want
to know what you’re doing now, what
you’ve been doing recently and why
it’s relevant. Your first job is much
less important.
n Size: Two pages is the perfect
size for a CV, though three could be
acceptable. There’s no reason why
you can’t create a strong, relevant CV
on two pages of A4, whether you’ve
been working for five years or 25.
Seven page CVs won’t be read and
will ruin your chance of success.
n Honesty: Don’t claim qualifications or professional memberships
that you don’t have. It only takes a
phone call to find out the truth.
n Photos: If people want to see what
you look like, they can find you on
LinkedIn. It’s rare that a photo makes
an application stronger, so please,
no photos on CVs.
Mark Burton, Attwood Burton
HSE Manager (Heavy Civils) – London – AB1718 – Perm c£75k or Freelance £Excellent Daily Rate
One of our key clients has a need for an experienced HSE Manager to work on a major tunnelling project in London. Site based, you will be working “client
side” reviewing Contractors’ management systems and supporting the project delivery team to ensure legislative compliance. CMIOSH desired but not
essential.
QA Manager (High Rise Construction) – London – AB1717 – To £60k + excellent benefits
This company is involved with constructing some of the largest projects in London. Boasting a highly skilled, highly experienced team, they are naturally
looking for a consummate QA professional to join them. Is that you?
For a confidential discussion, please contact Alistair Attwood on 01932 213202 or email your CV to alistair@attwoodburton.co.uk
Head of Sales – Home Based – Midlands/ North West – AB1712 – c£65k + Car allowance + excellent benefits
Do you have strong sales experience, specifically in health and safety, the environment, quality assurance or inspection services? Are you looking to develop your
career and to take on responsibility for leading a remote team of sales professionals? Can you demonstrate a strong track record of success, both exceeding your
own targets and making sure that your team does the same? Can you manage existing accounts as well as proactively generate new business? If so, please
contact me to discuss this excellent role in more detail. The role is a business critical appointment in an international, multi- disciplinary consultancy and offers
superb opportunities for career development.
EHS Advisor – Cheshire – AB1715 – c£33k + benefits
An international chemical manufacturing company is actively seeking a new EHS Advisor to join the team. Based on a site in Cheshire, with travel to another
local site and reporting to the EHS Manager, you will work to drive the continuous improvement of EHS standards across sites. This is a diverse site, involving
hazardous chemical processing, heavy plant, FLTs, heavy lifting and working at height, so experience in an industrial setting is very important. The role
offers great opportunities for career and professional development, with support for advancing your qualifications and growing in to a larger role over time.
Applicants should have experience of working in a similar role in manufacturing, ideally chemical manufacturing and will ideally be Grad IOSH. My client is
looking for candidates with excellent communication skills at all levels.
For a confidential discussion, please contact Mark Burton on 01932 213203 or email your CV to mark@attwoodburton.co.uk
For many more great roles visit www.attwoodburton.co.uk or call us for a confidential discussion
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October 2013 | healthandsafetyatwork.com