A useful guide to producing your cv and how best to prepare for interviews.

1. CV & iNTERVIEW
gUIDE
FOR Legal & COMPLIANCE PROFESSIONALS

2. 2 TAYLOR ROOT @TaylorRoot.com
Structuring Your CV
Q
How should I
organise my
CV and what
content should
I include?
It is a good idea to split your CV into four
sections: personal information, qualifications,
employment history and interests.
Personal information
• Full name
• Full address
• Telephone numbers (day/evening/mobile -
as appropriate)
• Email address
• If relevant, state whether you are eligible to
work or need a work permit
• Always include any language capability and
state your proficiency (do not exaggerate
your fluency, as an interviewer may
decide to interview you in the language
concerned).
Qualifications
If educated to degree level (or have a higher
qualification) it is only necessary to briefly list
earlier academic qualifications with appropriate
grades. Any degree should have the name of the
establishment from which it was gained from
and the level/grade obtained.
This section should also include any
professional qualifications. Additionally,
employers often look for any work related
training - especially if it has led to a particular
qualification.
The objective of your CV is to help you stand out from the crowd and gain you an interview either with
a potential employer or a recruitment consultant. It should create a positive impression about you in
the mind of the interviewer before you meet.
Some advertisements have significant response levels so the initial review of your CV will probably
not last any longer than three minutes at most. Therefore it needs to be professional, business-like
and easy to read; focusing on your key achievements. The covering letter needs to be clearly tailored
to the description of the position and the candidate specification.

3. 3/company/taylor-root CV & INTERVIEW GUIDE
Q
How should I
organise my
CV and what
content should I
include?
Employment history
It is generally accepted practice to put your
employment history in reverse chronological
order and this section should include dates, size
and scope of responsibilities and achievements.
Remember at all times that potential employers
are looking for evidence that you can add value
to the job and the organisation.
• Give most space to your most recent job
• If you do not work for a well-known
organisation it might be appropriate to
insert a brief description of the company
and its business
• Dates – it is only necessary to put the
month and year of joining and leaving any
employer. Your current position should be
‘to date’
• State your title
• Group your experience according to type of
work e.g type of deal
• Use sub-headings to state the value of the
deal, brief details of the transaction/key
points of the matter
• List specific project responsibilities/
involvement in projects
• Do not leave out any period of employment
for whatever reason - ensure that your time
is accountable and that you can explain any
gaps at interview
• Do not give reasons for leaving any of the
jobs on your CV – it is far better to explain
your moves in person at interview
• Do not embellish your CV or be economical
with the truth (i.e. overstating your
experience or accomplishments) – you will
be found out at interview
• Salary information should be left off the
CV but you should be prepared to discuss
your salary with recruitment consultants at
an early stage, so they know you are in the
right range.
• Only use technical/professional jargon
where necessary.
Interests
The key here is that if you are in doubt, leave
them out. Be prepared to elaborate on any of
your interests such as the last play you saw,
the last book you read, the last place that you
visited on a scuba diving holiday. If you have any
interests that might, in any way, be controversial
then leave them off the CV. In any event this
section should be no longer than two lines.

4. 4 TAYLOR ROOT @TaylorRoot.com
cv presentation TIPS
Do: Don’t:
• Restrict the length preferably to three pages, four at
most
• Remember that the only supporting documentation
required initially is an academic transcript for non-
UK qualified candidates
• Keep lots of white space around the edges of the text
making it clear and readable
• Limit each text block to no more than six lines
• Make headings clear and consistent
• Use bullet points where possible
• Include your name on each page, and number all
pages
• Make sure all events are dated, including
qualifications and employment with both month and
year
• Make sure there are no gaps in the dates - if there are,
provide an explanation
• Proofread the final CV several times for spelling,
punctuation and grammar.
• Make your CV double-sided
• Use gimmicks or bind your CV
• Enclose photographs
• Begin your CV with your personal mission statement
• List irrelevant personal details such as names or ages
of children
• Enclose photocopies of references or school
certificates
• Make sweeping statements about how wonderful you
are e.g. great with people etc.

5. 5/company/taylor-root CV & INTERVIEW GUIDE
Know the company. Depending on the role, it
may be appropriate to concentrate on their
products/services, competitors and recent and
future business growth. Review their website for
relevant investor information and press releases
onacquisitions/disposals,appointments,awards
and events. Also look at their blogs and social
media sites if applicable. Trade publications may
also be helpful. Speaking to anyone you know
who works at the organisation will also give you
an edge.
Check if they have a careers section or video
content which may give you information about
their values and culture. It will certainly tell
you how they want to be seen by prospective
employees.
Do you know where you are going? Check the
address and save it in your phone. If you don’t
know the area and can’t find it on Google maps,
call your consultant for directions. Give yourself
lots of time and aim to arrive 10 minutes early,
particularly if you relying on public transport.
Do you know who you will be meeting? Check the
profile of the interviewer via the organisation’s
website and Google.
Call your recruitment consultant at least the day
before, and get a briefing on the job including
who you are seeing, and go through any job
description. They should also be able to help you
with the type of interview, the personality of the
interviewer or with any other information that
you may need.
Make sure you know what is in your CV. It is
important to be able to discuss any aspect of
your CV such as why you studied a particular
course at university, or the part that you played
in a particular project/deal (also make sure that
you can discuss any overall business aims).
Make sure you remember any relevant dates or
qualifications.
Ultimately the interview is a two way street. As
well as ensuring that you ’sell’ yourself to best
effect, you should also be considering questions
for the interviewer on aspects of the role, such
as prospects for career development and the
corporate culture.
Congratulations – you have an interview for a potential role. The interview is your chance to impress
and first impressions count. But a successful interview is more than meeting the requirements
of the job description and a lack of preparation can let down even the best candidate for the job.
Understanding the interview process will allow you to plan for each eventuality, to relax and to be
yourself. Here are some pointers that can help you prepare and secure that all important position.
now for the interview
Q
How do I
prepare for an
interview?

6. 6 TAYLOR ROOT @TaylorRoot.com
Think about the questions that you are likely
to be asked, since some of these can be quite
predictable. At the end of this guide are some
examples of interview questions. If you can
think of the answers to the ’worst’ five potential
questions, this will help ease any apprehensions
considerably.
First impressions are vital so make sure that you
are dressed smartly in a business suit (even if
casual/ ’dress down’ is allowed).
Remember that it is not just your experience
and skill set that is being examined at an
interview but also whether you will fit into the
organisation’s culture.
As well as trying to be yourself it is important to
remember these do’s and don’ts:
• A firm handshake and an engaging smile
are vital.
• Maintain eye contact throughout. Looking
around the room and avoiding the
interviewers’ eyes gives a bad impression.
• Be to the point and answer the question
succinctly. Be aware of rambling in your
answers. Stop talking when you have
answered the question.
• Don’t fidget and be aware of your body
language throughout the interview and at
the same time monitor your interviewer’s
body language. This may give you a clue as
to how you are doing e.g. if the interviewer
is looking bored or restless perhaps you are
digressing too much!
• Do not overly criticise your current employer
(despite the fact that you are looking to
leave).
• Do not reply to a question with monosyllabic
‘yes/no’ answers.
• Be positive and enthusiastic about the role
for which you are being interviewed. Any
reservations you may have should wait until
you have received the offer and/or discussed
it with your recruitment consultant.
• Do not mention salary in the first interview
unless expressly asked. Try and leave salary
discussions until later interviews.
• Always ask questions if you have the
opportunity to do so.
• Do not say anything that cannot be
supported by examples.
• Be natural. If you obtain an offer by acting
then you’ll have to ’act’ for the duration of
your employment.
• Respect the interviewer, even if they are a
relatively junior HR specialist. Do not be
overconfident because first interviews will
often have the power to say no.
• They will often be judging not only your
technical ability, but also whether they
would feel comfortable putting you in front
of clients, so be professional, friendly and
succinct.
Q
How should I
conduct myself
at interview?
now for the interview

7. 7/company/taylor-root CV & INTERVIEW GUIDE
Q
What questions
could I be asked?
• Why do you want to leave XXX organisation?
• Why are you interested in joining YYY
organisation?
• What will you miss most in your current
position?
• What types of people do you work well with/
not work well with?
• What would you say have been your greatest
successes in your current position?
• What would you have done differently in
your current position?
• Give us examples of how your management
style has been effective?
• What have you learnt over the course of the
last 5 years?
• What have you done that shows initiative in
your current position?
• How would your team describe you?
• What are your career goals?
• How are you at prioritising?
• Give examples of your delegation skills?
• What are your hobbies?
• What is the most difficult thing you have
ever done at work?
• Will you be available to travel during the
week?
• What would your colleagues say about you?
• What do you think your current firm will do
when you resign?
• What are your long-term career goals?
These are all deliberately ‘open’ questions, in other words you cannot answer them with a ‘yes’ or
‘no’.

8. 8 TAYLOR ROOT @TaylorRoot.com
now for the interview
• Why has the position become available?
• What is the culture of your organisation?
• What is the policy of your company on
training and development?
• What are the future plans of the company?
• Whodoyouregardasyourmaincompetitors?
• What type of employee is historically
successful in your company?
• How do you appraise the performance of
your employees?
• What would I expect to be involved in during
my first 3/6/12 months?
• What are the long term prospects for the
successful applicant?
• Is there a possibility of working overseas?
• Ask about the interviewer’s background.
People always like to talk about themselves
and this gives you the chance to gather your
thoughts.
Q
What questions
could I ask?
These are examples of some great questions to ask at an interview:

9. 9/company/taylor-root CV & INTERVIEW GUIDE
It is important to leave the interviewer with
a positive impression - thank them for the
opportunity to meet with them and for their
time. If you are still interested in the position
make sure that they know. If they ask if you are
interested, don’t say “I’ll think about and get
back to you”. Be positive and say yes.
Immediately afterwards, note down your
thoughts on the interview and any questions
that you might have while they are still fresh
in your mind.
Call your recruitment consultant as soon as
you can with honest feedback. The sooner
you do this, the sooner they can speak to the
organisation to find out what they are thinking.
At all times stay in touch with your recruitment
consultant who should relay positive or
negative feedback. They will prepare you for
the next meeting and give you help and advice
at all stages. Remember that recruitment
consultants will be highly experienced in the
complete recruitment life cycle from interview
through to offer, acceptance/rejection and
resignation. Use all their knowledge and
experience to help you make the most of the
recruitment process.
Q
How should
I close the
interview?

10. GLOBAL HR SEARCH & RECRUITMENTMARKETING & SALES RECRUITMENT
taylorroot.com @TaylorRootLegal taylor-root
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