Job Search Resources
CV Workshop
Perhaps you’ve been out of the job market for a while, and you’re feeling a little rusty about how to bring the best of “you” to paper? Jonny and Giles have had the pleasure of assisting dozens (if not hundreds!) of job seekers with amendments to their CV.
Take a look at our top tips below, and download our “Right Pear - CV Template 2026” for free, in order to craft your resume that best suits your style.
At the end of the day, there is no correct way to do your resume… some recruiters will demand a one pager, others encourage more detail over multiple pages. We certainly lean towards the latter, but just do whatever works for you!
Give some context on who your employer is.
That might not be necessary if you work for say, Google, but most of us don’t work for world famous organisations, and the person reviewing your CV might have no idea who Example & Example Ltd is. For example:
Management Accountant
January 2022 - Present
Example & Example Ltd
Example & Example Ltd are a (insert ownership structure, i.e. family run or private equity backed business) based in (insert area) specialising in (insert industry). They employ approx. X staff with annual revenues of £Xm.
Don’t be afraid to tell the truth.
We understand how difficult it is to put yourself in a vulnerable position. There are many things that can happen outside of your control that can effect your employment status. But ultimately, you don’t want your CV to be misleading.
Firstly, if you’ve finished up your employment, make sure that’s the case on your CV. Include the month you finished your most recent role. Not only will it tell an accurate account of your employment status with that company, but it will also open up your CV to immediate-start opportunities (permanent or contract) that you’ll otherwise be overlooked for if the reader assumes you’re still employed.
Secondly, if you’ve had time off work to care for a family member, to take time off to go travelling, or to avoid burnout and recharge your mental health, don’t worry! We are all human, and interviewers are human too. Feel free to add a small line on your CV detailing what you’ve been doing whilst out of the job market.
Include more detail.
Short bullet point responsibilities like “management accounting”, “tax returns”, “payroll” or “month end” just don’t cut it.
What exactly was your involvement in this process? What were the steps you took, and the timelines / volumes / systems involved?
Blogs.
Interview Tips
Questions. Questions. Questions.
You’d be amazed how many candidates don’t have questions prepared for an interview.
This is your opportunity to do two major things. Firstly, show a genuine interest in the business and the opportunity. Secondly, find out whether or not this is actually the right opportunity for you.
Showing an interest is all well and good, but how do you know for certain that this is the job you want to be in for the next few years? By making sure you’re asking questions that address those areas directly, you’ll be able to eliminate any uncertainty come decision time.
As recruiters, we firmly believe that interviews are a genuine two-way street. Times have changed for the better and now you - the job seeker - have the power to put your prospective employers under the spotlight.
Be a STAR.
You’ve probably heard of the STAR method. It is tried and tested, reliable, and a format that has worked time and time again in favour of the job seeker. It’s best adopted to handle the more tricky scenario-based or “give me an example of” questions.
Put simply, it is a way of tailoring your responses in a way that provides the most structured detail, broken into 4 steps.
For example, give me an example of a time you had to deal with an unsatisfied customer and how did you resolve that matter?
Situation
What happened in that moment… talk about your job and what it was that the customer was ‘unsatisfied’ with.
Task
What was your goal from here… explain what you needed to do to rectify the issue. Did you take it upon yourself to ensure the customer would get the answers they were looking for? Did you want to help them find a solution?
Action
How did you accomplish that goal, and what were the steps you took to get there? Did this involve an empathetic conversation with the customer? Did you raise this issue with management? Did you have to log into a system to find a lost item/purchase? What else did you do (individually or collectively)?
Result
After you took the above steps, what happened? Did the customer walk away feeling like they were listened to? Did they smile and shake your hand? Did they compliment you personally and your assistance?
Be yourself.
‘Culture fit’ is a term bandied about an awful lot.
Unfortunately, it’s also a reason to be rejected from a vacancy, often without clarity on what exactly is ‘unfit’ about your culture. The solution is quite simple - don’t pretend to be someone you’re not.
Whether you are an extrovert who shouts from the rooftop, or a little more withdrawn and lacking confidence in wider group settings, then wear that with pride. Ultimately, if you’re changing who you are to be hired, then guess what! You’re going to need to keep this ‘new you’ ongoing in the job, too. That doesn’t usually end well.
If you be yourself in the interview, and you’ll get to be yourself in the job, too.