Sonia Said:

How to prepare for first job interview?

We Answered:

Long story short. You don't, you go in and be yourself and talk to the employer like you would talk to anyone else. Unless your resume is full of bs in which case memorize your resume, they will likely ask you questions about your work experience. If you prepare you'll come off as nervous or fake. Don't use big words you risk alienating your employer. There not necessarily the smartest people in the world either. Don't come off as desperate, just show them who you really are. Focus on trying to get the employer to like you not on being a snob and showing them how much smarter you are than them. I usually have to dumb myself down for interviews.

Good luck - getting a job is rough when you know you really need it. lo - that's why in the future save some security money. Like a grande or 2, keep it in your bank and treat that marker as 0 dollars or like your own personal credit that you need to pay back that's what I do.
You'll be so much more relaxed during your interviews. :) The jobs seem to come so easy when you don't really need them.

Paula Said:

How to handle a CV containing more than one pager?

We Answered:

as someone who has had to go through piles of CV's myself, and its a pain in the a*se and u run out of patience quickly and after the tenth sloppy one you start to just bin them, i would paper clip them, because if they have a messy desk, and they will, full of CV's, then they arent gonna want to have to look for page 2 if it drops out, are they. paper clip or staple. keep it all together, make your contact details crystal clear as well. put a footer on each page with your name and which page it is as well. make it EASY for them, this will convey that if you are hired you will make their life easy, not a mess.

Bobbie Said:

What lenght should a typical CV be in Australia?

We Answered:

Australia is no different. Keep your CV to two pages and include a single page covering letter. Only include things like interests/hobbies if they have some relevance to the position or are particularly significant.

It won't hurt to have a 'clubs' heading if you are a Rotarian or a Lion or similar but you should only include service clubs of that nature.

A possible difference between countries is that you shouldn't mention your gender, age, marital status, if you have children, race, disabilities or anything else except your work experience and relevant qualifications. Employers and employment agents are forbidden by strictly enforced law to ask you about any of those things or to take any of them into account when hiring but once you've volunteered that information, you have no way of knowing if it will have an adverse effect..

Mike Said:

How can I make 10 years of medical secretarial experience look good on my CV?

We Answered:

Years of experience, while important, it is not the be all end all.
This goes for any profession.
What employers are looking for is how well you did your work while you were there, what did you contribute for the betterment of the business, your initiative to take on additional responsibilities, how well you executed them and finally, of course, what your employers will say if contacted.

Question normally asked of these ex-employers is "..if she/he is available for employment will you rehire..? If yes what strengths you see in her/him? If not, why not?.."

Employers are careful in giving references. No mention of your age, your circumstances under which you left employ or made to leave, your race etc... But they can certainly give the period of employment that you were there.

So, when you make your resume keep these points in mind.

Remember this golden rule: FAB. Features and Benefits. You offer features of your background that you highlight to show how best it benefits their current opening. You need to make this list on a separate sheet of paper, do some soul searching to be honest and make yourself look good on paper.

If you were expecting I was going to design your resume - sorry I can't. I do not know a lot about you (nothing, is a better word) and if I really do, it will not be you on paper, it will be I who will be on that. That does not do you much good.