Position Your Career At Old Mutual

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Position Your Career At Old Mutual

To assist you in giving you the best opportunity to be successful in applying for a position at Old Mutual, we have outlined useful tips and advice to guide you.

  • CV Advice

CV ADVICE

The following is an example of what a CV should include:

PERSONAL DETAILS

These are traditionally at the top of your resume and should include your name, address, home / mobile telephone numbers and email address.

PERSONAL PROFILE OR SUMMARY

Before you begin writing ask yourself the following questions:

  • Firstly what work experience does the vacancy require?
  • Secondly how can you best highlight your achievements and experience in these areas?

Now write a brief statement and description of yourself and your career achievements, include your career objectives, aims and what you consider to be your strongest personal traits. Also explain what sort of role you are looking for and also why.

CAREER HISTORY

Give a breakdown of your employment history, starting with the most recent or present. Include the following information:

  • Employers name.
  • Location where you were based.
  • Employment dates.
  • Job title.
  • Duties and responsibilities

In it list those skill sets and career achievements which you feel are relevant to your industry or to the job that you are applying for. To emphasis particular keywords consider making them bold or underlining them.

DETAILS OF PRESENT AND PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT

If you have a long career history then only mention in detail the most recent ones, there is no real need to explain in detail what you did 20 years ago. There is no need to go into lengthy descriptions of your previous employment. Instead use bullet points to list key responsibilities and duties that relate to the vacancy you are applying for. Try to keep them as brief, relevant and simple as possible, remembering to highlight any keywords.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE AND WORK EXPERIENCE

Focus on showing key data and facts that can benefit the employer. If possible give examples of your achievements. Focus on showing that you are an accomplished hard worker who can bring many positive attributes to your new place of employment.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

List your academic qualifications including the certificates, dates, locations, colleges or universities and grades.

REFERENCES

This section is usually placed at the end of your CV and to save valuable space should just be a short sentence saying ‘References available on request’. There is no need to include the details of your references. If required you can supply these later on.
The following should not be included in your CV:

PHOTOS

There is no need to put this in a CV or to attach a photo. It is not standard practice, can backfire on you and it also takes up valuable space.

YOUR FAILURES

Your CV must be a positive document, so avoid putting in examples of negative experiences at work or in your personal or academic life.

UNUSUAL FONTS

Do not use unusual fonts, very bright colours or cartoon figures in your CV. These will not grab the readers’ attention, look amatuerish and will create an immediate bad impression of you.

UNNECESSARY HEADINGS

Save space on your CV by not putting in headings and titles that are not necessary.

LEISURE ACTIVITIES

Not really advisable as space is at a premium there is no need to give details about your hobbies, unless of course they are related to the job you are applying for. For instance if you are applying for a management position then if you were the manager or coach of your local football team you should mention it.

YOUR HEALTH

There is no real reason to mention this unless you have a medical condition that can affect your ability to do a job.

RELIGION, SEXUALITY OR POLITICAL AFFILIATIONS

In your CV there is no need for you to include your religion, sexual orientation or what political party you voted for.

REASONS FOR LEAVING YOUR PREVIOUS JOBS

Again no real reason to tell people why you left your previous employment, if an employer wants to know they will ask you at the interview stage.

  • Interview Tips

A candidate’s enthusiasm and attitude during the interview often reflects their personality. How they respond to open-ended questions defines their communication skills and how quickly they think on their feet. Additional evaluation criteria include punctuality, eye contact and professional appearance.

INTERVIEWING DO’S AND DON’TS

  • Look smart – before the interview select your outfit according to the industry and position. Dress with confidence, if you feel good, others will respond accordingly.
  • Be on time – never arrive late for an interview. Allow extra time to arrive early in case you get lost. Arrive 10 to 15 minutes before the interview.
  • Do your research – researching the company before the interview will give you the edge. Find out as much information about the company- services, customers, products by consulting the website. The more you know, the better your chances to sell yourself.
  • Be prepared – bring along a folder containing extra copies of your CV, certified copies of academic transcripts, identity document, and reference letters. Have questions prepared to ask at the end of the interview.
  • Show enthusiasm – a firm handshake and eye contact demonstrates confidence. Speak clearly and distinctly in a confident voice even if you are feeling nervous.
  • Listen – one of the most neglected interviewing skills is listening. Make sure you are not only listening but reading between the lines. Sometimes what is not said is just as important as what is said.
  • Answer the question asked – often candidates don’t think about whether or not they are answering the question being asked. Make sure you understand the question and get further clarification if you are not sure.
  • Give specific examples – prepare examples where possible, before the interview. Give examples which highlight your successes and uniqueness. Your past behaviour can influence your future performance.
  • Ask questions – many interviewees don’t ask questions and miss the opportunity to find out valuable information. Your questions will indicate an interest in the company.
  • Follow up – whether through email or telephonically, the follow up is one more chance to remind the interviewer of all the valuable traits you could bring to the job and the company. You don’t want to miss a chance to market yourself!

  • Person-Job Match

There is nothing more frustrating to a Recruiter than people applying for roles that they are clearly not suitable for. Often applicants apply blindly without understanding what they apply for and without considering what the minimum requirements for the role are. Over time this type of applicant becomes known by Recruiters and do not give themselves much of an opportunity to be considered seriously. Carefully study the vacancy details and only apply if you meet the minimum requirements for the role, especially in terms of qualifications, skills and experience required.

To be successful in a role one needs to have the appropriate training and background and even more importantly have a passion for the majority of duties you will be expected to perform. If you are e.g. an extremely creative person try and find a role that makes use of this attribute 60%+ of the time. To perform very administrative and structured duties can be extremely frustrating to a creative person and this will impact negatively on the individual’s performance.
If you feel you have lots of empathy for others and would like to help others to realise their dreams and talents, choose a role where you can live out this attribute for most of the time in the role. Every role will always have duties that does not fit your natural disposition and strengths but at least ensure that the majority of the role requires you to use your natural strengths and preferences.

  • Old Mutual’s Hiring Process

  • We advertise either on our website or in various media,
  • You can either apply for a specific job online if one is available or post your CV on our database to be alerted to suitable job opportunities in the future,
  • If you have applied online you will receive a notification to say that your CV has been received,
  • If you are shortlisted, the Recruiter for the position will contact you and invite you to come to Old Mutual for an interview,
  • The interview will be a competency based interview i.e. questions will be based on the competencies identified for the job,
  • If the interview was successful you may need to come back for further interviews and psychometric assessment,
  • If you are identified as the best person for the job Old Mutual will make you an offer,
  • If you are not shortlisted you will receive a letter informing you that your application was unsuccessful

 

  • Selection Assessment

For most roles at Old Mutual psychometric assessment forms part of the selection decision making process. Be prepared to undertake these assessments with confidence. At Old Mutual we believe that assessment results combined with CV, reference and interview findings give us the best possible data to decide accurately on employing people who fit the role requirements.

Typically the assessments will consist of suitable verbal, numerical, abstract reasoning and speed and accuracy tests as well as a personality assessment and an interactive simulation or role-play scenario. All psychometric instruments we use are registered with the Health Professions Council of SA and have proven not to unfairly discriminate against people from different backgrounds.
You can visit SHL Direct to familiarise yourself with the kinds of questions asked in the different assessment instruments.
To perform at your best in the assessments get a good night’s rest and turn up in time for the assessment. You will perform at your best when you are yourself and are in position to fully utilise your abilities and competence gained over time. If you are not feeling well on the day of the assessment for whatever reason ask the Assessment Administrator to rather reschedule as we want to see you at your absolute best.
Candidates who get appointed to Old Mutual will receive comprehensive feedback on their assessment results as soon as they start with us. It is a great opportunity to reflect on strengths and development areas with your line manager in attendance and so address areas to make you more effective in the workplace.