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We have just entered 2012 and as an MBA student you are probably thinking it’s time to start the job hunt and if not, you should be! Competition is always fierce for the best jobs on the market and there are a few things to do before you start applying for them to give yourself the best change of success.

The first task is the most obvious but also the most critical: write a good CV. This is particulary important as this is a company’s first impression of you! You will find it easier to write everything you have done down first, then go through and add dates, company names and job titles. Be specific; include the countries in which you gained your experience and make sure there are no unexplained gaps in your history, detailing the month as well as the year is recommended.

Next add in your education. Include the date you started and graduated for every qualification including qualifications you received before you went to university (equivalent to UK A-Levels). You must include grades! All too often we receive CVs with no grades – some of these candidates had excellent results but had neglected to write it down. Employers always immediately assume the worst if you fail to include your grade.

Companies are very keen on extra languages so list any you know along with the level of competency but beware of over exaggeration. If you say you speak fluent German do not be surprised to find a German speaker interviewing you, potentially in German! Also detailing your interests outside work, extracurricular activities and achievements make you appear a more rounded individual.

You cannot underestimate how important your CV is and how the smallest thing can make the difference between interview and rejection. As an example let’s take the Global HQ of one of the largest mobile phone companies in the world. Every year they receive around 100,000 CVs, that’s 237 every single day. Do you think they’ll spend 10 minutes reading each CV (39.5 hours a day)? Unfortunately not! The head of recruitment told me they start reading from the top of a CV and the first mistake seen results in deletion. In short – take your time and get your CV right!

Once you have a generic CV tailor it for each application you make, aim for 2-3 pages; don’t waffle but don’t leave important project information out. Underneath your name is a section of prime CV space, utilise it fully by adding a profile, no longer than 4 sentences, explaining why you are interested in the role but more importantly why you would be a perfect fit. Use quantifiable reasons and real experiences that are relevant. The company should want to interview you after reading just your profile.

Now would be a good time to plan your approach to companies and recruiters. Work out what you actually want to do and find out as much as you can about the industry and type of work. If possible speak to people you know who do this type of role already or see if there are blogs or forums online for people in this industry area. You need to be as sure as possible that this is actually what you want to do.

With recruiters it is always best to meet them, so you can get a better idea of what jobs they have that would suit you and you can decide if you like them – it should be a partnership after all. Just as with buying a house or a car not everything suits everyone. Take time to think about the size of company you want to work for, what culture you want them to have, but be open-minded as often in life we do not know what we want until we see it! It is never a waste of time to attend a first interview for a firm you are not sure about, after the first round you can always say no, from a position of knowledge rather than preconception, and you have gained some valuable interview practice.

Ensure you find out about the typical interview process for each company you interview with. If a case study or some form of testing is involved you have time to get practising far in advance of your interview. This will give you the best shot at success on the day!

Remember it is always better to submit one application a day that has been carefully thought about and tailored, than sending ten impersonal ones. Keep in contact with recruiters that you find helpful throughout the process and update them on how your job search is going. Ask them how they are finding the market at the moment and how you could improve your application if you are unsuccessful at any stage.

If you are interested in getting your job search started, then send your CV to us today to mcrecruitment@huntswood.com , so we can help you find what you are looking for.