I'm preparing my cover letter and CV for a job in Canada. I've heard from people I have spoken to in Canada that companies are sometimes concerned that international candidates are lying in their job applications because its difficult for these companies to verify information. Has anyone heard the same thing?
I recently moved to NZ. The market for my job is far more mature in London (meaning my experience is generally greater than my interviewers). I did two things; a) new what I was talking about in the interview; and, b) gave them references they could check (they didn't). But, it is difficult to fake a reference from senior individuals in a firm (those details are readily available). The interview is important. Come over as knowledgeable, personable, humble, a good ambassador for the company, someone their clients would want to approach, someone they would want to work with... and I don't see the problem. As with all things, it is a matter of hitting that fine line between confidence and arrogance. And, as with all these things people over-complicate the interview process; put yourself in the shoes of the person on the far side of the desk; what would you want in their position?
I brought a smile from an interviewer once; I deliberately set my CV on bright yellow paper and around its edge ran a back border. Inside that edge and running on repeat all the way round were the words: THIS CV CONTAINS NO ARTIFICIAL ADDITIVES. The humour softened the ordeal and I like to think my honesty alone got me to the second round. The job wasn't for me though (by their choice).If you do 'bling' it up maybe do it by expression—use your writing skills to make the mundane interesting. After all communication skills play a huge role in being chosen for employment.