HR Practitioner Kadisha Haynes Shares CV and Interview Tips at I Am Conference 2025

Day 3 brought young Barbadians attending the I AM Conference at Hilton Barbados key tips and pointers on how to write CVs, resumes and handle job interviews in preparation for the world of work.

Human Resources Practitioner, Kadisha Haynes spoke on the topic of ‘Employment -Personal Branding’. She told the young men and women to pay attention to their resumes, how they present themselves in interviews and to be mindful of what they put out in the public space online.

Ms. Haynes says an individual’s digital footprint and online presence leaves a lasting impression via Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn which is checked by employers. In this regard, she urged participants to think about whether their on-line and off line selves matched, whilst urging consistency in the process.

It was pointed out that sometimes the persons they (HR) hire who portray certain traits relating to their characters online are completely different in person. Ms. Hinds advised that what they say online, should not reflect the company’s position, and that if making comments, ensure they explain that it’s a personal view and not that of the company they represent.

The HR Practitioner also implored young job seekers to engage in active listening, to maintain eye contact during interviews, to adopt the correct sitting postures, to answer questions directly and to dress appropriately. “Your personality matters in terms of the energy you give off in the room during the interview, including your body language and facial expressions”.

Haynes advised engaging in teamwork, volunteering, taking part in extracurricular activities after school and identifying how they stand out from others, can be key selling points for the individual to employers. She urged them to adopt the STAR method to guide them, in terms of what they would do to achieve an outcome when presented with a particular challenge to achieve a Situation, Task, Action and Result.

The annual I AM Conference at the Hilton Hotel ran from Wednesday, November 19th to Saturday, November 22nd.