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Curriculum Vitae |
Purpose of a CV
- Your CV is your opportunity to sell your skills and experience to an employer.
- The aim of your CV is to get an interview.
- You greatly improve your chances if you make the effort to tailor your CV.
- The employer needs to see at a glance that you are a likely candidate. First impressions count.
To Start
- Make a 1st draft with all your information in chronological order including your work experience, education and achievement etc. with your most recent first.
- Get ideas of skills and experience needed for similar jobs by checking the internet.
- Go through your information and shorten the sentences and keep to the point.
To Tailor your CV
- Having done your research, tailoring your CV should only mean cutting and pasting.
- Match your skills and experience to the requirements of each job.
- Keyword search is used by employers to select suitable applicants so:
- Identify what skills are essential or desirable for the specific job.
Personal details and Contact details
- Your name: Write your name in a larger font than the rest of your CV.
- It should not be so big that it dominates the page.
- Phone no.: Double check the phone no. is correct on your CV.
- Voicemail: Make sure you have set up an appropriate message.
- Email: Don’t include your email address if you don’t check it on a regular basis.
- Is the email address appropriate? What may seem amusing to friends may put off an employer.
- Create a new email address for your job search.
- Don’t use your work email.
- Driving Licence: If the job requires you to drive:
- Let them know that you have an appropriate driving licence
- Is it without endorsements?
Personal Statement
Look at any newspaper or advertising and you will see that the headlines are approximately 1/4 of the way down the page. This is where the eye falls first.
- Your Personal Statement is where you grab employers’ attention and tell them what YOU can do for THEM.
- You will know the requirements and qualities the employer is looking for from the Job Description. You will know what they need you to do, so tell them you have the skills to do it.
- Use examples of how you used your skills by linking them to a tangible skill wherever possible such as "Use my excellent communication skills to resolve customer complaints with a good outcome for customer and company" as opposed to "excellent communication skills". Be factual.
- Keep the sentences short and make each one a key selling point.
By demonstrating the range of things you do know, you’re giving the impression that you’re a good learner who can retain information and are trainable.
Employment History
The most common type of CV is the Chronological CV. Start with your most recent job and work back.
- Include dates with each employer in addition to company name, address, your job title and responsibilities.
- Set out your responsibilities, achievements, duties and skills that could be transferred to another employer.
- Be specific and positive about your skills and make sure you can give factual examples. Refer back to the job description to show why you are the ideal candidate.
- Have you been out of work for some time, have gaps in your employment date or brief periods of employment?
It may be best to put your various roles into groups.
Work out which have given you the skills that make you suitable for the job you’re applying for.
Education / Training
Where you position your education / training section depends on how best it will enhance your application.
- If education is your strongest selling point you may want to put in straight after your Personal Statement.
- Do this if you have recently left school / college or have gained a qualification that is a pre-requisite for the position you’re applying for.
- Make your education / Training section clear and cover the key questions that employers want answered:
- What do you know?
- What have you done before?
- Can you do it for me?
- Again the information should be relevant to the job so don’t include detailed results of every exam every taken.
- Record in chronological order or the most relevant first if more appropriate.
- Most of the jobs you will be applying for will have a similar set of skills.
- It is worth the effort of putting them in the same order that the employers have on their job description.
Hobbies and Interests
Most jobs have certain personality traits required for the position so identify what they are and see how your hobbies relate to the requirements.
Referees
Include a list of referees and their contact details. Contact referees and get their permission to include them on your CV. It also gives you a chance to refresh their memories about you.
Some final tips
- Recommended length for CV is 2 pages of A4 paper
- Highlight your selling points clearly.
- Keep the language formal with short, crisp sentences.
- Check spelling and grammar.
- Check contact details especially phone nos. etc. are correct.
These skills are particularly popular with employers
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Initiative
- Problem Solving
- Flexibility
- Computer skills
- Technical skills
If you need help with your CV, please call in to your nearest LES office
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