Cv Options

[elmo]

Hiya

Is there a certain layout when doing a CV? Or is it just a case of putting down your qualificatios, experiences and hobbies? Anything else that should go on?

Thanks

[noodle]

* Name, address, telephone
* Date of birth
* Schools attended
* Exam results*
* Details of part-time jobs/voluntary work
* Hobbies/interests
* Sport/music achievements
* Organisations you belong to
* Names/addresses of 2 people who will give you a reference
* Further information - relevant to job

Good luck!

[mrbouffant]

Hey elmo: I think it's a matter of horses for courses. The layout and detail should be based largely on what it is you are preparing the CV for. If you can provide a bit more info, we can probably give you a better answer (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[barry-clari]

Noodle's reply is a good template to use elmo. All I'd add to that is exam courses you are currently taking , if any (write those just above the exam results you've already got).

[elmo]

Thanks for the replies! I've never had to do a proper CV before, and I didn't go to the lessons where they taught us!

I'm applying for jobs in Summer camps/Places in France. Bit of a long shot to get any but I can try. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Deborah]

When I was going through the redundancy loop in summer 2004, I went on a CV writing workshop. Top tip is to keep it relevant, but brevity is also important (less is definitely more!). Stress all of your achievements, using loads of positive words, and keep the presentation simple. To that list I would add make sure it's proof-read - your CV is a marketing document, and if you can't get your spelling, punctuation and grammar correct, your CV will probably just be filed into one of those magic work cylinders most people have under their desk.

janexxx is a really good person to speak to about CVs, so should be help you in what to put and (just as importantly) what not to put.

[katyjay]

I agree with everything said so far.

Another thing I'd suggest, from the perspective of someone who used to do a lot of recruitment, is make it easy to read.

Your recruiter will be reading dozens of CV's, probably at the end of the day when they're tired and fed up, so you need to make your document easy on the eye.

That means spacing the paragraphs out, using bullet points rather than sentences, and Arial rather than Times New Roman for the font. And 12-pitch rather than 10.

The following points are if you are doing a paper application rather than an e-mail one:

Don't use coloured paper or illustrations or a funny font - they are all ways of getting yourself into the reject pile.

Also - a common error - be careful with the envelope. Make sure that it's either a printed label or really careful handwriting. Make sure it's a first class stamp. Otherwise you're giving the impression that you're not really that bothered about the job. NEVER EVER EVER use a franking machine for a job application envelope, even if you're being made redundant and your old company are helping you look for a new job. It gives the impression that you'll pinch postage from an employer.....not a good idea.


Also take care with the covering letter - you are doing a covering letter, aren't you? Make sure you've addressed it to the right person and spelled their name correctly. Make sure that you've got the title phrase and sign-off phrase matched - if you use "Dear Sir", "Dear Sirs" or "Dear Madam", you sign off "yours faithfully," but if you use "Dear Mr X" or "Dear Ms Y" you sign off "yours sincerely," and even if you word-process the letter itself, always sign by hand, and if your signature's not easily legible, write your name underneath it.


If it's an e-mail application, the covering letter advice still stands (with the exception of the signature). And make 100% certain you have attached any attachments before you hit send - you look a right wally otherwise and you won't get interviewed. And virus scan the attachment - you SERIOUSLY don't want to risk sending something with a virus on it to a company that might hire you.


Good luck

Katyjay

[Deborah]

Don't use coloured paper or illustrations or a funny font - they are all ways of getting yourself into the reject pile.

In a similar vein, avoid scented paper! Apart from the general naffness of it, the recruiter might have an allergy to the scent sprayed on it.

[janexxx]

janexxx is a really good person to speak to about CVs, so should be help you in what to put and (just as importantly) what not to put.

Ohh fame at last!!

With word documents you can tailor each one for each job application. Make sure you cover all their key points

Look at the advert and there will most likely be key points for what they are looking for. Make their selection job simple and address each of these with bullet points with an example in your covering letter.

Eg "We are looking for keen, reliable and creative people with experience in X and Y.

So in your letter

* I am a keen worker, in my previous role I would always look for areas where I could make a difference (and give an example)
* My reliability is excellent, I have an outstanding health record, only taking 2 days sick leave in the past 5 years (don't lie though!)
* In my previous job I creatively designed a new product costing process (or whatever)
* I spent 3 years doing X in a service environment in my role as
* Although I have had no corporate experience of Y in my role as secretary to the students Union booze club I did (give an example of something very similar to Y)

You need to be prepared to discuss all these examples in more detail at the interview, which you will get, because you will match ALL their criteria.

[elmo]

Man this is harder than I thought!

Excuse my ignorance, but what sort of things do you write in a cover letter? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

How did I actually get to uni?! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

Thanks, this is all really useful (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[katyjay]

Hi Elmo

A covering letter introduces you to the employer, and explains why you've sent them a CV. Ideally, it should tell them a bit more about you than the list of achievements in the CV.

At the very minimum a covering letter says something like

"Dear Mr X

I am writing to apply for the job of Y, which I saw advertised in ZZZ weekly.

I enclose a CV, and hope to hear from you soon.

Yours sincerely

Elmo"


But you can add more paragraphs that tell him a bit about you as a person, and say why you like the sound of the job, and why you'd be good at it. Just not too gushing and not too long.

[Fen]

Elmo,

All the best for your application. I can't stress enough the importance of proof reading. I'm appalled at the number of CVs I receive that have mistakes - it's not like they weren't done on a word processor in the first place!
Likewise my heart sinks when I get anything over three pages. For someone who's been in the workforce for five or six years, I don't care what their summer jobs were - unless they've got something very important to say about the person; for example spending six weeks helping pygmy rhinos in the serengeti or something like that.

The CVs I find useful have a little table at the top of the first page that covers basic personal details, then there are a few sentences (rather like janexxx's example) of why the person is a good fit for the particular role, then the employment/educational history. Make sure that complete contact details are on the covering letter and the cv, and likewise the job reference/title -assume the two will get separated!

It won't apply to you, but I find it a lot when looking at CVs for IT contract positions where someone has had several shortish contracts, but there's a gap between start and end dates. It can make the interviewer a little wary, so can be an idea to have a sentence saying what you were doing - travelling, working on a novel etc.

[anacrusis]

If you are sending a paper CV, its worth thinking about how you link pages. In my line of work, tons of paper stapled together would be a pain to wade through, so I always used one of those plastic strip thingies to hold the sheets of paper together like a book. I had to watch out that the margins were big enough though.
If applying for several different jobs, the ideal CV will need to be modified a bit to suit each application - if it looks too much like a "round robin one-size-fits-all" one, potential employers might think you're not that committed to the idea of their job. I know that the covering letter can be used to tailor each application, but it is still worthwhile adjusting the CV itself.

[janexxx]

Elmo

You have post!! (I hope).

Yes, don't just spellcheck, proof read. I've been trying to think of an unfortumate mistake I saw in one CV where the meaning was changed dramatically by using the wrong word. Can't remember it ...I'll keep thinking.

[katyjay]

Oh yes, one more point I recall.

If your CV goes over more than one page, make sure that the pages are numbered and your name is on all of them. That way people won't mix your achievements up with someone else's - and that's a mishap I've seen too many times.

For example my CV used to have at the bottom of each page "Katyjay CV, page 1 of 3" or whatever.