| Your CV is a gateway to getting an interview for that | | | | not going to make your CV too long byincluding them. |
| ideal job. It is youropportunity to provide a good first | | | | These can help employers to get a rounded picture of |
| impression but you only have two sides of A4paper in | | | | the personthey are going to interview. Do not include |
| which to do it. It is not surprising then that most people | | | | names and ages of children or nameof spouse. The |
| have troublegetting started. | | | | employer is not interested at this stage. |
| Firstly, you need to know what the employer is thinking. | | | | Interests can be included but only in one or two lines. It |
| The employer suddenly has a vacancy. Filling the | | | | may provide astarting point at interview for general |
| vacancy is going to take upvaluable time that he would | | | | conversation before getting down toserious questions |
| rather spend doing his normal job. | | | | about your work experience. It also gives a rounded |
| He would love to find the perfect person immediately | | | | picture ofyou without taking up too much space on the |
| rather than ploughthrough hundreds of CV's. It is often | | | | CV. |
| a dull, thankless task. | | | | Profile is positioned prominently in your CV and should |
| The employer has a job description in front of him. It | | | | be used to sellyourself in one paragraph. It is an |
| includes experience orqualifications that are essential | | | | opportunity to sum up your skills,experience and |
| for the job and some attributes that aredesirable but | | | | general suitability for the job for which you are |
| not absolutely necessary. | | | | applying. |
| He starts going through the pile of CV's on his desk. | | | | Career History or Work Experience. The heading you |
| He scans each one forabout 30 seconds and makes | | | | use depends on thelength of time you have been in |
| a judgement. | | | | fulltime employment. If you have recently leftschool or |
| He simply hasn't got time to read the CV that is more | | | | university you should use the heading 'Work |
| than two pages andall the relevant information is | | | | Experience' andinclude all placements, paid and unpaid |
| hidden in long paragraphs. - He files it in thebin. | | | | work. If you have been in fulltimeemployment for the |
| Fancy formatting, coloured text or multiple fonts do not | | | | last two jobs this should be under the heading of |
| impress him. Is thisperson trying to hide their lack of | | | | 'Career |
| experience for the job behind an artistic | | | | History'. Do not use both headings in the CV. |
| CV? - He files it in the bin. | | | | Whichever heading you use youmust include dates, |
| He notices spelling mistakes and poor punctuation. This | | | | name and location of company and a brief description |
| person is justsloppy! - He files the CV in the bin. | | | | of whatyour job entailed including all the positive |
| He breaths a sigh of relief, the pile on his desk is | | | | contributions you made to thecompany. |
| smaller already. Hemakes another coffee and then | | | | Education should be described in terms of selling |
| starts reading............................ | | | | yourself to theemployer. Include all relevant courses, |
| This should tell you a few things about writing your CV. | | | | dates passed and name of school orcollege. But, leave |
| Keep it concise and to the point. The employer needs | | | | out poor grades and failures. These will not help you |
| to see your workexperience, skills and achievements in | | | | getinvited for interview. |
| the first 30 seconds of scanning your CV. | | | | If you have a university degree you can leave out all |
| He knows what he is looking for. You have what he is | | | | of your lowerqualifications. Mature applicants may |
| looking for. Don'tdistract him from your relevant skills by | | | | want to leave out 'Education'altogether, as your career |
| adding in lots of unnecessaryinformation. | | | | history and skills are probably more important. |
| Keep it simple. Plain formatting, simply laid out under | | | | Skills can be described under three headings: Technical |
| headings. Theemployer wants to see exactly when, | | | | Skills, |
| where and what you have done. Fancyformatting | | | | Professional Courses and Additional Skills. Technical |
| makes your CV difficult to read. It may make your CV | | | | skills are those relatedto a technical, mechanical or |
| stand out fromthe rest but for the wrong reasons. | | | | engineering job. You need to list your skills andhow |
| Keep checking your english. Good spelling, punctuation | | | | recently you have used them e.g. Java Programming |
| and grammar areessential. It is the first step in your | | | | used in the last 3 years. |
| personal presentation to an employer. Itsays a lot | | | | Professional Courses are those that you have |
| about you. Also, poor english distracts the employer | | | | attended specifically for aparticular job e.g. sales |
| from reading thecontent of your CV. | | | | courses, hairdressing. Additional skills are anythingelse |
| Now the content: | | | | that may be relevant e.g. languages, keyboard skills, |
| Contact details should be displayed on the first page. | | | | health and safetycourses. |
| When he decides toinvite you to interview you want | | | | Finally: Make it easy for him! |
| him to see immediately how to contact youbefore he | | | | Remember, the employer has very little time. He |
| changes his mind! | | | | doesn't know you yet and isonly interested in what |
| Personal details should be limited to those that are | | | | you can offer him and his company. |
| absolutelynecessary. Most employers expect to see | | | | Make it easy for him to: |
| your nationality and date of birth butyou can choose to | | | | Scan your CV, |
| leave these out if you think they may go against you. | | | | Identify that you have the skills he is looking for. |
| Other personal details such as number of dependents, | | | | Pick up the phone to invite you in for an interview. |
| driving license andmarital status can be included if it is | | | | E & O E - Copyright 2005 CVwriting. |