Writing a great CV
The 1st Recruitment Group will work with you to ensure your CV is the
best you can produce but you will need to start with something!
You win or lose in the first few seconds
Opinions vary as to how much time your CV has to convince a recruiter
that you're worth short-listing for interview. Opinions vary between
30 seconds and two or three minutes. But how long does it take for a
recruiter to reject your CV at the sorting stage? Poor presentation,
bad layout, coloured paper, confusing format, obvious errors? Seven
seconds should be more than adequate for that.
This is hardly surprising given that they could have up to 200 CVs
to get through. However, it does mean that all those yawn-inducing platitudes
about CVs using nice, white paper, getting the grammar right are
important. Your really do have to treat your CV as your own personal
marketing brochure. The same goes for application forms, which are used
by four in five employers, and your covering letter. It's a bore, but
every single communication you have with an organisation is an opportunity
for them to accept or dismiss you as a serious candidate.
Getting the formula right is the first step
To be effective, your CV must provide a concise, accurate summary of
your qualifications, skills and experience. Its layout, design and wording
will play key roles in getting you selected for an interview.
There are several possible formats from which to choose. Most people
use the chronological format and that's the one we recommend. Recruiters
will be more used to this type than any other. And it's also the best
format for recent graduates with limited or no work experience.
Check out our tips on how to market your skills and experience:
Do
- Keep it brief. Your CV should be on one page, unless you
have five or more years' experience. Only then should you
add a second page.
List your work experience before your education, in reverse chronological
order. Put your most recent experience first that's what sells you to an
employer
- Keep it to the point and concentrate on the quality of
your achievements, duties, responsibilities.
- Tailor your CV to particular jobs making more of different
achievements depending on what an employer is seeking
- List other skills that could raise you above the competition
such as languages, driving licence, IT skills
- Include your interests they are one way in which recruiters
remember who you are. Try to be specific. For example, listing
reading as an interest begs the question reading what?'
There is a wealth of difference between Viz and Jane Austen.
Also, don't list too many time-consuming or dangerous activities
or your potential employer will wonder how you intend fitting
in a job, or whether you will be fit enough to attend work.
- Keep it clear. This means no shading, boxes or columns
as they will be lost once your CV has been scanned or photocopied
for passing around the organisation.
- Check thoroughly for correct spelling and grammar spotting
errors is a quick and easy way of weeding out weaker candidates
when faced with 50 CVs to read. After all, if you cannot
be bothered to put the spell check through your CV do you
really want the job?
Don't
- Tell fibs you'll be found out and that employer will
probably never deal with you again. Many employers use information
service companies to check out facts included in CVs. 1 st
Recruitment always checks references and asks to see qualifications.
- List all the one-day training courses you have ever been
on.
- Include a photo unless you know the employer will want
one.
- Fax it without sending a copy in the post as well.
- Include lots of attachments unless requested.
Finally
Check through your CV and make sure you can answer yes' to the following
questions:
- Is it me?
- Am I proud to send this?
- Have I eliminated irrelevant information?
- Have I included everything that could help me get this
job?
- Is it easy to read?
The most important thing about your CV is that it should leave the
employer keen to find out more about you. If you think yours will do
that then get it in the post.
1st Recruitment can help you find the right job but what about CV's,
covering letters and interviews?
NB
- Remember to list any special skills you have acquired.
If you want an interview, clearly list your achievements,
as a list of responsibilities in employment says nothing about how
well you have performed. Using action verbs, (such as developed,
formulated, planned), will give a positive feel and will help
to clearly communicate your achievements. Most importantly, do not
leave any gaps between jobs. A company's screening process may reject
applicants with months or years not accounted for.
- There is no standard design for a CV, however, do not
make it any longer than two sides of A4 and ensure a balanced
presentation with sufficient white space to make it easy
to read. The type size should be no smaller than 10 point never
try to cram everything in tiny type to make it fit two pages. A common
criticism is that applicants often include too much information yet
leave out vital facts remember to
prioritise the details you want to include. Using bullet
points and short phrases to emphasise key strengths and achievements
cuts down on space used and ensures that relevant information can
be found quickly. CV's are often used in electronic format. If you
are asked to send a hard copy in the post, ensure you use a good quality
paper and staple the pages together.
If you include a summary or personal profile, it should
be the first item after your personal details. Concentrate
on summarising your most relevant experience and strengths, as well
as the type of role and company you are looking to work for. The profile
should be followed by your employment and/or education history, depending
on your experience to date remember reverse chronological order most
recent work/education details first. Include details on any additional
training undertaken but only mention those that are significant
and applicable. Listing interests is another optional extra but keep
the list short and accurate. Alternatively, if you have a hobby that
is directly relevant to the position you are applying for,
include a reference to it in your covering letter.
- Revise your CV when you graduate or whenever you change
jobs or address. In some circumstances, you may also wish
to emphasise certain skills to suit individual job applications. Remember,
your CV is designed to communicate who you are and by writing it yourself
this will show through clearly. How you describe yourself at interview
will then flow naturally from your CV. You will know the content intimately
so there is no uncertainty in your mind about any aspect
of it. Above all, take time preparing your CV. Rewrite it as many
times as you need. When you are happy, proof read it twice and, if
possible, get someone else to check it in case anything has been missed.
|
