CV Tips
Overview
CV stands for Curriculum Vitae, which basically means 'The Story of Your Life' or 'The Course of Your Life'. The object of a CV is to get an interview with a prospective employer or a recruitment agency. To achieve this the presentation is vital. You need to make the reader 'want' to read your CV. To encourage the reader to take a further look, your CV needs to be easy on the eyes. The following tips will assist you to achieve your goal:
General Tips
Type your CV
- Make your CV as clear to read as possible.
-Forget the fancy little bits (graphics), they are not appreciated
-Don't Lie - Keep the 'white' lies for your friends, it is best to be honest. If you feel certain information may prevent you from getting an interview, keep the information off the CV but make it obvious that there is an area of your life that needs to be discussed in the interview.
-Spelling mistakes and bad grammar are picked up immediately by the reader, so use the tools you have at your disposal, i.e. spell check and grammar check or have an outsider look at your CV and ask for their opinion/advice and then USE it. Other people can often see mistakes quicker than the writer.
- Keep It Simple Sam (KISS) - Don't complicate the life of the reader by binding your CV in a fancy binder. Simply staple the top left hand corner of your CV.
- Make the format/layout simple - use logic.
- If you are applying for a specific position, make your experience and skills read according to the position.
- Keep your CV short and to the point - or keep to 3 pages if it is logically possible.
- Use the third tense (include duties etc).
- Use bullet points to outline duties, technologies used etc.
- Don't forget to include a list of technologies used.
- Keep your interests to a minimum (they can be misread or thought of as consuming too much of your time).
- Keep your political affiliations off your CV.
- Keep Salary details for the interview.
CV Format
Personal Profile - A brief, unpretentious profile of yourself in the work in environment.
Personal Details - Name, Address, Contact details (including telephone numbers and e-mail address), Date of birth, Mobility (car owner, drivers licence, the need for public transport), Nationality (authorised to work in the UK), Marital Status, Availability and Interests.
Education and Qualification - Include secondary school, tertiary education and all training courses (including institutions and year completed) in chronological order starting with your most recent/current employment.
Career Summary & Work Experience - List your employment history in chronological order and the reader should be able to pick out your skills, ability and achievements with ease (use bullet points wherever possible). Keep your sentences short and use plain English.
Achievements - State company name, what type of industry, the dates employed, your job title and what your main responsibilities where. Achievements are optional and should be placed at the end.
References - At senior level references are usually not necessary as these are usually checked at the final stage of recruitment. It is also normal practice for the interviewee to ask your permission to take references and to ask you for contact details of relevant referees. Supplying a reference or two up front is optional.
Covering Letters - Necessary if you are applying for a specific position. Other wise the brief profile should suffice · Address your letter to the relevant person · Clearly state the position you are applying for · Only state your interest in the position in this letter. Do not go into your experience and skills etc.. · Keep it short and concise and invite the reader to read your CV
CV stands for Curriculum Vitae, which basically means 'The Story of Your Life' or 'The Course of Your Life'. The object of a CV is to get an interview with a prospective employer or a recruitment agency. To achieve this the presentation is vital. You need to make the reader 'want' to read your CV. To encourage the reader to take a further look, your CV needs to be easy on the eyes. The following tips will assist you to achieve your goal:
General Tips
Type your CV
- Make your CV as clear to read as possible.
-Forget the fancy little bits (graphics), they are not appreciated
-Don't Lie - Keep the 'white' lies for your friends, it is best to be honest. If you feel certain information may prevent you from getting an interview, keep the information off the CV but make it obvious that there is an area of your life that needs to be discussed in the interview.
-Spelling mistakes and bad grammar are picked up immediately by the reader, so use the tools you have at your disposal, i.e. spell check and grammar check or have an outsider look at your CV and ask for their opinion/advice and then USE it. Other people can often see mistakes quicker than the writer.
- Keep It Simple Sam (KISS) - Don't complicate the life of the reader by binding your CV in a fancy binder. Simply staple the top left hand corner of your CV.
- Make the format/layout simple - use logic.
- If you are applying for a specific position, make your experience and skills read according to the position.
- Keep your CV short and to the point - or keep to 3 pages if it is logically possible.
- Use the third tense (include duties etc).
- Use bullet points to outline duties, technologies used etc.
- Don't forget to include a list of technologies used.
- Keep your interests to a minimum (they can be misread or thought of as consuming too much of your time).
- Keep your political affiliations off your CV.
- Keep Salary details for the interview.
CV Format
Personal Profile - A brief, unpretentious profile of yourself in the work in environment.
Personal Details - Name, Address, Contact details (including telephone numbers and e-mail address), Date of birth, Mobility (car owner, drivers licence, the need for public transport), Nationality (authorised to work in the UK), Marital Status, Availability and Interests.
Education and Qualification - Include secondary school, tertiary education and all training courses (including institutions and year completed) in chronological order starting with your most recent/current employment.
Career Summary & Work Experience - List your employment history in chronological order and the reader should be able to pick out your skills, ability and achievements with ease (use bullet points wherever possible). Keep your sentences short and use plain English.
Achievements - State company name, what type of industry, the dates employed, your job title and what your main responsibilities where. Achievements are optional and should be placed at the end.
References - At senior level references are usually not necessary as these are usually checked at the final stage of recruitment. It is also normal practice for the interviewee to ask your permission to take references and to ask you for contact details of relevant referees. Supplying a reference or two up front is optional.
Covering Letters - Necessary if you are applying for a specific position. Other wise the brief profile should suffice · Address your letter to the relevant person · Clearly state the position you are applying for · Only state your interest in the position in this letter. Do not go into your experience and skills etc.. · Keep it short and concise and invite the reader to read your CV
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