| |
CV Tips
PG Global has
compiled guidance on CV’s and interviews to increase your likelihood
of job success.
A curriculum vitae (CV) is a marketing tool. With your CV you will
be able to promote yourself. Imagine the CV as being a brochure that
will list the benefits of a particular service. The service being
your time and skills. When writing a CV look at it from your
employers point of view. Would you stand out against the competition
(the other candidates) and would an employer want to offer you a
job? You should ask yourself these questions when writing your CV,
there is no universally accepted format, but your CV should cover
the following elements:
CV Heading
This contains your general information:
Name
Surname
Local address
E-mail address
Phone number
If applying for an overseas job, please remember to include your
international dialing code. Include your mobile phone number if you
are going to relocate soon. Information such as nationality, age and
driving licence status are optional.
Personal Profile
This should be a paragraph about your main skills, avoid too much
detail. Its purpose is to catch the attention of the reader and to
make them want to know more about you. Describe your main skills in
relation to the job you are applying for and demonstrate why you can
fill the employers needs. You may also want to include here your
personal objectives. Your profile and objectives may be adjusted
depending on the job you are applying for.
Employment History / Work Experience
These should be listed in reverse chronological order with your most
recent position first. Each employment listed should detail the name
and location of each company, your position and the dates you were
employed there. Highlight your responsibilities and achievements in
each role using bullet points so the reader can quickly link your
experience with the job description.
Education
Provide brief details of your academic and professional
qualifications, again in reverse chronological order, with the
grades you achieved. If this is your first job since leaving
education place this section before work experience.
Skills
Skills that you have gained over time should be recorded on your CV,
these may include foreign languages, IT packages that you have
experience with. State whether you are at basic, intermediate or
advanced level. Presentation, project management and communication
skills are more difficult to substantiate and should be supported
with examples.
Hobbies and Interests
This is optional and really serves the purpose of giving the reader
a more rounded picture of you as a person, it may also provide
something to discuss at interview. If this is your first job since
education your interests and hobbies may provide examples of where
you have performed as part of a team.
References
It is satisfactory to state on your CV that references are available
on request. Be confident that when the time comes references you
choose are contactable and will give positive remarks. If it’s your
first job nominate tutors or mentors.
Presentation
The purpose of a CV is to get you an interview, not a job. If the
reader looks at your CV and thinks it is cluttered and too long they
are unlikely to read the complete document. Your CV should not
exceed two-sides of A4. It should be laid-out under the headings
described above, with sufficient space between each section,
enabling the reader to quickly pick out the information of interest.
Think about the reader when compiling your CV, keep it short, to the
point and interesting. The reader may be a recruitment consultant,
typically he/she will spend about 20 seconds reviewing your CV so it
is important to present the information in a clear and concise
manner.
You should avoid the following when writing your CV
>
Long sections of text
>
Complex fonts and small font sizes
>
Using images and colour
>
Underlining text and too much bold-type
>
Using abbreviations, unless they are
universally known.
Finally, check
your document for spelling, typographical and grammatical errors.
Such errors represent a lack of care to any recruiter. Always get
somebody with good literacy skills to proof-read your document
before you distribute it.
CV - Common
Pitfalls
By following the guidance above you should be on the right track
with your CV. The following provides a checklist of the usual
mistakes and how to avoid them
Using 30 words when 10 would do
Only document key elements to explain what you have done and that
you can do the job. If the recruiter wants more detail they will
discuss it at interview. Avoid more than two pages of A4.
Spelling and Grammar
Don’t just rely on a spell checker, it may be that you typed ‘form’
instead of ‘from’, this wouldn’t be picked up as an error. Read your
CV out loud to help identify grammatical errors. Ask someone to
proof-read your CV
Listing duties
Avoid re-writing your old job description and document what you
actually achieved whilst you were there
Using clichés
Avoid typical phrases such as ‘dedicated’ and ‘works well in a
team’. Use examples to substantiate your skills ie I worked as part
of the new sales team which increased sales by 10% in the first
quarter’
Generic CV’s
To get an interview an employer will be looking for experience and
skills that match the vacancy, this may be lost if you are sending
out a generic CV. Make small amendments, particularly in the
personal profile, to demonstrate you understand what they are
looking for.
Being Vague
‘seeking a position that offers continued personal development’
doesn’t tell the reader what your objectives are. Be more specific
‘seeking an entry-level technical position where I can gain further
qualifications and experience to eventually become a manager’
Errors and Omissions
Take care when documenting personal details such as phone numbers
and e-mail addressed, if they are wrong the recruiter is unable to
contact you. Ensure that you have not omitted anything from your CV,
gaps in employment history may not give a good impression but may be
attributed to travel or charity work for example, where you will
have picked up transferrable skills.
Cover Letter
The purpose of the cover letter is to encourage the reader to look
at your CV, it needs to be concise and punchy as the reader is
likely to have little time to read it. If you know the name of the
reader you should address them with their title (Mr, Mrs, Dr etc)
and their surname.
At the outset of the letter you should clearly state your intention
to apply for the job, refer to the job using the same title as the
advertisement and include the reference number if one was provided.
The content of the letter should then focus on the employers needs
and how you meet them. It should not be an autobiography. Review the
job description and identify the main responsibility that you will
be undertaking in the role and give an example as to why you are the
best candidate. Two paragraphs will suffice for this section of the
letter.
You may also want to include a specific reference to your CV to
further highlight your suitability for example ‘to see how I could
improve your sales in the construction sector, refer to my CV to see
the achievements I’ve had during my time in the sales team at XXX
Construction’.
If you are using the same letter, with amendments, to apply for a
number of jobs, ensure you remember to change all the relevant
details for example company and contact details, job title,
reference number etc.
Include your contact details again so the reader can readily get
in-touch with you.
Finding the right job, and then convincing the employer you are the
right person for the job, takes time, effort and skill. By
registering with PG Global you have access to consultants who can
help you at every stage of the placement process.
Register Now
|
