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Finding a new job is a very important issue. In today's competitive environment the need to market
and sell yourself effectively is increasingly important. Remember, YOU are the product and YOU have the responsibility of packaging, presenting and marketing that product. In a normal selection process you have two fabulous opportunities to create the right impression on your prospective employers, namely your CV and the interview.
Why do you need a CV?
Your CV is the first thing on which an employer can judge you. It is your own personal advertisement. It gives you less than two minutes to create the right impression on a potential employer and secure you an interview.
Where do you start?
Start by assembling the facts and listing the information you need to include in your CV. Tailor the CV to the company/department and position whenever possible - it can be time consuming but can help
get that role.
Don't expect to write the perfect CV at the first attempt. Once you have decided what to include, you can then concentrate on the layout.
What details should your CV include?
- Personal details: Name, date of birth, nationality, contact address, telephone numbers of home, office and mobile phone.
- Education: Degree course, university/college, degree classification and similar details for
any further and higher education courses.
- Professional qualifications: Dates of professional qualifications achieved and current
stage of qualification if still studying, intended date of next exams and exam record to date if applicable.
- Work experience: Experience should be presented in reverse chronological order. Give details of the companies you have worked for including the type of business and its turnover. Specify the dates at each company (year and month), include details of the job content and
the scope of the position. Think of your job in terms of tasks performed, the level of responsibility you had and your achievements. Make sure the detail is factual and quantitative where possible. A potential employer wants to know what you can already do and what challenges they may have for you.
- Systems: Detail all systems you have used previously and currently, including spreadsheets, word processing, accounting and graphics packages. State the level of expertise and version
of the system.
- Languages: Define your level of competency by basic, conversational, fluent, mother tongue. This is especially important in light of the open European market.
- Remuneration: Detail your current remuneration package. Your salary is only a part of any negotiated remuneration package and benefits such as car, pension, bonus and share options may fundamentally alter the picture.
How should your CV be presented?
Your CV must look like a professional document. The credibility of the content may be challenged if
the CV is poorly presented.
The following checklist should help:
- No unexplained gaps - if you have travelled or been out of work, say so. Someone's guess
may not be positive!
- No necessity to state reasons for leaving each position.
- Career in reverse chronological order with dates stated in months and years.
- Ideally a CV should not be any more than three pages, although the crucial factor is to ensure that the information it contains is relevant, complete, concise and interesting. It's proven that on average, readers absorb 60% of the first page, 40% of the second, and the third is generally a waste.
- Personal details, educational details and professional qualifications, together with details of
your most recent position should appear on the first page. If the reader is not
excited by the first page, they are unlikely to read on.
Style and presentation
Once the content of your CV is completed it needs to be presented in an attractive style. A simple straightforward design is always best..
Word process your CV, e.g. using Microsoft Word, unless a hand written application is specifically requested.
Your covering letter should also be word processed.
Use a good quality white or cream paper and stick to a white background.
Choose black font and a simple typeface.
Avoid using underlining and capitalised headings.
Make good use of ‘white space’.
It may take several drafts to finally come up with a format that you are happy with. Ask a friend or colleague to give their honest opinion of your efforts. The whole point of the CV is to get you an interview, would yours?
So let's see about preparing for that interview.....
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