Writing a CV
Writing a CV is an incredibly important part of applying and
hopefully securing a new job. Your Curriculum Vitae
is the means through which you first communicate with
your potential employer, and this initial impression
could determine whether you are able to progress to
the next stage of the job application process, or perhaps
even if you are allocated the position. Therefore, constructing
a good CV demands much thought and consideration, to
make you appear suitable for the role and to stand out
from the many other applicants.
Consider the CV to be an advert; you want to sell
yourself to the company and therefore a professional
and smart image is essential. For this reason the
very first step towards a successful CV is to word
process it. This does not only create a very smart
image but also means that your CV can easily be modified
and updated with your most current information. Furthermore
by using a word processor you are easily able to manipulate
the text, using bold text and underlines to organise
your information more clearly and in general create
a more ‘user-friendly’ layout. Obviously
the spell and grammar check functions found on the
majority of word processing programs nowadays will
prove highly advantageous when it comes to positive
first impression. Being able to manipulate the text
and make alterations and additions is also very beneficial
when it comes to tailoring your CV to meet the demands
of a certain job application. For example you may
want to highlight certain aspects of your previous
professional experience for one position, whilst it
may not be nearly as relevant for another application.
Imagining yourself in the position of the recruiter,
sifting through many thousands of CVs every day in
the run up to the interview process will put you in
an appropriate frame of mind for composing your CV.
You need to stand out and appear suitable for the
position, whilst providing information that is appropriate
to the employer, avoiding irrelevant details or long-winded
descriptions of your employment history for example.
The main sections that should be covered by your CV
are your personal details, education, previous work
experience, additional skills and interests. The sections
relating to education and work experience (or often
employment history) should be ordered chronologically
beginning with the most recent. It is also very important
to account for any periods for which you were out
of employment, whether it be due to illness, raising
your family or additional studies. It is very important
to include details of your interest and hobbies, since
this is often considered by the employer to be evidence
of a well rounded individual, but like the rest of
your CV, this information should still act to ‘sell’
you to the employer, perhaps by highlighting your
position of leadership and responsibility as the captain
of a sports team. The ‘additional skills’
section is the perfect opportunity to highlight skills
and attributes which will make you stand out from
the crowd and provide you with a competitive edge
over the other applicants. This could be competency
in a foreign language, first aid certificate and so
on. Finally take the time to include a cover letter
and ensure that the CV and covering letter arrive
with the correct personnel or department.
Of course the most essential piece of advice for
writing a CV is to tell the truth. If not, it is more
than likely that if the employer fails to see through
this just from reading your CV, you will most definitely
be caught out later down the line, leading to a very
awkward and embarrassing interview situation.
|
