HOW TO
CREATE A PERFECT “CV”
Who says you cannot have your dream job? Yes, we know the job market is
not ideal now, but keep the faith! Whether you're desperate to be a designer,
pining after a job as a politician or hot on hairdressing, what you need is
some determination and...The perfect CV!
Yes, sitting around and moaning about your lack of job or how bored you are in your stuffy office isn't going to get you anywhere, but applying for a job with the perfect CV will get you everywhere.
Yes, sitting around and moaning about your lack of job or how bored you are in your stuffy office isn't going to get you anywhere, but applying for a job with the perfect CV will get you everywhere.
NOW
Do you know how many pages your CV should be? Where you should put your
contact details? And the one thing that should never appear on your CV?
·
KEEP IT FOCUSED
It's tempting to have one CV that you bung out to all potential
employers. We know it's the easy option. But that's not necessarily the best
way to get a job.
Corinne (an author, who specializes in writing cv’s for people) says your CV should be pitched for the exact job you're going for, which means rewriting your CV for every job you go for. Boring, yes, but that little bit of extra work can make a massive difference.
"Most people have one generic CV, leaving the employee to pluck out the information that they want. But if you really want to stand out you have to do that work for them," says Corinne.
That means the information that's most relevant to the job you're applying for should be on the first half page of your CV.
Most employers spend a grand total of 10 seconds looking through a CV, so the important information needs to hit them quickly!
If you're going for a marketing job, put all of your marketing experience at the top of your CV, if it's an administrative job your administration experience should be at the front.
Wondering if that should go under your contact details? Wonder no more, up next is the layout of your CV.
Corinne (an author, who specializes in writing cv’s for people) says your CV should be pitched for the exact job you're going for, which means rewriting your CV for every job you go for. Boring, yes, but that little bit of extra work can make a massive difference.
"Most people have one generic CV, leaving the employee to pluck out the information that they want. But if you really want to stand out you have to do that work for them," says Corinne.
That means the information that's most relevant to the job you're applying for should be on the first half page of your CV.
Most employers spend a grand total of 10 seconds looking through a CV, so the important information needs to hit them quickly!
If you're going for a marketing job, put all of your marketing experience at the top of your CV, if it's an administrative job your administration experience should be at the front.
Wondering if that should go under your contact details? Wonder no more, up next is the layout of your CV.
CV LAYOUT
There are some pretty simple rules you should follow when laying
out your CV.
Length
"Stick to two sides of A4 – any more and you're waffling, any less and you're missing information," says Corrine.
Contact details
Right at the top you should have your name and contact details - address, email and phone number. If you have a mobile phone, do not worry about putting your home phone number too.
About me
Next, the dreaded 'About me' section (we will tell you how to write that in a bit).
Career history
Underneath contact details comes your career history. There are many different ways that you can lay this out - some ideas that Corinne had we hadn’t even heard of before! See the next page for our favorite lay outs.
Education
So where do you put your education? Well, it varies. If you've recently left education, went to a very good university or got a First Class Honours, you might want to put that at the top. It's your CV, you're allowed to show off!
Also, if you're applying for an educational role, you know the ones - teacher, lecturing, a grad scheme - and you have a 2.1 or over, keep education at the top.
Otherwise, it should probably go at the end, after career history. "Often people think if they didn't do well in education they should put it at the top because they're so conscious of it. Don't do that. Most employers look at employment first anyway, so keep it at the bottom," says Corinne.
Additional information
This is where you'd add in any First Aid training or other useful qualifications you've managed to tot up.
Length
"Stick to two sides of A4 – any more and you're waffling, any less and you're missing information," says Corrine.
Contact details
Right at the top you should have your name and contact details - address, email and phone number. If you have a mobile phone, do not worry about putting your home phone number too.
About me
Next, the dreaded 'About me' section (we will tell you how to write that in a bit).
Career history
Underneath contact details comes your career history. There are many different ways that you can lay this out - some ideas that Corinne had we hadn’t even heard of before! See the next page for our favorite lay outs.
Education
So where do you put your education? Well, it varies. If you've recently left education, went to a very good university or got a First Class Honours, you might want to put that at the top. It's your CV, you're allowed to show off!
Also, if you're applying for an educational role, you know the ones - teacher, lecturing, a grad scheme - and you have a 2.1 or over, keep education at the top.
Otherwise, it should probably go at the end, after career history. "Often people think if they didn't do well in education they should put it at the top because they're so conscious of it. Don't do that. Most employers look at employment first anyway, so keep it at the bottom," says Corinne.
Additional information
This is where you'd add in any First Aid training or other useful qualifications you've managed to tot up.
·
CARREER HISTORY
As we said, there are loads of different ways of laying out your
career history. We love a bit of choice, so here are our favorites.
The classic
You know how it goes. Jobs written out in date order, starting with your latest position, with information underneath explaining the job.
Functional CV
That's where instead of listing jobs, you list skills that you've got, underneath you write where you got them.
For example a heading might be 'A skilled trainer' with two bullet points underneath: 'Passed training course at So and So Ltd' and 'Trained a team of 10 at Generic Business and Sons'.
If you opt for that, your first page should be skills and your second page should just list your roles.
Grouping jobs
A pretty handy way of laying out your CV if you've had a career break or been unemployed for a while is to group jobs together. For example: '1990 -1995 - Managerial positions'.
It's up to you which of these styles you choose.
We asked Corinne how far back your career history should date. "The last 10 years is the norm for people further down their career path, you don't need every single job.
But if you've just started in working you might want to put down all of your jobs. And remember, if you are applying for a job in a hotel and you once waitressed at a hotel, put that in!"
The classic
You know how it goes. Jobs written out in date order, starting with your latest position, with information underneath explaining the job.
Functional CV
That's where instead of listing jobs, you list skills that you've got, underneath you write where you got them.
For example a heading might be 'A skilled trainer' with two bullet points underneath: 'Passed training course at So and So Ltd' and 'Trained a team of 10 at Generic Business and Sons'.
If you opt for that, your first page should be skills and your second page should just list your roles.
Grouping jobs
A pretty handy way of laying out your CV if you've had a career break or been unemployed for a while is to group jobs together. For example: '1990 -1995 - Managerial positions'.
It's up to you which of these styles you choose.
We asked Corinne how far back your career history should date. "The last 10 years is the norm for people further down their career path, you don't need every single job.
But if you've just started in working you might want to put down all of your jobs. And remember, if you are applying for a job in a hotel and you once waitressed at a hotel, put that in!"
·
JOB DESCRIPTION
The number one tip when describing your past jobs? Always write in
bullet points.
So you just write down your main roles and responsibilities in each position right? Wrong! Corinne says too many people just copy and paste their job descriptions into their CVs. But for the perfect CV you need to tell your employer what you achieved, not what you were meant to do.
Write down anything you improved, contributions you made and ideas you came up with. By doing that you can still cover what your main responsibilities were, it just shows how brilliant you are.
"Employers want a star performer, not a jobs worth," says Corinne.
Start each bullet point with a positive word - like 'creative', 'lead' or 'improved', that gives it a more powerful vibe.
"Blow your own trumpet, no one else is going to do it for you, most of us are too modest," says Corinne. "Of course it always has to be true, but if you think hard enough there will always be some improvement that you have made."
So you just write down your main roles and responsibilities in each position right? Wrong! Corinne says too many people just copy and paste their job descriptions into their CVs. But for the perfect CV you need to tell your employer what you achieved, not what you were meant to do.
Write down anything you improved, contributions you made and ideas you came up with. By doing that you can still cover what your main responsibilities were, it just shows how brilliant you are.
"Employers want a star performer, not a jobs worth," says Corinne.
Start each bullet point with a positive word - like 'creative', 'lead' or 'improved', that gives it a more powerful vibe.
"Blow your own trumpet, no one else is going to do it for you, most of us are too modest," says Corinne. "Of course it always has to be true, but if you think hard enough there will always be some improvement that you have made."
·
WRITING THE “ABOUT
ME” SECTION
Ah the dreaded 'About me' section. The one where you have to tell
your future employer (hopefully!) just how amazing you are.
"It sits underneath your contact details and is a mini advert all about you." says Corinne.
It's also the part that people tend to struggle with most.
"It sits underneath your contact details and is a mini advert all about you." says Corinne.
It's also the part that people tend to struggle with most.
Corinne says it should be three to four
sentences long, each sentence being another key point that's 100% aimed towards
the job you're applying for.
Look at the key duties of the role and base your 'About me' section around that.
If you can back up your point with an example that's even better. So you might say: "An excellent communicator, for example I presented at a conference to an audience of 100 people."
"This should encapsulate everything you are, professionally," says Corinne. "This isn't the same as a hobbies and interests section, it's strictly professional."
Look at the key duties of the role and base your 'About me' section around that.
If you can back up your point with an example that's even better. So you might say: "An excellent communicator, for example I presented at a conference to an audience of 100 people."
"This should encapsulate everything you are, professionally," says Corinne. "This isn't the same as a hobbies and interests section, it's strictly professional."
WHICH WORDS SHOULD YOU USE?
One word - positive! Yes, we've said it once and we'll say it
again, a perfect CV is positive.
Swap words like 'disappointing' and 'failed' for 'initiated' and 'lead'. "Psychologically, as the employee reads your CV they'll get the impression that you are a 'can do' kind of person," says Corinne.
Don't say bad things about old employers either, and leave out reasons for leaving your old job. You don't need to over-justify!
Finally, keep your language formal, because essentially this is a business pitch, but also make it relevant to the job you're applying for.
"If you're applying for a job in advertising, you need to sprinkle in some buzz words, if you're going for a job in IT you need to use some IT jargon," says Corinne. "But don't use too much jargon or they'll question your communication skills."
Plus, don't forget that your CV will probably be read first by a non-technical person in HR who will be looking for certain key words, but also needs to be able to understand what the heck you're saying!
Swap words like 'disappointing' and 'failed' for 'initiated' and 'lead'. "Psychologically, as the employee reads your CV they'll get the impression that you are a 'can do' kind of person," says Corinne.
Don't say bad things about old employers either, and leave out reasons for leaving your old job. You don't need to over-justify!
Finally, keep your language formal, because essentially this is a business pitch, but also make it relevant to the job you're applying for.
"If you're applying for a job in advertising, you need to sprinkle in some buzz words, if you're going for a job in IT you need to use some IT jargon," says Corinne. "But don't use too much jargon or they'll question your communication skills."
Plus, don't forget that your CV will probably be read first by a non-technical person in HR who will be looking for certain key words, but also needs to be able to understand what the heck you're saying!
WHAT TO PUT IN YOUR CV
Are you a do-gooder? Do you volunteer at your local soup kitchen every Wednesday night? Are you a coach for the local under-10s football team? Are you a mega-marathon runner? Then put it in! These things show your employer that you're organized, motivated and an all-round good person.
Are you a do-gooder? Do you volunteer at your local soup kitchen every Wednesday night? Are you a coach for the local under-10s football team? Are you a mega-marathon runner? Then put it in! These things show your employer that you're organized, motivated and an all-round good person.
Also, if your education or employment history features
places that are non-EU, put your rights to work in the UK right at the front,
so the employer has absolutely no excuse for not giving you an interview.
WHAT DO LEAVE OUT OF YOUR CV
This might be a shocker...leave out your date of birth! We bet loads of you have D.O.B at the top of your CV, we did. But because of new age discrimination laws, employers aren't allowed to judge you on your age, meaning your date of birth is not only meaningless, but also shows you're not up to date on the laws. The only time it might be useful, is if you feel the need to explain that you have little experience because you are still a young'un.
Other things to leave out - your marital status and how many children you've got, they're irrelevant!
Also, there's no need for a hobbies and interests section unless they're really quirky and interesting, like you're an amazing water skier. If you do put down hobbies, put the most relevant things first, like the books you love to read.
Don't put that you love socializing - it's not a massive novelty!
WHAT DO LEAVE OUT OF YOUR CV
This might be a shocker...leave out your date of birth! We bet loads of you have D.O.B at the top of your CV, we did. But because of new age discrimination laws, employers aren't allowed to judge you on your age, meaning your date of birth is not only meaningless, but also shows you're not up to date on the laws. The only time it might be useful, is if you feel the need to explain that you have little experience because you are still a young'un.
Other things to leave out - your marital status and how many children you've got, they're irrelevant!
Also, there's no need for a hobbies and interests section unless they're really quirky and interesting, like you're an amazing water skier. If you do put down hobbies, put the most relevant things first, like the books you love to read.
Don't put that you love socializing - it's not a massive novelty!
·
CHECK, CHECK AND CHECK AGAIN
What's the biggest mistake people make when writing a CV? Well,
the biggest mistake is, quite simply, making a mistake.
Yep, spelling and grammar errors are the worst thing to have on your CV. Who's going to interview someone with good 'communication' skills?
"Your CV is an example of your professionalism," says Corinne. "It must be impeccable without a single error."
In fact, Corinne says nine out of ten CVs have a mistake on them. That means if you get it right, you can be the one out of ten to stand out!
To make sure you've got the perfect CV, use spell check, print your CV off to read it and show it to a friend.
"It isn't to do with intelligence or how good you are at your job, it's just a bit of sloppiness, and is the quickest way to get into the reject bin," says Corinne.
Yep, spelling and grammar errors are the worst thing to have on your CV. Who's going to interview someone with good 'communication' skills?
"Your CV is an example of your professionalism," says Corinne. "It must be impeccable without a single error."
In fact, Corinne says nine out of ten CVs have a mistake on them. That means if you get it right, you can be the one out of ten to stand out!
To make sure you've got the perfect CV, use spell check, print your CV off to read it and show it to a friend.
"It isn't to do with intelligence or how good you are at your job, it's just a bit of sloppiness, and is the quickest way to get into the reject bin," says Corinne.
·
REFERENCE
Corinne's top tip when it comes to references -
don't put them on your CV!
"You want to have control of when they're
taken up," she says. In fact, she reckons you don't even need to put
'references will be supplied'.
The only time Corinne says you should put references on is if you have a referee who's particularly prestigious. If you're trying to get a job at a new business and you've got Richard Branson or Bill Gates as a referee, you'd be silly not to put it in there!
Of course, it's up to you though, so if you do want to put in some references, go for it. Just remember to put down someone who will tell them how amazing you are!
Also remember to prepare your referee if you know they're going to be contacted.
Tell them that you've applied for this job and what the employer is looking for, that way (hopefully!) they'll tell your new boss exactly what they're wanting to hear.
The only time Corinne says you should put references on is if you have a referee who's particularly prestigious. If you're trying to get a job at a new business and you've got Richard Branson or Bill Gates as a referee, you'd be silly not to put it in there!
Of course, it's up to you though, so if you do want to put in some references, go for it. Just remember to put down someone who will tell them how amazing you are!
Also remember to prepare your referee if you know they're going to be contacted.
Tell them that you've applied for this job and what the employer is looking for, that way (hopefully!) they'll tell your new boss exactly what they're wanting to hear.
No comments:
Post a Comment