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CV Wizard
This step-by-step procedure consists of three parts. Firstly, we'll
introduce you to the CV summary page and tips for improving it. Working
from your old CV, you can fill in the relevant details and remove the
unnecessary or outdated information. Secondly, we'll show you how to customize
your CV.
There two main styles of presenting a CV:
* Chronological CVs: are more
traditional, they list previous employers and job roles in detail, and are
suited to professionals who have a formal history of experience
* Functional or skills CVs: are better
suited to contractors, graduates, people who have moved around a lot, or
taken time out to pursue charity work or similar activities. They are also
useful when making a complete career change. These types of CVs are more
descriptive and focus more on skills and direct experience.
How long should my CV be?
The overwhelming opinion from recruiters is that a single summary page and
a secondary page with employment history and education details is more
than adequate. For professionals, we recommend a combination of the two -
a skills-based summary page, followed by a chronology of your experience.
The summary page
All modern CVs now include a summary page. This is a descriptive 'teaser'
which outlines your main selling points and can give the recruiter an
immediate overall impression of your suitability. Remember that they may
have received many CVs for a position, and can find it tiresome scouring
through pages and pages of detail, often glossing over the important bits
and ruling out your chances for an interview.
The summary page is a chance to make an impact, and it gives you a chance
to show off your personality and personal attributes. If it is well
presented and articulate, it will speak for itself.
Begin by including your contact details, letter head style. Remember that
space on this page is at a premium.
Profile
This is a descriptive overview of your professional profile. It occupies
most of the summary page and consists of three key elements:
A descriptive introduction of
your professional designation (e.g. a Chartered Accountant or web
designer), backed up by key features of your professional self, and also
including your immediate ambitions. Ideally this should be punchy, precise
and no more than three (15-word) sentences.
Key skills, listed as bullet
points. Eight points is sufficient, make sure they're relevant to the
particular position and concisely written. This will include not only your
formal training, but also workplace acumen (e.g. proven skilful
negotiator). Make sure you quantify your results (e.g. increased turnover
by 40 per cent), and be careful of meaningless phrases (e.g. good team
player). Try to avoid single words spilling over on to a new line, this
wastes space.
Achievements: these should be
presented in the same manner as skills, although about three significant
achievements are enough.
Experience
The next important part of your CV is your most recent or relevant work
experience. The manner in which this is presented depends on which CV type
you choose to use. Either way, you should leave enough space on the
summary page to include at least the most important outline of your
experience. The rest of your experience can follow on page two.
Note: Try not to clutter the summary page with too much detail.
Clear use of bullet points and white space should effectively draw
attention to a handful of key points that will prompt the recruiter to
read on or even confirm an interview.
The Contents
The rest of the CV should ideally be no longer than two pages, although
professionals with a long career history will need more.
The three sections are:
Secondary experience
Qualifications
Personal summary
In order to squeeze everything in you're going to have to be ruthless.
Qualifications and previous work experience that is unlikely to make a
significant impact should be left out.
Full details of early job roles won't be read if you've made a career
change, or if subsequent positions you've held have included far more
important responsibilities. Here are some details that you can leave out.
* Details of jobs held more than 10 years ago
* Minute details of more recent jobs
* Reasons for leaving a previous job
* Current and past salaries
* Failed examinations
* Nationality and age
* Details of referees
* Full details of hobbies and interests
Master Copy: Before
you take a red pen to your current CV, we suggest you create a master
copy, including any detail which may be relevant to any application. This
copy can be as long as you like because no one else is going to see it.
The reason behind this is customizing.
Work experience
This follows on directly from the summary page. Ideally you should aim to
squeeze the details of your current or most important recent position onto
the summary page, the rest can follow on the second page.
Starting with the most recent jobs, or positions within the same company,
list them according to:
Job title: using the official title may be misleading, therefore
consider re-wording it to more accurately describe your role.
The responsibilities section is
clearly the most important section and will require some clever use of
words to keep it brief yet informative. Use bullet points and remember
that the aim is simply to catch the recruiter's attention. Elaboration can
take place in the interview.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
* Avoid jargon
* Clearly state what you were accountable for
* Quantify and back up your claims
* Use positive and powerful language, but don't waffle (e.g. managed 50
active accounts, increased profit by 40 per cent in first 12 months…)
Qualifications
This section should be quite brief, outlining only your most recent
qualifications and any courses which are relevant to the new role.
Your highest professional qualification is the most important one (i.e.
degree) and should be listed first. You may want to follow this with
professional courses (e.g. Marketing management diploma), and reserve your
secondary level qualifications for last. Details of older qualifications
should be left out. Any other relevant courses can be listed below this.
PC skills: these have become an integral part of business
management, and most office based jobs for that matter. It is worth
listing software with which you are proficient.
Layout: The name of the qualification should always be mentioned
first, thereafter the order is usually determined by the most efficient
use of space. Juggling long words is often necessary to optimise the use
of each line. Remember to remain consistent.
Interests and additional
information
Mentioning personal interests may be an unnecessary waste of space unless
they are likely to show relevant skills which are relevant to your
professional profile. Recruiters often take a glancing look at CV
summaries for any other useful information. This is a good opportunity to
mention other pertinent details that do not fit in to any of the above
categories, e.g. chairman of local cricket club shows your leadership or organizational
ability. If you feel it will enhance your appeal you can include a one
sentence descriptive personal summary at the end of your CV to show your
character strengths, e.g. keen on health and fitness, read extensively on
several subjects, local drama club These show you're a regular person,
with some personality and responsibility. Be careful, if you have an array
of outside activities, it may suggest that you could be easily distracted
from your office work.
Customizing your CV
As we have mentioned before, each time you apply for a job your CV should
be customized to suit that position. This requires assessing the position
you are applying for and identifying the key strengths which you can apply
to the role. Be aware of the ideal person they are seeking and try
matching your CV as closely as possible to a basic imaginary profile of
that individual.
Starting with the personal profile, eliminate those strengths which are
unlikely to appeal to the specific employer, and then elaborate one or two
key areas, particularly experience which is most relevant to the new role.
Showing that you've done your homework about a company will certainly
impress, and this is where you reveal that.
The work experience section of your CV is going to need the most work.
Minimize previous roles that are not similar to the new job, and elaborate
on the responsibilities which are likely to show your suitability for the
new position. Mention specific examples to prove your point.
Recruiters are usually impressed when you've made the effort to customize
a CV. They will notice the forward-thinking in rearranging priorities on a
CV to suit them personally.
And finally…
Take your time to create a complete CV. Starting with your existing CV.
Return to re-check, amend and edit details when your concentration is
fresh. The manner in which it is presented is a direct reflection on your
own standards of professionalism.
3. Proofing and Checking a CV
4. Writing a Cover Letter
5. An Expert's Opinion
**Courtesy** www.megaeast.com
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