The purpose of this area is to give information about CVs and Cover Letters. You will also find lots of links to very useful sites with all the information you need.
The CV
CVs can look very different and there isn’t really a single universal CV format that would guarantee you the job or that would be “the right one”. There are though several important points to be remembered when writing a CV and these points will be gone through here.
Format rules
2 A4 pages maximum. If the CV gets longer the reader might already lose interest and forget what he read.
Well laid out document that uses normal font styles (Times New Roman, Verdana, Arial). Straight margins and perfectly word processed.
Use lots of spaces if possible and the flow of the points should be logical. An easy-to-read layout.
Use white good quality paper if sending a paper application. If sending electronically make sure the text is easy to read and the background colour is white. No images please.
Put a central block heading with key details of you that the recruiter can see immediately. Avoid putting here your age, marital status and other details that are not relevant.
Use bold, underlined or highlighted headings to make it easy to see where each section starts.
Content and substance rules
You could put a career objective or a self-marketing statement under the central block heading. This would tell the reader a bit more about who you are and what you want. Some recruiters do not though want this, so it really is up to you and what you think sells you better. As mentioned in the introduction, there are as many CV formats as there are opinions.
Analyse your key skills and what you have achieved so far in your life.
You can also put a personal section in the end of the CV that would explain in more detail who You really are. Many recruiters don’t’ have a lot of time to read carefully the Cvs they get and thus only look at the beginning and the end. By having a good ending that sells you as a person, you might just convince the employer to put you in the right pile instead of the rubbish bin. Once again some recruiters don’t think this is important and it is left for you to decide.
Use lots of adjectives and positive, dynamic, precise and concise language. Mistakes on your CV just makes you look stupid. The last thing you want is to waste the recruiter's time with them trying to understand what you are writing and trying to say.
Use examples whenever possible. This is so important. Show them actually why you have the skills you are saying you have. Show for example that your keen eye for detail saved your previous employer lots of money because of all the mistakes you found and corrected.
What section comes in what order varies from person to person. If you are a fresh student and don’t have lots of work experience then more emphasis should be put on explaining your education and extracurricular activities and how they have shaped you as a person. If you have work experience, then this should be your key selling point. Don’t just write the time you have worked, the company and the title. Explain what you actually did, what you learnt and what impact You actually made. This is important to remember.
Always put the most recent event on top and then go back in time as you go down.
Be consistent and clear with everything you are trying to communicate to the recruiter. They do not have any extra time to be wasted. A very small thing could decide if you get to the interview or not. Make sure you get there.
What your CV should say
When writing a CV you have to remember the following thing. What you are trying to say always has a deeper meaning and each section of your CV should explain “more” about you. What this means is explained below.
What you write
What the reader understands
Name/Address/etc:
I am easy to contact and organised.
Personal profile:
I am very good and I can offer you all this.
Education & Qualifications:
I am a clever person. Look at my achievements.
Work experience:
Look at what I have done so far. I am a very hard worker.
Relevant skill:
I am especially good at this. You (the employer) can use these skills to
your advantage.
Personal interests:
I am very interesting and outgoing. I have a life and I like to socialize
and take care of myself.
References:
These people will tell you how nice and wonderful I am. They will back
every word I am saying.
The point is thus that you have to make sure that each section makes you look as good as possible. Make sure the reader understands your points and sell, sell, sell yourself. You are a very good employee. You know that. Make the employer aware of that too. Make them understand that they need you in their organisation. There is though a thin red line here and don’t step over it and appear as over-confident and cocky. Like you know you are the best. Be confident in yourself and your skills. It will shine through.
Power words
One point that also has to be made here is about the power words. Some companies actually use computer programs to do the initial screening of applicants and they do this by looking for certain power words in the CV and Cover Letter. This may seem cold and unfair but that is the way some companies do it. Although a computer program wouldn’t be used you should still use these power words since they have an impact on the reader and make you “shine”. Some of the words you can use are.
Accelerated
Achieved
Acquired
Administered
Advised
Ambition
Analysed
Aspired
Assisted
Budgeted
Built
Capable
Clarified
Completed
Conceived
Confidence
Conscientious
Cooperated
Coordinated
Created
Decided
Delegated
Demonstrated
Dependable
Designed
Determined
Developed
Devised
Displayed
Directed
Distinctive
Doubled
Educated
Effected
Effective
Efficient
Encouraged
Engineered
Enhanced
Enthusiasm
Established
Evaluated
Exceeded
Excellence
Exceptional
Executed
Expanded
Experience
Facilitated
Finalised
Financed
Formulated
Founded
Generated
Governed
Graduated
Headed
Helpful
Honest
Honour
Humour
Imagination
Implemented
Improved
Improvised
Increased
Influenced
Ingenuity
Integrity
Initiated
Innovated
Inspired
Launched
Led
Liaised
Located
Loyal
Maintained
Managed
Marketed
Mediated
Motivated
Negotiated
Nominated
Notable
Obtained
Operated
Opportunity
Organised
Oriented
Originated
Overcome
Participated
Perceived
Perfected
Performed
Permanent
Piloted
Pioneered
Placed
Planned
Played
Popular
Practical
Praise
Prepared
Prestige
Produced
Proficient
Progress
Promoted
Proposed
Proved
Provided
Punctual
Reasonable
Recognised
Recommend
Reduced
Regulated
Reliable
Reorganised
Reported
Represented
Researched
Responsible
Satisfied
Scheduled
Selected
Simplified
Sincerity
Solved
Stimulated
Streamlined
Structured
Substantial
Succeeded
Success
Supervised
Supported
Taught
Thorough
Thoughtful
Tolerant
Trained
Transferred
Transformed
Trebled
Understanding
Useful
Utilised
Verified
Vital
Vivid
Wisdom
Won
Wrote
Skills and abilities to talk about
When writing your CV and Cover Letter you should use lots of examples and there is a reason for this. This shows how you really have behaved in some situations and what skills and abilities you have. Below are some skills you should address in your application. This depends of course on where it is you are applying.
Willingness to learn
Commitment
Dependability/reliability
Self-motivation
Teamwork
Communication skills (both spoken and written)
General drive and energy
Self-management
Achievement oriented and generally motivated
Problem solving skills
Analytical abilities
Flexibility
Initiative
Ability to summarise key issues
Logical reasoning abilities
Adaptability
Numerical skills
Verbal skills
Ability to work under pressure
Time management
Customer/client service skills
Research skills
Self-confidence
Always remember though that when you say you possess these skills you have to prove it with an example. Know yourself and think about what you have done. You will most certainly have many of these skills but you have to know this and be aware of them. Don’t be afraid to put as many of these as possible on your CV. Sell yourself.
The Cover Letter
The Cover Letter is your friend. Its task is to complement and compliment your CV and tell more about you. In some cases where applications are identical, the recruiters might make the decision based on your Cover Letter. This is thus an important document and some people think it is even the key to getting a job.
The task of the covering letter is to:
Reinforce key points made in the CV or application form.
It can accompany the CV and application form even if not asked.
It need to be fairly brief and to the point. Don’t write loads here.
It needs a good beginning.
It should say what you want and can do for that employer.
It should say how you are suited to the job/work.
It should have a good ending. Maybe an assumptive ending, like “I am looking forward to meeting you very soon”.
The precise format of the Cover Letter is though dependant on your profession and the industry and even the company you want to work for. There are though samples available that can be found right below and in the links at the bottom of the page.
Samples
CV 1
CV 2
Cover Letter 1 (speculative letter)
Cover Letter 2
Cover Letter 3
Good luck with your job hunt.
Some useful links
Targeting you Cover Letters
CV FAQ's and Answers
Cover Letter FAQ's and Answers
Targeting your CV
CV Cheating
CV Samples (for various professions)
Cover Letter Samples
All the information you need about CVs and Cover Letters
University of Essex CV guidance
Very good link collection (support 4 learning)
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