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CV preparation -
Make a great first impression with your
CV.
What
is a CV?
The words
Curriculum Vitae literally mean “story of your
life”. Your CV is a summary of your skills,
accomplishments, experiences and education, designed
to capture a prospective employer’s interest. Your
CV should be regarded as a work in progress and
updated regularly.
The importance
of a great CV cannot be over-estimated as it can:-
• Get you an
interview by intriguing a potential employer.
• Encourage the interviewer to focus on your
achievements.
• Help you to remember the key points that you want
to emphasise at interviews.
• Leave the interviewer with a clear reminder of
what you could do for their organization.
To achieve
these aims, you must ensure your CV stands out from
other CVs to make sure that it is short-listed for a
job. It must be distinctive and professional so that
it creates impact and interest. A sample CV is
enclosed for your reference.
Presentation is the key
• Create an
air of quality – you are being judged initially by
your CV alone.
• Always type your CV and use good quality paper,
preferably white in colour.
• Don’t use binders, covers or title pages, which
add clutter.
• Make sure that your CV works independently of a
cover letter in case they become separated.
• Make your CV concise and tailored to the role in
question.
• Unless otherwise specified, don’t include a
photograph.
• Present your details in a clear flowing style and
be consistent throughout.
• Keep in mind the needs of the employer who will be
reading it.
• Consider what s/he is looking for in a candidate
and make it easy for the reader to pick out those
skills.
• Use common typeface such as Times New Roman or
Arial, size between 10-14 points and the font colour
- black.
• If you want to use bold typeface, save it for
headings and never use it to type your name, address
or telephone number.
• Never incorporate graphics, shading, brackets,
italics, underlining or columns and always send an
original CV, never a photocopy.
Structure
Personal
Details
• Name
• Address
• Telephone Number
Personal
Profile
Education & Qualifications
Key Skills
Career
History
• Employer
• Position
• Dates
• Duties
Interests/Hobbies
References
Content
• Education
qualifications / work experience should be presented
in reverse chronological order, starting with the
most recent qualification / job and working
backwards in time.
• Give the starting and finishing dates to include
date, month and year.
• If you are applying for a job requiring specific
skills, tailor your CV to the position.
• Check grammar and spelling. Spelling mistakes and
poorly constructed sentences communicate negative
impressions about the candidate.
• Sending a few carefully tailored CVs, rather than
hundreds of general ones, will produce far greater
success.
• Keep a careful note of the dates you send CVs to
employers and make a polite follow up by telephone
or letter if you don’t get a reply within 10-14
days. This is likely to have the effect of
emphasising your continued interest and shows a
business-like approach.
• Keep your CV up-to-date. Remember, each new skill
or experience makes you more valuable to future
employers.
What
is a Cover Letter?
A cover letter
is a necessary business letter that accompanies your
CV whether you post, e-mail or fax your CV. Its
purpose is to introduce your CV and express your
personality and enthusiasm for the position.
How to
write a good Cover Letter
• Make sure that you type each letter using the same
font and high quality paper as your CV.
• Be brief and concise. The cover letter should not
exceed more than one page in length.
• Expand on your CV, rather than repeat the CV
content.
• Individualise and target each cover letter to the
position you seek. Recruiters can spot a mass
produced or general letter and will consider it
unprofessional.
• Address your letter to a specific person e.g.
Recruiter / Human Resource Manager. This should
ensure speedy response.
• Remember to sign and date your cover letter.
Remember, a
killer CV can be the first step on your journey to
a whole new career.
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