Improving your CV
Include
"action words" such as "motivated" "achieved"
because they create a positive impression.
Bullet point lists
of capabilities / achievements but be careful not to overuse bullet points
because that can cause a negative reaction from the reader.
Why not evaluate
your personal qualities in "talent statements“. Remember that this is your
CV and your one chance to sell yourself to an employer. Why should they want to
employ you in this role? What are your particular talents?
Draw up a “Skills
Chart” to help you to decide what key skills you have and which should be
mentioned in your CV.
Top
Tips:
Review your CV objectively asking:
Ø
Is the layout clear?
Ø
Have I included all necessary relevant
material?
Ø
Have I excluded all irrelevant material?
Ø
Is it tailored to the requirements of the
employer / job?
Ø
Is the most important information on the
first page?
Ø
Are my key skills highlighted?
Ø
Have all spelling and grammatical
errors been removed.
5.3 Still short of ideas?
There are lots of websites with examples and
also with CV templates. Use them to gather ideas. But beware of using standard
templates. It is usually apparent to an employer that the applicant has used a
standard CV template and you are likely to create a much better impression by
producing a CV which is unique to you.
Remember that you need to stand out from the
crowd. An employer initially reading CV’s is likely to focus quickly on the
first half of the first page before deciding whether to read further. So it is
the first half of the first page which you need to use to make a maximum
impact.
Quick exercise 3 (25 minutes)
The Prospects web site provides
guidance on CVs and Covering letters on the following pages:
This link provides good annotated examples of the
different types of CV and comprehensive guidance on what to include in your CV.
Quick exercise 4 (15 minutes)
Read the guidance on this website on what NOT
to do in your CV!
6. COVERING LETTERS
If
you are using your CV as part of a specific job application or sending multiple
CVs out to employers as a speculative exercise, you will need to include a
covering letter to put your CV into context and make sure that it doesn’t
simply get overlooked.
Generally
covering letters should be tailored to specific roles and are an opportunity
for you to demonstrate your skills in relation to that specific opportunity.
Covering
letters should be no more than one side of A4 and should be addressed to a
named person within the organisation, otherwise the covering letter and your CV
may only reach the bin!
They
should include your own contact details. These letters are normally formal in
style and of course should be correct grammatically and free of spelling
errors.
This
principal applies to CVs as well but is arguably even more important in the
case of the covering letter as any mistake at this stage is likely to consign
your letter to the waste bin without further consideration.
A suggested five paragraph approach to
preparing covering letters:
1. Introduction.
2. Why you are interested in the role.
3. Why you are interested in the organisation.
4. Your key skills.
5. Availability for interview.
7. FURTHER MATERIAL
There are many more resources on the
“Businessballs” website:
Plus if you search for CV on the internet you
will find many additional resources too.
Summary
Having read the Study Notes you will have
identified that:
1. CV’s come in various types and styles
and there is to need to follow any particular type.
2. It is vital to ensure that your CV
achieves maximum impact.
3. There are clearly a number of things
which you should not do in a CV and failure to follow this is likely to lose
you the prospect of a job.
4. CV’s
should be tailored to the job for which you are applying.
Now
complete the questions on Blackboard which are designed to test your
understanding of this Paper. You will receive immediate feedback.
ANSWERS
Suggestions for answers to Quick
exercises:
0 条评论:
发表评论
订阅 博文评论 [Atom]
<< 主页