This section will contain information About CV's, How should it look, What should it include, Responsibilities and Achievements, Should I use the same CV, Personal Statements, Mature Students and Using a CV abroad..
Look on your CV as the first step of a marketing campaign to a prospective employer. It's your advert and should be: |
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well presented
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interesting
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quick to rea
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It should also be truthful - don't be tempted to lie on your CV - you will be found out! Remember, a CV is a highly personal document, so you must be comfortable with it.
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About CV's
When should I use a CV? |
- when an employer requests one. If an employer asks you to complete an application form - NEVER send a CV in its place.
- if you are making speculative applications for any type of work - permanent or temporary.
- if the ad says, send full details to...
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What about covering letters? |
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How do I start? cv writing
Make a list of all your |
- academic qualifications
- accomplishments
- experience
- then, pick out the highlights. Remember, don't underestimate yourself
- check all the dates of school/university attendance
- check dates details of academic and other qualifications
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How long should it be? |
- Two pages at the most. Selectors rarely give CVs more than two minutes on their initial trawl
- If you are a postgrad, you may wish to add an appendix detailing any research or publications. Don't include this in the body of your CV - it will make it too long
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What should it look like? |
- presentation is really important - your CV needs to get its message over quickly
- it should be word processed on good quality paper - photocopying paper is usually a bit thin, but there is no need to go for thick vellum!
- most people stick to white paper - if you do choose a colour, think pastels.
- think about the layout - it needs to be clear and balanced
- keep paragraphs short
- use bullet points
- font size of 10-12 - smaller is difficult to read, larger looks like a primary school project!
- typeface - is a matter of personal taste. In general non-seraphed face (like this - Arial or Univers) is quite modern, easy to read and no-nonsense. Times New Roman is a little more formal and old fashioned, whilst Comic Sans MS is a bit casual! Try not to get carried away - and once you've chosen a font - stick to it!
- lots of underlining and italics can be distracting- use bold instead for headings
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What should it include?
CVs usually include the following sections, but don't feel you have to follow this format slavishly. |
- Personal Details
- Education
- Employment or Work Experience
- Responsibilities (and achievements)
- Interests (and achievements)
- Other Skills/ Additional Skills
- Referees
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Personal Details
Obvious, but this section should contain |
- Name
- Address (home and term-time)
- Phone
- E-mail
- Date of Birth
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- Don't include marital state/health
- Only put gender if you have an unfamiliar first name
- Nationality is not always necessary
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Education
Put this in reverse chronological order |
- Degree subject and class
- A levels / AS levels or equivalent - with grades
- GCSEs- not necessary to list individual subjects and grades
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Don't include |
- Primary school details
- University and school address
- Minor qualifications - list these elsewhere
- A level or GCSE examining boards
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Employment or Work Experience
Put this in reverse chronological order |
- You can include all employment/ work experience, paid or unpaid, but you may find it useful to divide it into 'related' and 'other', if appropriate
- Describe the duties and skills needed, even for basic jobs
- Expand on the skills developed
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Referees
Two are usually enough |
- always ask permission
- the ideal is one from university, one employer
- check addresses
- give postcodes, phone numbers and e-mail addresses
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Responsibilities and Achievements
If you have had few formal responsibilities, ignore this heading |
- Concentrate on the last three years (approx.), don't give too much space to school
- Expand on skills developed
- Include student membership of committees, organising social events, anything in the wider community
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Interests (and Achievements)
Don't just give a list |
- explain what was involved in taking part in the drama production - teamwork, reliability, time management
- or captaining the cricket team - you need skills in communication, diplomacy, negotiation, motivation ,strategy and planning ,teamwork
- emphasise achievements. If one of your interests is music, and you represented your county - blow your own trumpet!
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Other Skills
Odds and ends - like |
- driving licence
- languages - to what level
- computing skills - programs, spreadsheets
- Duke of Edinburgh Award
- speech and drama
- music
- sporting/coaching qualifications
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Should I use the same CV for every job? |
- Not really necessary to alter it for individual employers - your covering letter is the place to highlight things
- Can be useful to change it for different types of employer
- Sometimes worth it if you are applying for a job that needs particular skills or interests - advertising, or graphic design jobs for example
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What is a Personal Statement/Profile? |
- often inserted between name and personal details
- it summarises experience, skills and ambitions
- can be useful for those in mid career
- for example:
Highly motivated and committed to a career in the public sector. A good team worker with well developed communication skills, gained through enthusiastic participation in student and community organisations. Varied work experience, including a spell with local authority playschemes.
- try to avoid anything that sounds like a personal mission statement
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I'm a mature student - how should I write a CV? |
- try to anticipate any problems you may face as a mature student within your CV
- explain reasons for returning to education, or changing your career
- don't leave any gaps - if you have taken time out to have a family, include this time
- put a positive spin on any experience you may have - for example, if you have been at home raising a family emphasise skill such as:
* time management - juggling child care with study or part time work; dealing with several problems at once, rarely without interruption
* negotiation skills - vital in child rearing
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I want to work abroad eventually - can I use a CV? |
- CV format varies from country to country - you must adapt to your market
- German employers are far more interested in your academic qualifications than your extra curricular ones
- A résumé for the US market need only be a page long.
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