CV Writing - Why NOT- (Do IT Yourself)

Every now and again we often hear people talk about a CV and most people do not even know what it means let alone what it stands for, therefore today we look at every element of a CV and its uses. At Humba-HR-Consultants we believe in researching and explaining in depth, - A curriculum vitae (CV) provides an overview of a person's experience and other qualifications. Our research has realized that in most countries, a CV is typically the first item that a potential employer encounters regarding the job seeker and is typically used to screen applicants, often followed by an interview, when seeking employment.

Curriculum vitae, is a Latin expression which can be loosely translated as the course of my life.

What is a CV and why do I need one?

• Your CV is a piece of work completed by you, almost like a sales pitch on a sheet of paper.

• Your CV is used to show a potential employer that you have the right experience (not just paid work experience) and the ability to perform. It shows the skills you can bring to their company, your motivation to succeed and highlights that you are the type of employee they are looking to recruit for that particular job.

• Your CV should be a maximum of two pages long. A potential employer doesn't want pages of information about you. Make sure you put the important things right at the beginning. If your CV is too long, the employer won’t have time to read it.

• Print out your CV on quality paper. And make sure that you save your CV on your computer so that it’s ready for any other applications.

• Use a font size no smaller than 10 pt and use a normal font such as Arial or Times New

Roman. If an employer can’t read about you, they won’t want to meet you!

• Use simple, plain and positive English with clear and concise content – don’t waffle!

• Check the spelling and grammar before sending your CV to employers. If you are unsure of how to spell a word, use a dictionary to check it. Have a family friend or neighbor check that your whole CV reads well – a fresh pair of eyes will spot any small errors that you may have missed.

• There are hundreds of websites that will tell you how to lay out your CV, but they are all the same and employers have seen dozens of these.

The layout should be easy to read and nice to look at. Look at a ‘standard CV template’ online and then use your own touch to make yours different.

Don’t use fancy borders because this will take the focus away from the important parts.

What you need to put in your CV and what you don’t:

Contact details

Dos;

• Your full name should be at the top of the page (not the nickname that your mates use!).

• Full home address including postcode (if you don’t know it, Google will).

• Mobile phone number and home telephone number if possible – give the employer some different contact options.

• Email address – make sure this is appropriate (using an email such as spidy@doityourself.com is not acceptable and employers will sift you out straight away).

Don’ts;

• Driving licence – you don’t need to put down that you hold one (unless you are applying for driving jobs).

• Photograph – unless you are applying to be Britain’s next top model, an employer won’t need to know what you look like.

• Date of birth – unless you are applying to work with alcohol, this is also not needed.

Mini profile;

• This is the most important and useful part of your CV because it highlights you as a candidate and why you are different from the rest.

• Make it either a short and snappy paragraph, or use bullet points highlighting your best skills.

• Ask someone to check it for you or, better still, get someone you know to give you a few points on the type of person you are; this should help you highlight your best personal qualities.

Key skills and achievements

• If you have any achievements (certificates) that are relevant to the job for which you are applying, list them. For example, if you are applying for a hospitality role and have a food hygiene certificate, put that down because the employer will be keen to see it (don’t forget the dates that you completed the certificate).

• If you don’t have any relevant achievements, it’s nothing to worry about. You can leave this section out.

Career history

• List your most recent job, work experience or voluntary work first and work your way back.

Employers will want to see your up-to-date employment at the top.

• Don’t forget to list your main responsibilities, your job title and the dates you were employed.

• Make sure that the dates all match up; this is something that an employer will look at and, if there are gaps, make sure you can explain them.

• Don’t make up tasks to make yourself look better. Be honest!

Training and education

• List your education (school, college or university) as additional to any others you have put in the key skills and achievements section.

• If you have done training with previous employment, for example customer service, list this as well because it will show a new employer that you are willing to learn.

• If you have any outside of work skills, for example public speaking at a local community group, include these also because it shows your commitment.

Interests and hobbies

• These may sometimes be used as an ‘ice breaker’ if you are called for an interview, so makes sure that they are genuine interests.

• Put relevant hobbies to the job for which you are applying, for example cooking if you are applying for a chef’s role (things such as socialising with friends are not relevant).

• Make sure that you have examples to back your hobbies up if called for an interview.

References

• Not required on your CV – they will only take up unnecessary space. The best thing to say is: ‘References available on request.’

How to write your first ever CV and stand out

When you write your first CV, don’t worry if you haven’t got any work experience. There are plenty of other ways to show employers that you have the right skills and abilities to work for them and highlight that you are the best candidate for their company.

School

• Were you part of a club or group at school/college/university where you had responsibilities?

• Did you have to organise school/college/university events? Did you have to keep records?

Hold meetings? If so, these are perfect examples of being organised, working in a group, using your initiative and sticking to deadlines.

Awards

• Have you taken part in any Duke of Edinburgh Awards or similar? These are also examples

that you have worked within a team and followed instructions.

Voluntary

• Have you done any voluntary work? Library Assistant? Local charity shops? Local elderly home?

Helped at a local church group? Promoted social groups who encourage community cohesion? These are good examples to use as well.

All of the above will show that you are able to complete tasks, work with other people and are a committed individual.

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Those important changes to your current CV to make you stand out

• Having more than one CV is perfectly normal because most jobs for which you apply are completely different from the last, and you will need to amend your CV to suit each job.

• If you are applying for a job that requires a specific skill, for example gardener, make sure that you highlight this skill – you have to show that you are capable.

• Take out any unnecessary skills. This will take up space and the employer won’t want to know about things that aren’t relevant to their vacancy.

• Use the job description for the vacancy. If you don’t have one, look at the company’s website or use any brochures you can find. This will help you to establish the kind of candidates that particular company is looking for.

• Think about what you have to offer to the specific employer – how are you different from the rest?

• Use words from the job advert and put these in your CV. This can also be included in your covering letter. This will prove that you have read the advert properly and paid attention to detail.

Formatting

Highlight titles and main headings in bold. Keep the order chronological. If you have little work experience, you can put your academics first. If you've been working, put your academics towards the end. Don’t try to reduce the font size to 8 points and reduce margins to fit it all in. Only include what's really necessary to get you the job.

Length

No recruiter wants to read an 8-page CV, so make it short and sharp. Keep the number of pages to two or less.

Spelling and grammar

Always check your spelling and grammar. Nothing looks more unprofessional than a CV with lots of errors. Spell-check your CV and ask someone else to read it over.

Contact details

Make your contact details clear so recruiters know how to contact you. Many recruiters have problems finding email addresses or phone numbers on the CV.

Adapt your CV

Don’t just send out the same CV to every employer. Think about the organisation you’re applying to and what they're looking for; then change your CV to match. For example, if they're looking for someone with experience of leading teams, include details of that in your CV.

Qualifications

If the job you’re applying for requires particular qualifications, highlight those on your CV. If the role doesn't require specific qualifications, don’t list every grade you received at school and university.

Work experience

Write about more than the responsibilities you held in each work experience role. Provide details about what you achieved, including figures and statistics if you can. For example, saying you implemented a graduate programme that increased applications by 50% looks much better than a bullet point confirming the fact you managed graduate programmes.

Personal statements

Recruiters have differing views on personal statements. Some like them, others don't. If you want to include one, don’t just write a statement such as: 'I’m a results-driven professional with excellent communication skills.' Think about what the organisation wants and how you can highlight your skills for the role in a short paragraph. For example, 'I’m a human resources analyst with two years' experience in a medium-sized organisation. I am experienced in linking human resources strategy to business needs to engage and retain our people in line with their performance.'