Complete Vanity or not? (Advice & Tips for Preparing Your CV)

Member Name: forrest

Product:	Advice & Tips for Preparing Your CV
Date:	02/08/01 (85 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Short list for a good CV, Chance to sell yourself without being there in person

Disadvantages: Badly written CV's willnot get you any where

Here you go another person telling you yet another way to write your cv.

The first thing to rememebr is that the CV is only there to get you on the short list. It isnt there for someone to read and then employ you without seeing you.

So where do you start? Your CV evolves with you from the time that you do something it is worth telling someone about. Most people think that the CV starts when you leave school, ok so that is the main part but think of all the things you have done before you left: The Saturday job, the clubs you belonged to, what events you have attended, work experience (not the part about being taken to the pub every lunch time though), awards that you gained, but i would leave out the width badge you got when you were 7 years old. Basically you are trying to display yourself as a well rounded individual, that in nearly all cases is lacking experience. That is what you get once you have a job.

When writing your CV it is important not to over elaborate points and stretch the imagination too far. I have been to interviews and have had people come to me for interviews. If something on the CV looks a bit ambitious you will get asked about it if you make the interview. Some people dont even get interviews because their CV appears too elaborate for their age, background, history. The CV must be honest without putting yourself down. If something you have done is good, get it down on paper, if you are being honest you will be able to talk freely about the subject at an interview. Lie and the interview will be a nightmare.

OK so when you have decided on a few key points think about the layout, structure and length.

Firstly the CV should not be more than three to four pages. Give someone a CV that has their entire life history in a leather bound book and I doubt it will get looked at. It should also be easy to pick out the key data the interviewer is looking for. Hiding good points in with worse points WILL get them
overlooked. The interviewer will have hundreds of CV's to read and if they are too difficult to get the details they will probably turn into paper aeroplanes.

With the structure try and find a template that suites you e.g a front page that is personal details and qualifications, the rest of the CV your work history (latest to oldest). Make sure the personal details are correct, the right phone number, email address (be warned not to use a stupid address that is a joke one for your mates...it can put people off)
Keep the format the same e.g.
Job Title Company
Date From Date to
Brief description of role (couple of lines)
Main Duties (Bullet points)
Main Acheivements (Bullet points)

The size of each of these sections should reduce the further from the present day you get. Make the bullet points punchy and know what you meant by each one without having to read the CV again. It is not essential to put all acheivements down, if you can keep some back as additional talking points in the interview.

It is important to know your CV thoroughly so you do not need to be looking at it when you are in the interview. You can run through your history in the same order as you have written and pick up on the bullet points you quoted.

Keep your CV up to date and review it regularly. Nothing is harder than trying to write up nine years work when you are looking ot move on, I KNOW. The memory doesnt always give you the whole picture, plus you will be wasting valuable application time writing a new CV.

Finally get as many people as possible to read it and give you feedback. Listen to what they say and read as many other CV's as you can. It all helps!!!

That just leaves me to say, good luck out there and maybe I will see your CV on my desk one day.

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