| What is a CV? | | | | prospective employers are looking for, you be in a |
| What exactly is a Curriculum Vitae? (Meaning "Course | | | | better position to write a more effective CV. |
| of Life") -is it a list of your skills and experience? Is it a | | | | As a rule, your CV will impress an employer if it |
| mini-biography? Is it a chance to get someone to fully | | | | displays the following: |
| appreciate your skills and achievements? | | | | - An emphasis on the role you are applying for |
| It's none of these. | | | | Ask you friends or colleagues to read your CV and |
| A CV is an interview-winning tool. It is not a personal | | | | see if they can tell the exact position you are looking |
| biography, or a list of your skills and experience but a | | | | for. If they can't, neither will your employer, and they |
| fluid document which means different things to | | | | may not understand why you are applying to work in |
| different people, but needs to be relevant to all. | | | | the position they are offering. |
| CV Myths: | | | | - A CV that is recent and up to date |
| Before looking at what makes a good CV, let's first | | | | Can your prospective employer look at your CV and |
| dispel a few myths: | | | | tell exactly what is you are doing at this exact point in |
| 'The more they know about me, the more chance | | | | time? If not, you are leaving this to their imagination - |
| they have of being impressed' | | | | Keep your CV up to date and eliminate all doubt! |
| Wrong! Too many people make the mistake of | | | | - A Clear, easy to read layout |
| thinking that the more information they can cram onto | | | | Does your CV clearly detail your achievements, or are |
| their CV the better. | | | | they hidden with your responsibilities? Is your CV a |
| This is not the case. | | | | concise two pages in length, or is it more like a five |
| 'My CV should detail everything I've ever done. Ever.' | | | | page essay? Is your CV Crammed with dense, hard |
| Wrong! Employers don't want to know about the time | | | | to read writing, or is there plenty of 'White Space'. If |
| you worked part-time as a shop girl for ABC Retail | | | | your CV is not easy to read, it will not be read. |
| when you were 16, if you are now a 45-year-old | | | | Sound Tricky? |
| senior manager with 26 years experience under your | | | | Writing an effective CV is one of the most difficult |
| belt! | | | | tasks you will ever have to do for your job search. It is |
| 'It doesn't matter if my CV doesn't look perfect, my | | | | an accepted fact that is incredibly difficult for an |
| experience will be enough to impress any employer' | | | | individual to write an effective CV because they do |
| Wrong! If your CV is not easily readable, employers will | | | | not have the ability to be objective - Every piece of |
| simply bin it and move on to the next one. Why should | | | | information is important and cannot be edited or |
| they spend valuable time trying to digest your CV | | | | removed, leading to a very cluttered, difficult to read |
| when they have 300 other applications to look | | | | CV. |
| through? | | | | It is worth considering getting your CV professionally |
| What Do Employers look for? | | | | prepared by professional, experienced consultants, as |
| When preparing your CV it's very important to write it | | | | they have the objectivity and experience required to |
| with your audience in mind. What will they be looking | | | | pull out the most relevant bits of information, and focus |
| for? What specific skills and experience will they want | | | | on what employers want to see, not what you want |
| to see in candidates? By thinking hard about what your | | | | them to see! |