|
| This is your marketing tool,
good preparation and presentation are required to sell yourself effectively.
CV CHECKLIST
-
Finished CV should be easily understood by anyone at any level in a short time.
-
Be positive, accurate, clear and concise.
-
Avoid full personal histories - you want the recipient to want to see you to
find out more.
-
Good quality A4 paper and printing.
-
Page 1 Personal Details followed on Page 2 by Career Experience - length will
vary according to age but never exceed 4 pages in total.
-
Name on every page.
-
Do not leave years unaccounted for.
-
Avoid waffling - unnecessary to pad out to a narrative.
-
Post out in A4 envelopes to avoid folds/creases.
-
Send a copy of your CV to your referees.
-
Always send CV to named person - if unsure, telephone the company and ask.
CV FORMAT
| Name : |
Surname followed by first names |
| Address : |
Include postal code |
| Telephone Nos. : |
Full dialling codes - office and home |
| Email Address : |
State whether home or office email address |
| Nationality : |
Include any relevant details i.e: work permits etc |
| Date of Birth : |
16.06.61 (37 years) |
| Status : |
Married or single (avoid divorced/separated/engaged), Number of children &
ages (optional) |
| Profile : |
4-5 lines summarising what you are looking for with an indication of previous
experience |
| Key Skills : |
-
List no more than six
-
Do not include any dates
-
Include relevant language/computer skills
-
Use action words for description of skills, e.g. managing/supervising/designing
etc.
|
| Education & Qualifications:
|
-
Number GCSE/'O' Levels
Do not list them unless under 25 years of age.
-
Give 'A/S' Levels - Subjects & grades.
-
Higher/Further Education:
Dates/location/subjects/result.
-
Membership of professional bodies.
-
Relevant training courses.
|
| Interests : |
Select only three or four.
Include those which show a balance of transferable skills i.e:
. Team orientated
. Ability to work alone
. Communicative skills
. Cultural development
. Sporting/healthy lifestyle |
| Current/Last Position : |
Job title, company - package (including car, medical insurance etc) |
| Career Experience : |
Reverse chronological order.
Company:
Dates:
XX - Present (if still employed)
(omit months unless limited experience)
-
Position held.
-
Company business (very briefly).
-
Job overview & Responsibilities:
Quantify
-
No. of staff
-
Value of contracts
-
Volume of production
-
Area of geographical responsibility
-
Achievements
-
Result followed by method
-
List in order of significance
-
Positive words (succeeded, won, established, business growth etc)
-
Quantify i.e: ? Increased sales/production
? Reduced staff by reorganisation etc
-
OMIT the use of 'I'.
-
Be concise - it is not a narrative. Eliminate repetition - explain similar
tasks only once.
-
Action style: begin sentences with verbs to stimulate the reader eg.
| DESIGN |
DEVELOP |
| ESTABLISH |
CREATE |
| MARKET |
RESEARCH |
| VERIFY |
LAUNCH |
| REVIEW |
UNIFY |
| DEMONSTRATE |
ADVISE |
| DIRECT |
NEGOTIATE |
| IMPROVE |
CONTROL |
| MANAGE |
PLAN |
| CONSOLIDATE |
LEAD |
| CO-ORDINATE |
DEVISE |
| IDENTIFY |
SOLVE |
| TRAIN |
PIONEER |
| ANALYSE |
RE-ORGANISE |
| INCREASE |
EVALUATE |
| SIMPLIFY |
SIMPLIFY |
Liberal use of the above verbs to define areas of experience.
-
Experience falls into 5 main categories:
VERBAL, CREATIVE, MANAGERIAL, ANALYTICAL & ORGANISATIONAL
-
Keep length in proportion to time spent with each employer - also give priority
to more recent positions and reduce the volume as the years go back in time.
-
Sometimes it is appropriate to split career experience into EXPERIENCE and
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY.
-
EXPERIENCE would then take individual skills e.g. Management and would include
aspects taken from overall career to date.
-
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY would then follow with specific dates, companies, job titles
and specific achievements/responsibilities.
|
|
|
|
