CV AND INTERVIEW ADVICE

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CV Guide

When writing your CV it is important to understand that it is a marketing tool. It is the first thing that a future employer will see about you. This means that it is necessary to make it neat and organised, but it also needs to be eye-catching and interesting, helping you stand out from all of the other candidates.

Ideally your CV should be no more than two pages long, as you do not want it to be too short, but nor do you want to give too much detail and bore the employer.

There is no precise format in which to write your CV. Some employees may focus on their educational background, and some may focus more on their professional experience and skills.

Below is an example temple:

Your Name

Personal details

Give your contact details, so you need address, telephone numbers and email.

Profile

This should be one or two sentences to sell yourself. You may want to include what your current career skills are, and a brief summary of your work experience. You may also want to outline your career objectives and where you see yourself being in the future.

Education

This should include all of the education and qualifications that you have achieved. For example:

1999 – 2006 Name of school/college, location
GCSEs / ‘A’ Levels, or any other relevant qualifications.

This should be done in reverse order. Your most recent qualification/ training should be listed first.

Professional experience

This section should include relevant experience that relates to your goals. For example:

2007 – 2008 Job title, name of employer and location
Details of duties and responsibilities. Any skills developed or used.
Keep the information concise; using bullet points may be helpful.

This information should again be in reverse order. It should include all relevant professional experience. It is important that there are no gaps in your CV, and you state the reasons for leaving each job.

Skills

This section should include additional skills; it could be helpful to present these under sub-headings. For example:

IT Skills - Programmes you can use and your competence level.

Others - First aid, driving licence, etc.

Achievements

Strengths – Give 3 work-related strengths e.g. Reliable

Weaknesses - Give 3 positive weaknesses e.g. Perfectionist

Interests

The interests/hobbies section should include positive information about you. Focus on what you do in your spare time and detail responsibilities and levels of success.

If you are a member of a sports team it proves you have team working skills. Try to avoid bland statements, for example reading or watching films. This will not interest the employer, and will not make you stand out from the other candidates.

Additional information

It is not essential to have an additional information section in your CV; however you may have other information that you want to include. For example, positive information about any awards you have achieved, or any positions of responsibility that you feel may be relevant.

References

You should include two referees in this section. The information should provide:

Name
Job title
Address
Telephone number
Email address

You should ensure that your referees are aware that you are using them as one of your references.

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