Post on 19-Feb-2016
description
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS General Services
DepartmentGS
Administrative Information Services
Writing a good CV
Rostislav Titov, CERN
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
Why?
150 candidates applied
30 candidates selected for testing
10 candidates interviewed
1 person gets the job
Typical selection process
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
Conclusions
• Your CV should really stand out– outstanding CV shows your talent and motivation
• It should be tailored to employee’s needs– modify your CV for each employer
• Don’t give the recruiter a reason to reject it – funny e-mail, weird hobby, spelling mistake…
Your challenge: writing a CV that would impress a recruiter in 20 seconds and will be among the 20% of not rejected ones.
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
General Principles
• 1-2 (or 3) pages maximum
• Nice layout, readable 11pt typeface
• Well-structured
• Every word and line should be relevant
• No spelling or grammar mistakes!
• Don’t write in the first or third person I improved the work process …
He improved the work process …
Improved the work process …
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
Types of CV
• Chronological– what most recruiters would expect– focuses on work history– best if you have a strong, solid history
• Functional– focuses on skills and experience– good if you don’t have a lot of work history– good if you change career or have gaps
• Combination– first skills and experience, then work history– best if you want to highlight relevant skills while also
showing your work history
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
Chronological CV
Personnel Information
Work history
Reverse-chronological,recent jobs first
Summary
Education and training
SkillsPublications
Other relevant information
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
Functional CV
Personnel Information
Skills & Competencies
Summary
Education and training
Work history & Other information
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
Combination CV
Personnel Information
Work history
Summary
Education, training, other relevant information
Detailed competencies and skills
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
CONTENTS Personal Information Summary Work History Competencies & Skills Education & Training Spoken Languages & other information
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
Personal Information• Name
– make it stand out by using a larger font
• Contact details (make sure they are correct!)• Age or date of birth
– possible but not required
• Including photo is not recommended– unless really important for job (i.e. model business)– you are judged by ability to work, not by your smile– photos in CVs are not allowed in some countries
• Marital status, nationality, height, weight, …– NO (unless needed)! It is not your profile on a dating site– in some countries it is illegal for recruiters to ask
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
• Don’t use your current employer’s mailbox– you may find yourself in an awkward situation– the CV might “fire” after you quit the company
• Make sure your contact details are correct– not a rare reason of non-inviting good candidates
• Create a new professionally-looking e-mail– it just takes 5 minutes– try to deriver it from your name/surname
A funny e-mail address could ruin your CV
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
Summary
• Not strictly required… but extremely important
• No more than 3-6 lines
• It is the first (and possibly the only!) thing the recruiter will read
• Don’t put your objectives, tell who you are (tailored approach vice “wide shot”)
• Don’t use quotations (your CV will be rejected!)“A regional branch employee looking for a job in the headquarters decided to show his sense of humour and knowledge of Russian classics by starting his CV with: "Милый дедушка Константин Макарыч, сделай божецку милость - забери меня отсюда..." (Dear grandfather, Konstantin Makaritch, for Christ's sake, I beg you, take me away – A. Chekhov).
P.S. Refused. We have too many clowns already.”
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
Summary
Cliché You are expected to be…
Redundant Not perceived well
“A good team player, self-organized and highly motivated, is looking for an interesting well-remunerated job”
This summary is a waste of space and is counterproductive
Poor Summary
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
Good Summary
“A J2EE developer with over 7 years of experience in writing and supporting large-scale software in multinational teams. Lead architect of a corporate Java-based system (16’000+ users).”Vacancy: “An international company is looking for a J2EE developer for maintaining and developing a corporate recruitment system”.
• Tailored to the employee’s needs
• Immediately tells you have the right profile
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
Work History
• Chronological, recent jobs first
• No unexplainable gaps− include reasonable explanations− do not cheat
• Explain in which sector/area the company works if it is not obvious (what is Beeline?)
• List your key responsibilities/achievements
• Use action “resume words”!
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
Power Words
Including power resume words increases chance of getting hired by 80%!accelerated accomplished achieved addressed administered advanced advised applied arranged assessed assisted assured audited awarded built changed chaired clarified classified collected compared completed conducted conceptualized considered consolidated constructed controlled converted coordinated corrected created defined delivered demonstrated described designed developed devised diagnosed directed distributed documented doubled drafted earned edited endorsed enlarged ensured established estimated evaluated examined expanded explained explored extended financed formulated found gathered generated guided handled helped identified implemented improved incorporated increased innovated installed interviewed introduced invented invested investigated launched led made maintained managed measured modified moved negotiated opened organized participated performed persuaded planned prepared presented processed procured promoted proposed provided published purchased questioned raised realized received recommended recruited redesigned reduced reorganized repaired replaced reported researched resolved restored revamped reviewed revised saved selected set up simplified sold solved specified staffed streamlined strengthened structured studied submitted succeeded suggested summarized supervised surveyed systematized tackled tested traced trained transformed translated treated tripled troubleshoot turned tutored uncovered unified unraveled updated upgraded used utilized verbalized verified visited widened worked wrote …
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS Best Insulation, Ltd., May 2009 - Now
Vice-DirectorManaged daily operations of a $1 million foam insulation company.Restructured product pricing/discounts resulting in an 80% bid acceptance rate.Implemented new bidding process utilizing Excel spreadsheets to formulate more accurate bids.Doubled company income by optimizing internal business processes
Crazy Constructions, April 2006 – May 2009ManagerOptimized business process allowing to save about 150’000$ per yearTrained and supervised work crews in more efficient product installation techniques that have reduced material waste by 20% and labour hours by 43%.Established a new safety policy
“Russian House” Construction company, April 2001 – April 2006Work superintendantSupervised construction of 2 skyscrapers in the Moscow business centreDirectly managed work of about 150 workers Improved construction quality by introducing innovative building techniques
ManagedRestructuredImplemented
Doubled
OptimizedTrained and supervised
Established
SupervisedDirectly managedImproved
Work History: example
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
Dealing with gaps in the career
• Don‘t list the month for “over a year” positions− e.g. say 2008-2012
• Freelance, consulting, volunteering count as a job!− list them as you would list other jobs (job title, dates, etc.)− If you were on training, list it in the “Education”
• For big gaps, put the explanation in the history− consider everything you were doing (e.g. travel, family)− try to present them so they're relevant to your job objective
• Explain irrelevant gaps honestly and with dignity− don‘t refer to illness or unemployment, write instead about
something you were doing during that time, even if it’s not related to your job objective.
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
Dealing with gaps in the career (2)
• Here are some “job titles” to cover gaps:Full-time StudentIndependent StudyFull-time ParentFamily Management (or Home Management)Family Financial ManagementAdventure Travel (or Travels to …)Personal Travel
• Call the section “History” instead of “Work History” if it includes “gap descriptions”
• Be prepared to explain gaps at the interview
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
Competencies & Skills
• Start with the most relevant skills
• Indicate your level of proficiency– how many years of experience?– when have you used it last time?– have you used it in real projects or just for fun?
• Give examples– use action words
• Don’t waste much space on irrelevant skills– will Lisp skills help you to get a Java-coder’s job?
• Don’t put things you are not easy with
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
Competencies & Skills: Example
Human Resources (8 years of experience, last used in 2012)
Established a pro-active career monitoring process (2012)
Designed and implemented a modern recruitment and staffing policy (2010)
Improved staff selection process by introducing a new software tool (2007)
Comprehensive understanding of Russian employment law legislation
Leadership & Project Management (4 years of experience, last used in 2012)
Designed, staffed and lead an award winning new recruitment unit
Introduced Key Performance Indicators in HR selection process
Directly supervised 18 persons
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
Competencies & Skills: Example 2
Java – over 7 years of experience (J2EE/Spring/GWT/Hibernate)
Lead developer of a large corporate Java-based system
Designed robust and scalable web applications (16’000+ users)
Developed a billing application (1500 users) using Spring/GWT
Improved system maintainability by rewriting it with Hibernate
C++ – 4 years of experience (last used in 2010)
Created an expert system for Government of Ukraine
Maintained and enhanced 7 mission-critical C++ applications
Web technologies – 5 years of experience
Redesigned web interface of a big corporate system with AJAX
Created a corporate web site with HTML5/CSS3/JQuery
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
Education
• Most recent and most relevant first
• Give qualification details, place and date– you can include incomplete qualifications but make
it clear that you have not completed them yet
• Do not include irrelevant qualifications
• Include relevant training (e.g. courses) and other facts (e.g. prizes in school competitions)
• Experienced job seekers: include basic facts
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
Other Information
• Languages– With some details (oral skills, reading skills, etc.)
• List of publications / presentations
• Don’t put “references available upon request”– You are expected to provide them if needed anyhow
• Hobbies? Don’t mention them, unless you are sure they will help to get the job!– They take precious space– Employers don’t have to care– Weird or inappropriate hobbies could lead to a fail
“Hobbies: computer games, hacking web sites”
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
COMPOSITION
Don’t use too many fonts and colors
Main font size 10-12pt
A bit of colour might improve the CV
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
Structuring
This is how recruiters look at your CV
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
StructuringJava. Over 7 years of experience (J2EE/Spring/GWT/Hibernate). Lead developer of a large corporate Java-based system. Designed robust, durable and scalable web applications used by thousands of persons worldwide and available on 24/7 basis. Developed a billing application (1500 users) using Spring/GWT architecture. Improved system maintainability by rewriting it with Hibernate.
Java – over 7 years of experience (J2EE/Spring/GWT/Hibernate)
Lead developer of a large corporate Java-based system
Designed robust and scalable web applications (16’000+ users)
Developed a billing application (1500 users) using Spring/GWT
Improved system maintainability by rewriting it with Hibernate
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
Spelling and grammar
• No errors allowed!!!– they indicate you are uneducated,
lazy, careless or not professional
• No red highlighting ≠ no errors– e.g. than ≠ then
• Show your CV to a friend
• Have it checked by a native speaker
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
Distribution
• Use the best possible paper and printer
• Don’t fold unnecessarily
Paper version
• PDF or Word format
• No ZIP, RAR, JPEG, TIFF,...
Electronic version
No one called… Perhaps I shouldn’t have sent my
CV in CorelDraw format?
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
SOCIAL NETWORKS
Great tools for job hunting
Online profile might be more up to date than the CV
They don’t substitute the need for CV
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
Social Networks Usage
• Very powerful professional network• Get references and endorsements• You could use it for company search• Gives you a list of jobs you are interested in
• Don’t afraid to network on Facebook• Friends who know you could help you
• Let people know you are looking• Tell people what you are looking for
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
Social Networks Dangers
• Survey: 70% of candidates refused based of what was found about them online
• Remove complaints about your job, any confidential work information, photos of yourself acting in an inappropriate way, …
• Make your Facebook profile private
“Your first impression isn't made with a firm handshake – it's with a Google search”
CERN GS Department
CH-1211 Genève 23
Switzerlandcern.ch/gs-dep
InternetServices
GSAIS
Questions?Rostislav.Titov@cern.ch