18491712-How-to-Create-the-Perfect-CV.pdf

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How to Create the Perfect CV

What personal detailsshould be on my CV?

It may seem an obvious thing to say, but the PersonalDetails' section of your CV is your first opportunity tointroduce yourself to a potential employer.

Get the basics wrong at this stage and you can wave goodbye to thechances of getting an interview.

Your nameWrite your name in a larger font than the rest of your CV to make itstand out, after all your CV is a marketing tool used to market YOUtd. !iddle names are o"tional, but don#t be tem"ted with $rank%&he &ank# 'icard.

Marital status and familyYou don#t have to include details about your marital status orinformation about whether you have a family or not. (owever, if youthink your status will make your a""lication become more attractive.$or e)am"le being single might make unsociable working hoursmore feasible.

Date of birth

You may include your birth date if you wish. (owever, it is no longernecessary since the *m"loyment *+uality -ge 'egulations /001made age discrimination illegal in the recruitment "rocess.


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ationalityWith the e)ce"tion of governmental "ositions, which may re+uirethis information, your nationality should be omitted. &he 'ace'elations -ct 2341 "rohibits discrimination on the grounds of race,colour, or nationality including citi5enshi", ethnicity or nationalorigin.

-s long as you are either a native to the country in which you area""lying or can "rovide a suitable working visa, there in no need totell them where you are from.

Contact details6im"le logic a""lies here 7 don#t include your work contact details.Use your own "ersonal email address or create a new accounts"ecifically for your 8ob search, es"ecially if your current emailaddress is something like fo)ybabe9webaddress.com.

:e sure to add the "hone number that will make it easier for"otential recruiters or agencies to contact you, most likely yourmobile "hone.

!ther information;f the 8ob you#re after re+uires you to drive then you will "robablywant to assure them about your clean driving license.

;f you are going for a web design role, you may want to direct themto a website you have created. Whatever you decide to include, 8ustbe sure it hel"s, not hinders your a""lication.

Grass is Greener eBooks

CV "emplates

;f you


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What should be included inmy personal statement?

Your CV is designed to do one thing and one thing only toget you an intervie!. Yet the average recruiter !ill onlyspend bet!een "# to $# seconds glancing at your CV !hichmeans that you need to ma%e an impression &uic%ly and sell

yourself.

Your "ersonal statement is your first o""ortunity to do 8ust that. ;t is"erha"s the single most im"ortant "art of you CV. Get it wrong andyour chances of being invited to interview are drastically reduced.

;ts aim is to highlight your "rofessional attributes and goals,em"hasising why they should continue reading the rest of your CV.

-im to use no more than =0 words, making each sentence a keyselling "oint.

Unfortunately, too many "eo"le follow the tradition of using stock"hrases and %key# words that they think will hel" them stand out fromthe crowd. !any "hrases are tired and clich>d and don#t? have theim"act em"loyers need.

@hrases such as (oo%ing for a challenging opportunity)*should be

avoided because they#re only focused on %me, me, me#. *m"loyerswant to know what you will do for them. (ow will you hel" theirbusinessA ;t should be clear from the 8ob descri"tion what they needyou to do, so tell them straight that you can hel" them do it.


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;t is im"ortant that your statement doesn#t sim"ly tell a "otential newem"loyer what you have done or what you would like to do and whyyou are a""lying for the advertised "osition.

-dvertising agencies use language that e)"lains the benefits thatyou, as consumer, will have if you "urchase their "roduct.

6imilarly, a list of un+uantifiable skills such as #team "layer# or #goodcommunicator# don#t actually tell the reader anything about whyyou#re the right "erson for the 8ob. ink these to a tangible skillwherever "ossible such as +se my ecellent communication s%ills

to attract and retain high profile clients.-

(ere are some e)am"les of evocative "ersonal statements that willgrab the em"loyer#s attention.

s an eperienced /enior dvertising /ales 0ecutive mynet!or%ing abilities could help your company achieve its goals.

ctive and potential clients !ill be impressed !ith innovative productpresentations and the meticulous management of their million1

pound accounts, allo!ing long1lasting relationships to be formed.*

If you're see%ing a 2et!or% 3echnician to improve the reliability anddevelopment of your company's server, my eperience in design,implementation and maintenance !ill prove invaluable.3roubleshooting and support come as second nature, meaningfe!er and less fre&uent connectivity issues for your large1scalenet!or%.*

&ake a look at your "ersonal statement and read it out loud youyourself. ;magine it was a television advert B would you buy the"roductA



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&here are three key skills ty"es

"ransferableB skills learnt in one field of work that can easily

be ada"ted to a different field.

'ob(relatedB skills of +ualifications that are directly relevantto a s"ecific 8ob.

)dapti*eB skills that are difficult to substantiate because theycannot be "roven by e)"erience but by "ersonality traits.

Clearly, transferable and 8obBrelated skills are the most desirable toinclude in your CV. :e sure to include the ones that will hel" youstand out. (ere is a list of skills that are "articularly "o"ular withem"loyers

Communication

&eamwork

;nitiative

@roblem solving

$le)ibility

Com"uter skills

&echnical skills

;f you know a "articular "rogramming language, "ut it down. ;f youhave basic understanding of $rench, the reader wants to know. Youcan#t be e)"ected to know the s"ecifics of the "articular bes"oke

accounting system they use, but by demonstrating the broad rangeof things you do know, you#re giving the im"ression that you#re agood learner who can retain information.



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How should # list my

pre*ious +obs on my CV?*m"loyers s"end more time looking at your em"loymenthistory than any other "art of your CV. Conse+uently, thissection needs to +uickly convince a "otential em"loyer ofyour suitability to the advertised role and effectively marketyou for your current career goals.

:ut, there are different formats of CV that can be used tocommunicate your em"loyment history and the ty"e that is mostsuitable de"ends on what stage your career is at

Chronolo&ical CV;f you#re a""lying for a "osition that is similar to the one that youalready have and can show a track record of gradually advancing

your career, this CV is ideal.;nclude the dates that you worked with each em"loyer e.g. !arch/004 to !ay /003 in addition to the com"any name, location, yourfull 8ob title, res"onsibilities and achievements. ist each "osition inreverse order starting with your current of most recent "osition.

$unctional CV&his format is recommended for those who have been out of the

workforce for a "rolonged "eriod of time or those seeking to changecareers. ;t focuses on the e)"erience and skills you have that arerelevant to the 8ob you are a""lying for instead of em"loyment dates.


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'e"lace the traditional com"any, 8ob title and date information withthe name of the most im"ortant skills and e)"erience that you havedevelo"ed through "aid em"loyment, voluntary work of general lifee)"erience.

&his method ensures all of the information regarding youre)"erience and skills looks recent, and kee"s an em"loyer#sattention on your attributes.

You will also need to briefly list the "ositions you have held anddates, but you don#t need to go into any great detail.

Combination CV'edundancy and 8obBho""ing have become more common"lace yetbrief em"loyment dates will still signal red flags for "otentialem"loyers and could harm your chance of securing the 8ob that youwant.

Counter this by %dividing and combining# your em"loyment history.

@ut your various roles into batches and work out which have givenyou the certain skills that make you suitable for the 8ob you#rea""lying for. @ut the com"any names and dates at the to" of eachgrou" and list below the various achievements you have made ande)"erience gained below.

Wherever "ossible, include measurable results for your work. $ore)am"le, D6ignificantly increased revenues and grew client base byE0F.


$urther %eadin&

B What makes a good CV design and layoutAB What are the common CV design mistakesAB (ow can ; make my CV more effectiveA
http://career-advice.monster.co.uk/cvs-applications/cv-advice/what-makes-a-good-cv-design-and-layout/article.aspxhttp://career-advice.monster.co.uk/cvs-applications/cv-advice/what-are-the-common-cv-design-mistakes/article.aspxhttp://career-advice.monster.co.uk/cvs-applications/cv-advice/how-can-i-make-my-cv-more-effective/article.aspxhttp://career-advice.monster.co.uk/cvs-applications/cv-advice/what-makes-a-good-cv-design-and-layout/article.aspxhttp://career-advice.monster.co.uk/cvs-applications/cv-advice/what-are-the-common-cv-design-mistakes/article.aspxhttp://career-advice.monster.co.uk/cvs-applications/cv-advice/how-can-i-make-my-cv-more-effective/article.aspx


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Where should # include my

,ualifications on my CV?*verything that a""ears on your CV is designed to a""eal tothe needs of your "otential em"loyer and to answer the+uestion DWhat do you offer that other a""licants don#tA

Where you include the *ducation section on your CV is de"endent

on how well it enhances your a""lication and, regardless of whetheryou have a lack or abundance of +ualifications, the following ti"s willenable you "ut you on a level "laying field to com"ete with yourfellow 8ob seekers.

Positionin&;f your educational background is your strongest selling "oint andcan hel" you to stand out from the crowd, then you will "robablywant your *ducation section to a""ear straight after your @ersonal6tatement.

&his is es"ecially the case if you#re a recent graduate, if yougraduated from a highly regarded university and obtained e)cellentacademic results. (owever, if your work e)"erience is stronger thanyour education, it is advisable to the %*ducation# section featuresafter your %*m"loyment (istory#.

What to includeHee"ing your target audience and the 8ob you are a""lying for inmind, look to e)"and on any areas of your education that will aidyour a""lication.


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(owever, be careful not to include too much information. Unlike yourwork e)"erience, which needs to be +uantified with variousachievements, your education can be summarised with the gradeyou achieved.

!any em"loyers will still insist that a""licants have certain+ualifications such as a university degree but, many others willconsider e)"erience, skills and "rofessional e)"ertise as morevaluable. Iever be tem"ted to embellish your +ualifications,em"loyers can easily find out if you#re lying.

"ailor your CV*ach 8ob is different and, as a result, each CV should be tailored tomeet the re+uirements of that 8ob. You need to understand whatinformation will be of most value to a "otential em"loyer and selectonly relevant educational content.

;n general, your education history should be listed in reversechronological order starting with your most recent education. ;ncludedates, the name of the establishment you attended and "lace name.

6ummarise, don#t list, your GC6*s. *)am"le

4# 5C/0s grades 1C including 0nglish and 6athematics*

*ssentially you want to make your %*ducation# section clear,uncluttered and a""ealing, covering the three key +uestions thatem"loyers want answered What do you knowA What have youdone beforeA Can you do it for meA


$urther %eadin&

B (ow do ; com"lete a""lication formsA

B (ow do ; include my ga" year on my CVA
http://career-advice.monster.co.uk/cvs-applications/cv-advice/how-do-i-include-my-gap-year-on-my-cv/article.aspxhttp://career-advice.monster.co.uk/cvs-applications/cv-advice/how-do-i-complete-application-forms/article.aspxhttp://career-advice.monster.co.uk/cvs-applications/cv-advice/how-do-i-include-my-gap-year-on-my-cv/article.aspxhttp://career-advice.monster.co.uk/cvs-applications/cv-advice/how-do-i-complete-application-forms/article.aspx


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How can # tailor my CV

to an audience?$or many 8ob seekers, it#s not uncommon to find /0 or so"ositions you#d like to a""ly for when conducting an online8ob search.

;t may sound like a time consuming "rocess, but making the effort to

tailor your CV to suit the re+uirements of each "articular 8ob that youare a""lying for can greatly increase your chances of securing aninterview. &he following are the main areas of your CV that shouldbe ada"ted to meet the e)act re+uirements.

Personal -tatementYou have read the re+uirements of the advertised "osition andunderstand what +ualities the recruiter is looking for in a candidate.6um u" your uni+ue selling "oints and, in a brief sentence, stateyour accom"lishments and how these will hel" you succeed in the

8ob you are a""lying for.

mployment History;f you are a""lying for a managerial "osition but have never"reviously worked as manager, em"hasise that your "revious rolesinvolved considerable res"onsibility and decisionBmaking dutiessuch as delegation, chairing meetings, training staff, etc.

;f a se"arate role is more of a sideways ste", you may want to focusmore on innovative ways you have achieved success in the role toshow your com"etency.


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-kills@resumably most of the roles you#re after will have a similar set ofskills, but that doesn#t mean you should leave this section alone.&hink how easy it would be for a recruiter to see that you#re suitableif the skills you demonstrate are in the same order that have on their

8ob descri"tion.

Hobbies and #nterests!ost 8ob advertisements sti"ulate certain "ersonality traits re+uiredfor "ositions, so identify what they are and see how your hobbiescan relate to the re+uirements.

;f you are a""lying for a senior "osition, then the fact that youca"tained your football team and ran training sessions willdemonstrate your leadershi" and organisational ability. ;f you areseeking a "osition as a designer, then make reference to thee)hibitions that you attend or are actively involved in and thedesigners that you admire.

;f you want to "osition yourself as one of the strongest candidates

for the 8ob, it is worth doing your homework on the com"any that youare a""lying to. &heir 8ob advert will "rovide you with a glim"se ofwhat the com"any is like, but you can find valuable information ontheir cor"orate website that will hel" you to understand what theymay be looking for in a 8ob a""licant.


$urther %eadin&

B What are the alternative CV o"tionsA

B What hobbies and interests should ; include on my CVA
http://career-advice.monster.co.uk/cvs-applications/cv-advice/what-are-the-alternative-cv-options/article.aspxhttp://career-advice.monster.co.uk/cvs-applications/cv-advice/what-hobbies-and-interests-should-i-include-on-my-cv/article.aspxhttp://career-advice.monster.co.uk/cvs-applications/cv-advice/what-are-the-alternative-cv-options/article.aspxhttp://career-advice.monster.co.uk/cvs-applications/cv-advice/what-hobbies-and-interests-should-i-include-on-my-cv/article.aspx


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What are the classic CV

mistakes to a*oid?;t#s dece"tively easy to make mistakes on your CV ande)ce"tionally difficult to re"air the damage once an em"loyergets it.

@revention is critical, so here are the most common "itfalls, and how

you can avoid them.

-pellin& and &rammar B @oor writing shows a lack of carewhich no !anager will want in their team. Iever trust acom"uter#s s"ell checker and get someone else to readthrough your CV to s"ot errors that you may have overlooked.

Writin& lots/ but sayin& nothin& B Use bullet "oints rather

than long sentences? em"loyers aren#t looking for you toe)"lain everything you#ve ever done.

o tailorin&7 Jo not use a oneBsi5eBfitsBall CV to a""ly forlots of vacancies, each em"loyer is looking for a CV andcover letter that a""lies to their role you should make smallada"tations to your CV to matches their re+uirements.

Hi&hli&htin& duties instead of achie*ements (try to showres"onsibilities that you actually achieved whilst in your lastrole. Iot all roles have Hey @erformance ;ndicators H@;


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0reakin& the 1(pa&e ruleB / "ages of -E is more thanenough room to "ersuade your "otential em"loyer that you#reworth contacting for an interview. Use lots of white s"ace tomake it easy to read, make all your sections stand out clearly.

2ea*in& out informationB Whether it#s by choice or 8ustforgetfulness, some "eo"le leave "revious 8obs off their CVmeaning a ga" in em"loyment. *ven if you weren#t working,there may have been transferable skills you "icked u" thatwill hel" your chances.

3sin& clich4sB DGood communicator, DWorks well in ateam7 without any hard evidence of these you might as wellwrite D:lah, blah, blah.

0ein& *a&ueB Give them something s"ecific that focuses ontheir com"any#s needs as well as your own. *)am"le K;#mlooking for a challenging entryBlevel !arketing "osition thatallows me to contribute my skills and e)"erience tofundraising for a Charity.K

Poor desi&nB Unless you#re going for a design role, layoutshould always be second stage to the content of your CV.Use one font styles and si5e with :lack and white te)t.

#ncorrect personal details B Iot getting any calls des"iteyour "erfect CVA &here may be a very sim"le reason for that

7 you#ve written down the wrong "hone number or email

address check the.com isn#t a .co.uk, be sure to use a"rofessional email address rather then a funny address.



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How can # keep my

CV up(to(date?(ow often have you tried to "ut together a CV and haddifficulty remembering the details of "revious 8obsA ;t#s not8ust the dates of em"loyment that you#ll forget 7 tasks,"ro8ects and courses you were involved with are easily

overlooked.-s you develo" in your career, it#s too easy to fall into the tra" ofsim"ly adding your most recent 8ob to your CV without consideringhow your e)"eriences in "ast 8obs may attract "otential em"loyers.

-lways be aware of what em"loyers are looking for. $or e)am"le, ifyou "reviously worked as an office 8unior, you weren#t 8ust Ddoing thefiling? you were Dcontributing to the dayBtoBday efficiency of the

com"any.

You might have added significantly to your "eo"le skills, where"reviously your CV was more angled towards your +ualifications. -syour e)"erience develo"s, it#s im"ortant to ensure that the balanceof your CV "resents the best reflection of the "erson you are now.

:e willing to hack away old information from your CV. -s a generalrule, if something is not actively adding value to your CV, it#s almost

certainly diminishing its im"act.

;f you#re +uite far into your career and think it#s too late to get backthe memories of things you did, try to get in touch with old managersto see if their recollection is any better than yours.


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How to &et on the radar of potential employersLust because you#re comfortable where you are doesn#t mean youshouldn#t be ready to start 8ob seeking at a moment notice. ;t#sunfortunate, but sometimes things ha""en that are out of ourcontrol.

Once you#re ha""y with how your CV looks and how relevant it is toyour current situation, "ost it on 8ob websites and send it tocom"anies or organisations you#d like to work for on a s"eculativebasis.

When you "ost your CV on !onster, you#re automatically shifted tothe to" of the list so com"anies searching for someone with yourskills will be able to find you easily. You can block certain com"aniesfrom seeing your details so you can be assured your currentem"loyer won#t stumble across your CV.

You never know when it#s going to hit the desk at 8ust the right time,and it never hurts to show a com"any you are interested in them.&he more creative and "roactive you are in getting your CV out

there, the better your chance of catching your ne)t em"loyer#s eye.


What e5t?

Once you


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&hey say that the grass isn

18491712-How-to-Create-the-Perfect-CV.pdf

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