CAREER MANAGEMENT SKILLS PROGRAMME

Session 5: Effective CVs & Cover Letters

Julie Blant Deputy Director, Postgraduate Careers Service

Aims of today’s session:

To introduce you to effective applications

At the end of the session you should understand:

• what steps are needed to audit your skills• and be able to analyse a candidate profile• how to tailor your skills to match the profile• and so be able to develop an effective CV

and covering letter

A good CV...

What is the purpose of CV

=TO GET YOU TO THE NEXT STAGE: = AN INTERVIEW

‘need to know’ only! Do not try to include EVERYTHING

What are employers REALLY looking for?

• Two thirds of employers are now using competency frameworks to select staff.

• This may be a matrix, listing essential and desirable skills.

• Your task is to show how you acquired and developed the skills required, and to what level.

Skills audit

• What are my skills and competences?...Do I have the competence to do the job?

• What does the employer want?… what is the candidate profile..search for clues in job adverts

How can I match my skills and competencies to the candidate profile?

• Work up examples demonstrating key skills from work, studies, leisure activities

Competency frameworks...

Typical skills and competencies, for which EVIDENCE is sought, include:

• manage change• drive and motivation• personal effectiveness• communication skills• analytical ability and

problem solving• technology literate• flexibility

• Teamworking• numeracy• decision making skills• negotiation and

persuasion• entrepreneurial ability• understanding of

languages and cultures

• leadership• planning, organising • time management

Actual examples of skills sought by L’Oreal• Leadership: motivating,influencing, setting directions• Creativity/imagination: innovative solutions,both intuitive

and logical approaches• Drive: focused on priorities, meeting goals• Team working: working with others, co-operating, build

relationships• Resilience and maturity: work under pressure, realistic

about strengths, learn from experience• Problem solving: analysing data, drawing conclusions,

separating tactical from strategic issues• Structure: setting priorities, organise others, follow projects

through to completion

Actual examples of skills sought by Merrill Lynch

• problem solving• communication• decision making• customer focus• technical skills (for a job in HR)

A CV is:

• your personal advertisement used as a marketing tool to persuade an employer to offer you an interview

“The CV is an account of life but it is also a manifesto, showing how an employer can make the business better by employing you……It is not YOU that should be at its centre - it is the JOB.” (The Observer 6/6/99)

Your task:

You have to run your own marketing campaign!

• What are you selling? YOU!

• Think of yourself as a supplier

• Think of the employer as a prospective client

• How do you market your ‘product’ to ensure that the client wants to trial the it with a view to purchasing?

Vacancy: Marketing Assistant

Key Tasks

• Liaising with customers & organisations

• Organising & carrying out mailings

• planning & organising business lunches

• print buying & co-ordination

• researching venues for events

Skills profile:

Duties/ Tasks

Type of Skill Needed

Evidence

Liaising with customers & organisations

Organising & carrying out mailings

Researching venues for events

Planning & organising business lunches

Targeting your CV

• What does the employer want?type of person, skills, qualities, experience

• How do you know what the employer wants?job advert, recruitment literature, company research

Designing a CV:

There is no ONE correct way to present or design a CV !

There is no such thing as the perfect CV. Chances of itssuccess or failure depend on how far it meets the criteria.

However an employer would expect to see the followingsomewhere in your CV:

Education Work Experience

Evidence of Skills Interests and activities

Contact details Referees

• Put your name on top line, not ‘curriculum vitae’

• Career aim/Personal Profile = optional

A good CV….

• is tailored to the job

• uses examples as ‘evidence’ of skills and key achievements

• briefly describes previous jobs: turnover, profitably, staff, ownership

• is honest

• is clear, concise, well presented, perfect English

• matches your skills and key achievements to the candidate profile

• is positive and confident

CV tips

• keep a copy of each CV and letter sent

• tailor each CV to each job applied for

• show relevant key skills, key achievements

• use bullet points, bolding and fonts wisely. Use a clean font e.g. Arial– generally 12 point for text, 14 for headings.

Education and QualificationsRelevant Experience

Skills ProfileAchievements

Additional Information = Arial

Impact Words

• Use ACTION words: managed, budgeted, directed, negotiated… on-line software can scan for key words but also this language makes your CVmore business like.

I set up a filing system XI developed the office filing system

I made sure that the group had enough money to pay for the trip XI managed the budget for a group trip

I talked to the customer and agreed to replace the item XI negotiated with customers who were dissatisfied with theirpurchases

I took part in a lot of group projects XDuring my degree I participated in a variety of team projects

More CV tips

• CV: your initial marketing tool: be individual & interesting

• check grammar, spelling..but spellchecker cannot spell liaise! Practise/Practice, Principal/Principle, Licence/License.

• no photo required for UK

• reverse chronological order

• include a covering letter

Covering letter

Good letters will ...

• tempt recruiter to read the CV/Form with interest

• complement CV/Form

• summarise key skills and achievements in relation to the job you are applying for

Covering letter format

main paragraphs:1. say what you are applying for and your current

situation

2. show how experience, qualifications, key skillsare relevant to the job

3. say why organisation is of interest, how you can add value – need to research the company

4. say when available to start work, say when not available for interview: exam dates, holidays

Dear Sir/Madam=yours faithfully Dear Mr Smith=yours sincerely – always try to find who

Help with CVs

• www.prospects.ac.uk

• www.doctorjob.com

• www.nottingham.ac.uk/careers

• Reference file in Resource Room (A34)

• Me!

Any Questions?

Next Week: Successful Interviews

Julie BlantPostgraduate Careers Adviser

julie.blant@nottingham.ac.uk