A good CV is a marketing document or promotional tool which shows prospective employers that an individual has the right skills and experience required for a particular job role. In the present economic climate, it is very crucial that you have a very good CV. Remember that your CV is a working document and should be modified to suit individual employer requirements.
As you can imagine, when you submit your CV in support of a job application, it is likely to arrive along with a great number of others. Your CV will need to really stand out from all the rest. Do you think your CV has that effect? Will a recruiter want to find out more about you after browsing your CV in less than 60 seconds?
1. Include your name; email address and telephone number at the beginning of the CV so that if an employer wants to contact you, it is easy for them to do so. Please ensure that you have a business-like email. As a result of the increase in identity theft, you should not include your full address or date of birth.
2. Avoid describing yourself in abstract terms in the introductory personal outline or profile. Instead focus on giving a summary of your professional experience, skills and objectives.
3. It is advisable for you to include your key achievements or areas of expertise after your profile. These will need to be practically and accurately summarised.
4. Use short, concise, bulleted lists to organise your career history information in a clear and reverse chronological format. Don’t simply list your job description here.
5. Don’t forget to list your relevant qualifications as well as professional development and vocational training.
6. Try to include the most interesting information which bears most relevance to the job on the first page. It is advisable that your CV is no longer than two pages.
7. Avoid focusing on what you want instead show the employer what you are able to bring to their organisation.
8. Additional information such as Driving, Hobbies, and Interests etc., may be included. Please note that some jobs specifically require driving skills.
9. References – available upon request is all that is required. Do make sure that you have the information ready.
10. If you are submitting your CV via the internet it is advisable to submit it in a PDF format in order to ensure that your document is not corrupted in any way. Please note that some recruiters specifically require that CVs should be Word format.
Email info@smartopportunities.co.uk if you need any help with your CV or supporting statement.
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Combining what you know with who you know may be exactly what you need to land your next job. A general consensus about networking is that it creates a pool of contacts from which you can draw leads, ideas, referrals and information for your job search.
