The CV or Curriculum Vitae is -
Primarily a sales tool, it's an advert of yourself targetted at getting you an interview. CV's are what employers generally produce shortlists from. Therefore all a CV represents is the means by which you get on the short list.
Points to Consider in writing a CV -
What do you wish to convey; What are the major points about you that make you so employable? e.g. Skills, education, project experience, previous employers.
What job are you going for?
Target your CV i.e. Emphasise your particular facets which make you ideal for the particular job. NB Technical skills, projects worked on, type of company you have previously worked for, personal qualities etc.
Presentation:
- Black ink, typed on A4 white paper.
- Also bold headings to heighten visual impact.
- Use space to highlight certain points.
- Be grammatically correct, check spellings etc.
Length:
- Keep it brief = 2/3 sides is ideal.
- Look at every point and ask yourself, will this help me get an interview?
Style:
- Keep it simple, don't use flowery language and around the third person.
- Note form is fine, in fact it's preferred by those who have to sift through CV's.
NAME:
NATIONALITY:
DATE OF BIRTH:
ADDRESS:
TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
DRIVER:
E-MAIL ADDRESS:
WORK LOCATION:
EDUCATION
DEGREE:
'A' LEVELS:
GCSE's:
TECHNICAL SUMMARY
HARDWARE:
SOFTWARE:
OPERATING SYSTEMS:
APPLICATIONS:
BRIEF EMPLOYMENT SUMMARY
Write a paragraph, summarising the highlights/most impressive aspects of your career history.
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:
Start with the most recent employer first. For each job explain what projects you worked on (technical details as well as commercial details), explain how you personally contributed and what commercial impact this produced. It is sometimes a good idea to bullet point major achievements and technologies used. NB Do not leave any gaps, if you were job hunting for a period - mention it, if you travelled, mention it, in todays world unmentioned gaps make people suspicious.
INTERESTS:
Talk specifically about genuine interests; give examples to demonstrate your characteristics, such as conveying your ability to work well in team and/or alone by referring to any sport/social activities you may be involved in.
REFERENCES:
Give 2 referee's preferably most recent employer and the employer prior to that.