MA Recruitment

CV Tips for Greater Success

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ADVICE FOR AN EFFECTIVE CV
A good curriculum vitae (CV) will significantly increase your chances of getting the job you want. It should be a brief and clear outline of your education, employment, qualifications and experience.

The ideal CV demonstrates that you are suitable for the job you are applying for. It should do so with an element of originality and without any negative details. Everyone looking for work should have an up-to-date CV, to enable you to be ready to act when that perfect job comes up. You will also find that your CV is a useful record of your details when filling in application forms.

Preparing to write a CV
Firstly, write everything down - if you don't use it in the CV it may be useful at the interview.

Start by writing down all the details of your career including:-

Job titles
Starting and finishing date of each job. Do not leave any gaps, even if you were unemployed. Did you travel, do voluntary work, or raise a family during this time? Each of these activities is an achievement in its own right
Responsibilities held
Achievements made. Include examples, with the results such as "I implemented a sales strategy which increased sales by 50%". Stick to facts - phrases such as "I am ambitious" and "I mix well socially" are difficult to back up with examples
Skills
Education
Any further training
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The content of your CV
A CV should be a maximum of two sides of A4 paper, so decide which of the points you have written down are most relevant to the jobs you are applying for
For a job requiring specific skills it is better to send a tailored CV, with information relevant to that company. Bear in mind that you are more likely to succeed sending out a few tailored CVs than hundreds of general ones
Think carefully before you begin. Your CV should be organised, easy to read and interesting. Use headings, short sentences or bullet points to get the information across clearly (as we have here)
Use specific terms rather than general phrases - "I have four years experience" is better than "I have wide experience of"
Stick to your personal achievements - phrases like "I took part in" suggest that you were not closely involved
Use plain English, avoiding repetition of words such as "I" - in fact try not to use "I" at all as your CV implies it already
Be honest and accurate - remember that this information is likely to form the basis of your interview
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The layout of your CV
The layout can vary and is up to you, but there are certain pieces of information that you need to include. The following order is the standard layout for a CV

Personal details
Name in full - use this as the heading rather than Curriculum Vitae - your name will stick in the interviewer's memory
Full postal address with postcode
Phone number with STD code (daytime and evening numbers if possible and whether each number is a direct line, switchboard or answer phone)
Date of birth
Driving licence - if you have a full, clean driving licence say so
Nationality
Employment history
Include a brief statement about your achievements and career aims, if you wish. Some employers like to see aims, but remember that if you do include it, your CV may go to someone who won't!
List all employment, with the most recent job first, the dates started and finished, job title, employer's name, industry, company size and key responsibilities
List your achievements and results for each job using bullet points
Education, training and qualifications
List all education from secondary school onwards
Start with college or university, then schools
Name schools and colleges with the location
List exams passed, with the dates and results
List any specialist training courses attended that are relevant to the job
Additional Information
Skills - for example computer skills with the packages you can use, typing speed, and any foreign languages, stating how well you can speak or write them
Interests and hobbies - try to get across something of your personality, but keep it brief and factual. Try to show hobbies that underline skills useful to the job - sports show health and fitness, chairman of a society shows leadership, secretary of a team shows organisation etc.
References
References are not generally required - only enclose them if you are specifically asked to
Avoid asking for a specific salary or giving details of your current salary - this may rule out at the first stage, and can be discussed at the interview.

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The presentation of your CV
Your CV says a lot about you. Employers are likely to receive many CVs so first impressions count
Take time to lay it out clearly and check for spelling mistakes and errors
Read it through carefully and get someone else to read it too to check for errors - you will be surprised how quickly others will see glaring errors that you have overlooked time and time again
Use a word processor - Consider paying someone to produce it professionally if you cannot do it yourself
Do not make hand-written adjustments to a finished CV
Use black type on white paper, in case the employer wants to photocopy it
Always send an original, not a photocopy
Do try your CV out on your friends and family and don't forget to go through it with your consultant here at Mathias Andrews, we are only too pleased to help

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