CV's - professional, graduate, non-graduate jobs
This workshop will enable you to:
-understand the importance of your online presence and consider, "Digital CV's"
- Produce effective covering letters
structure, format, presentation etc
But What do you want to know?
- creative cv's when are they appropriate?
- is a cv one or two pages? - uk standard two, american one, australia & NZ up to ten.
You need a different CV for every different job role you apply for.
Look at examples of CV's from other people in your area or job role you want to go into to get examples of what they're CV covers.
What is the purpose of a CV?
-Telling someone who you are, qualifications, skills & expertise.
The whole point is to get you an interview. At the end of the day you might have to make multiple cv's taylor for different roles.
Research shows that recruiters only spend 30 seconds looking at your CV so you need to make sure it read's easily.
How to Start
Who are you targeting your CV at? Reasearch companies and organisations and see what they say about themselves, both social media and their websites, have they been in the news? Where did they start off? What are the people like who work for them?
Show the reader what they want to know.
Check Role requirements, advert, person specification (what are they looking for, hardworking, compassionate? Can you show that in your CV).
What are they looking for?
Technical Skills - pattern cutting drawing?
General Aptitude - enthusiastic for the industry
Work Experience, crucial.
Transferable Skills - Writing, Listening, Communication, Time Management, (not reliable, punctual, professional etc because this is automatically expected at Graduate level. Obviously)
Other transferable skills, commercial awareness, teamwork leadership, problem solving etc.
Your CV is your Brochure
Think about the image you want to present, what's your personal brand? Your skills, strengths and aptitude.
How can you add value to the employer?
Identify what the employer wants.
Analysing Sammy's CV:
Name should be bigger because you're marketing yourself.
Have statements, don't use always I am or My, consider using third person, and short statements.
Examples needed when giving examples of skills. Put the skills in the jobs you've already done, and give evidence.
Presentation:
Easy to Read, Keep to 2 pages maz, consistent headers, font style, size, bolds etc
Avoids Wizard's or templates
Spell and Grammar Check (UK English!)
Structure:
What is the best order?
Give prominence to relevant details, what do you want them to see first?
Key Facts - 1/3 way down page 1 and top of page 2.
Usual CV structure:
Personal details
Personal Profile
Education and Qualification
Employment - Relevant Employment/Work Experience, Exhibitions, Voluntary Work, Internships
Skills - to include achievements and positions of responsibility, if applicable
Activities and Interests - avoid politics and religion
References
Personal Details:
Full Name, Address & Postcode. Telephone numbers, email address, LinkedIn Profile. Driving Licence? Visa Status - if Applicable.
Personal Profile / Career Objective:
Consider wirting a short paragraph, approx 3 sentences. Either Personal Profile (skills/attributes/strengths) or career objective. Written in 3rd person. Paragraph has to be punchy like a strapline.
Education, most recent first including dates & where you studied. Awards, what it was, relevant modules (for internships). Expected marks?
Employment Experience:
Most recent first, reverse chronological. Remember to include the name of the employer, dates of the employment (Month-year - month Year), job title. Use bullet points of what skills you've gained.
Employment history sounds better than work experience as that sounds a bit 15year old at school. Voluntary work is good to use to. Internships too!
Quantify and Qualify statements
Vague/Less effective: My duties are, Excellent problem solving, I had to work in a team, I had to communicated with clients daily, Checking invoices, working on tills, good customer service.
Specific: Responsible for a community budget of £2,500, Handled and resolved up to 100 queries a day, worked in a team of 10, supporting one another to achieve daily targets.
Make sure that your activities and interests are short and snappy and relevant to the job role / make you human or show your ambitions.
Simon Riechwald CEO
Creative CV's!!!
Creative CV Guide
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/careers/documents/creativecvguide%281%29.pdf
- use a tasteful and subtle watermark
- landmark CV's can be hard to format but can stand out from the card
- business card to match?
http://www.shortlist.com/cool-stuff/design/30-most-inventive-resumes
Textiles - CV on fabric? Stop motion CV on a set/puppet?
Digital CV - digital portfolio, own websites with showreels etc.
Do you need to put everything you've ever done on there? Showcase a small amount of your work, the good pieces not your progression. Get feedback from professionals on your show reel.
Video CV's
Think about who you are applying for!!
Some Do's and Don'ts:
Do:
- use reverse chronological order,
- avoid jargon,
- clear headings
- be positive
- maximise on your line presence
Don'ts
- use wizards
- leave time gaps
- send a cv without a letter
- repeat yourself
- lie!!
Covering Letters!
Crucial to send with a cv! It makes you come across more professional. Standard structure, be formal and avoid sir and madam, see if you can find the name.
There's four main sections/paragraphs to a cover letter, think carefully about your font and font size.
Para 1. This is what I'm applying for, mutual contacts if you have any.
Para 2. Highlight relevant skills and qualities, what makes you superduper for that job, show enthusiasm and passion. Don't repeat what's on your CV, reword it in a sexy style.
Para 3. Why do you want the job role? Why do you want to work for them? Do your research on the company and showing you understand the ethics and missions of the company, you want to sure your commercial awareness.
Para 4. Positive ending, look forward to hearing from you, available for interview at your convenience, open door stuff.
Couple of recent sources are saying, handwritten PS at the bottom, are more frequently getting interviews and contact. Also so many people email these days, post often grabs more attention.
In Summary:
Tailor CV to job applications. Is 'your brochure easy to read?' - does it pass the 30second test?
Have you highlighted relevant skills, qualities and experience essential for the role?
Have you cut out negative and irrelevant info? Remember focus your covering letter!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment