New Breaks New Horizons Writing the CV Introduction
New Breaks, New Horizons Writing the CV
Introduction �What to include/leave out �Personal profile �Skills �Work history �Qualifications and other information
General tips Neat, typed, good layout Short and concise, 2 pages of A 4 usually enough Positive, but honest – show the real you in the best light Tailored for each specific job It’s marketing you, so is worth spending time on to get it right! www. evenbreak. co. uk
Disability – to mention or not to mention? � Nature of job (will disability be a positive advantage? ) � Nature of employer (guaranteed interview scheme? ) � Do you need reasonable adjustments for any part of the selection process? � Would mentioning your disability clarify some aspects of your CV? www. evenbreak. co. uk
What is the recruiter looking for? You may only have a few seconds to make a great impression Clear, concise, easy to read An immediate impact – related to the job Do you demonstrate you can do what the job needs? Do they want to learn more about you? www. evenbreak. co. uk
What to include � Name and contact details � Personal statement � Work history and achievements � Skills � Qualifications/training � Other information www. evenbreak. co. uk
Variations: � � If a graduate role, put relevant degree at or near the top If relevant skills gained from non-paid work roles, put near top If work history has lots of jobs, or lots of gaps, put lower down Make the CV work for you – best things first www. evenbreak. co. uk
Clues to what they want www. evenbreak. co. uk
Personal Profile � Short paragraph summarising why you are best person for job � Pick out two or three qualities they are particularly looking for e. g. Experienced customer service professional with excellent IT and telephone skills and a great team player
Work history � � Start with the most recent employment and work backwards Write about achievements rather than tasks Write less as you go back in time After 10 years (or so) simply list job titles, company names and dates www. evenbreak. co. uk
State Achievements Designed and negotiated a radical new business ratecard which generated £ 33 million of savings over 4 years Delivered an integrated demand forecasting function, improving forecasting accuracy to within 3% Quality Champion for a call centre, initiated review of operating procedures resulting in reduction in overtime spend from 9% to 5% Coached and developed two junior managers new to their role subsequently resulting in their successful promotion www. evenbreak. co. uk
Skills � Describe � Give relevant skills to this particular job examples of how the skills were used � Does not have to be work-related www. evenbreak. co. uk
Skills section
Qualifications and additional information Leave out O Levels if Only include relevant qualifications and training gained a long time ago and you have more recent qualifications Include in-house training Information on voluntary work, charitable work, awards won etc. are worth mentioning – if you have the space www. evenbreak. co. uk
Summary � � � � Your CV gets you the interview Do not leave employers to guess what you mean Grab their attention in the first 30 seconds Have a friend read it and ask for objective feedback Check your spelling and grammar Use it as a tool to support your interview Do not be afraid of selling yourself Be honest, but positive www. evenbreak. co. uk
Next Steps Ø Write Ø Tailor a skeleton CV for each specific application
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