WRITE THE RIGHT CV TO GET THE RIGHT JOB

From the start let us cut to the car chase, the perfect CV is the one that gets you the interview –short and simple. The sole purpose of your CV is to sell you and your skills to prospective employers enough that they want to meet you in person. Remember it is not your autobiography. Stick to clear and concise information about what you have achieved and the suitably for the position for which you have applied. More than ever Recruitment Consultants and ultimately employers have to make invitation decisions based on the information on your résumé. If the CV gets your name on the interview short list it has done its job. After that is in your hands.

The good news is that your CV is the only part of the whole job selection process over which you have complete control. So it pays to make sure you get it right. Calco Services will be happy to provide constructive feedback on your CV and offer any suggestions if we feel it will improve your chances of obtaining an interview.

In the meantime we have put together a guide that will help you avoid the common pitfalls and ensure the right information is included in the right order. There are no hard and fast rules but from experience, we have found the following format works best:

CV STRUCTURE

Stick to a maximum two pages, even if you have worked on a contract basis and your experience goes beyond this. Later jobs should be précised at the end of the CV.

Contact Details

The best place for your contact details is at the top of the first page in the middle or on the left. Make sure you include:

• Full Name
• Home Address
• Telephone Numbers (Home, Mobile and Work with convenient contact times to avoid potentially awkward calls)
• Personal email address. Consider setting up one specifically for job applications and responses)
• Personal Details. It might be an idea to include a date of birth, marital and driving license status here along with flexibility on location preferences though this is discretionary.

Personal Profile

Prepare a succinct, short and snappy personal profile (aim for between 20 and 30 words). Think of this as your sales pitch. Write the wrong thing here and the rest of your CV may never be read. The profile must do two things. Firstly, it must encapsulate your career aspirations and secondly it must summarize what you can offer your next employer.

Example: Mr. X has over 30 years of experience in enterprise and commercial management; programme management, operations management, project finance and due diligence, project assessments and forensics, and project controls. He has managed airport, rail and surface transportation and telecommunications planning, environmental, design, construction and operational transition programmes on three continents. Mr X is internationally recognised as an authority on enterprise and programme management, and company management and turnaround. In addition to significant and progressive assignments, he has written numerous papers and lectured extensively on programme and project management, infrastructure economics and finance, information technology, systems integration and organisational dynamics.

Professional Qualifications

Provide details of your professional qualifications, relevant training courses or information about current studies.

Education

List your educational history in reverse chronological order (i.e. Degree or A-levels before GCE’s/GCSE’s). It is not necessary to list every single exam result for GCE’s/GCSE’s. In most cases it will suffice to put the number of A-C passes.

Work History

No arguments, this is by far the most important part of your CV. As with education, list your employment in reverse chronological order starting with your most recent or current position. Think carefully about what skills you have used and acquired during each job. Graduates or those applying for trainee positions and possessing limited experience should remember that even the mundane jobs have taught you something.

Now, for each job provide basic details including job title, company name and the start and finish dates of your employment.

Using bullet points, list your activities and achievements during that particular job.

Important: After each bullet point ask yourself “so what?” What does this mean to a potential employer?

For example, suppose you used the following bullet point:

Managed Site

Does this offer the employer any insight into what you learned from the experience that might benefit them if they were to take you on? No

It might be better to put something like this:

Managed the site for a major commercial refurbishment project valued at £50 million. Supervision of all site operations, liaison with clients. Liaison with architects and trades. Chaired client and contractor meetings. Was in charge of x number of site operatives. Responsibility for Health and Safety on site. Project finished on programme, to cost and to satisfaction of client.

Apply the “so what?” question to all your bullet points and that will help you to create a CV that sells you in a positive light.

Interests

Keep this section brief. Two or three interests are enough. Think about what you write here before you list them. Employers can learn a lot about a person from their interests.

Crosswords, Sudoku and software design for example would suggest that the job seeker is intellectually able. Squash and Badminton might suggest a competitive personality. Travel off the beaten track, as opposed to a week on the beach in Torremolinos, suggests an inquiring mind and the desire to discover new cultures.

On the other hand watching TV and reading might suggest that the job seeker prefers a sedentary lifestyle in his/her own company. Solitary activities will not make you look like a good team player. Clubbing and pubbing might suggest someone more interested in the social side of life than the job in hand.

On the other hand, it is wise to give a long list of hobbies such as white water rafting, parachuting, playing ice hockey, mountaineering etc. Whilst it might sound impressive - you may also be sending the reader an impression of a person who loves taking risks! Risky people sometimes make mistakes that could a company dear.

Think about the kind of impression your interests create and be prepared to answer questions around this.

CV Dos & Don’ts

Don’ts

• Don’t leave gaps.
• Don’t use fancy fonts and borders.
• Don’t try and be humorous (recruitment is serious).
• Don’t list your salary requirements.
• Don’t use the word “I” unless absolutely necessary.
• Don’t use jargon.
• Don’t use pictures or photos.

Do’s

• Do check thoroughly for spelling mistakes.
• Do use short sentences.
• Do use good quality plain white A4 paper if you are printing your CV.
• Do use bullet points.
• Do try to stick to 2-3 pages.
• Do take the time to get it right. You only get one chance to make a good first impression.

Photographs:

With the increase in digital technology, more and more people are using photographs to accompany their CV’s. Whilst it is sometimes nice to see what potential employees may look like, you as a candidate never know who will be reading and making a decision on your CV. You want them to invite you for interview based on your skills and experience; you do not want to be discounted for the position simply because the employer does not like the look of you. Keep the CV simple and ditch the photograph unless the employer has specifically asked for one.

Covering letter:

A covering letter (or covering email if you are sending your CV by electronic format) introduces you and, most importantly, states which position you are applying for, quoting a reference number if applicable. Remember that many employers are recruiting for numerous positions at any one time; you need to make sure that your CV is looked at for the correct position.

Finally remember that no amount of badgering the Recruitment Consultant will make them get you an interview.