How to CV

How to CV - What you need to know

Most people are unaware of how to create a CV that sells them and gives them the best possible chance. It is a complicated document to get right and so therefore it is worth your while to spend as much time as possible perfecting it. This article includes all of the steps that you must follow to write a brilliant CV and the correct order that is required to make it as professional as possible.

Personal details

Make sure that you include all of the correct info here such as, name, address, telephone number and email address should someone in HR need to contact you to arrange an interview.

Education and qualifications

Include your degree here along with the year that you graduated and the university. It is essential that you omit your GCSE and A level qualifications if you have higher training as it is no longer applicable. Also if your grades are not good it is also advisable not to include these either.

Work History

Include a lot of dynamic verbs like organised, was responsible for, planned etc to demonstrate that you are proactive and would be a capable employee.

Instead of just mentioning boring everday duties in an apathetic fashion, exhibit enthusiam and passion for your job and show an employer that you really love doing what you do. Make them assume that you would be an asset to their team and bring them more customers with your happy demeanor. Always try to to think beyond the ordinary here and you will do well. Of course it is important to note that you should not go off in a tangent either and that you must remain focused in the job requirements at hand. Although you should inject a little enthusiasm into your CV, it is also too easy to go over the top here and consequently appear unprofessional. If you are worried about this then get a friend or colleague to read through your CV to see if it comes across in the right way.

Relate the skills to the job.

A secretarial job will involve organisational abilities, polite phone manner and a professional appearance wheras an accountancy role will require analytical skills, numeracy, and a keen business awareness. Really dig down deep into the requirements of your job and point out as many of these skills as you can. If you are appropriate and focused then you will come across in a assured way. These tips are how to make your CV stand out from those of your competitors, so try to follow then and apply the advice to your own personal situation.

Interests

Keep this section short and concise. As you progress through your career your employment history will grow and be more important than your interests. If your interests are not related to the job in question it is best not to go into detail about them, just one or two words will be enough.

Bullets can be used to separate interests into different types: sporting, creative etc.
Don't use the old boring cliches here: "socialising with friends", try to be creative and demonstrate that you are an interesting and active person.

Don't put many passive, introverted hobbies (reading, watching TV, stamp collecting) or you may be perceived as lacking people skills. If you do put these, than say what you read or watch: "I particularly enjoy Dickens, for the vivid insights you get into life in Victorian times". Demonstrate a range of interests to prevent coming across as narrow : if everything centers around sport they may wonder if you could hold a conversation with a client who wasn't interested in sport.

Exciting and interesting hobbies can help you to stand out from the crowd: skydiving or mountaineering can show a sense of wanting to stretch yourself and an ability to rely on yourself in demanding situations. Just be aware that some things that you find fascinating could really repulse another person. For example, if you keep pet rats or snakes you may seem to be a little odd to the reader. Just attempt to think about how you will be perceived if you write these things down. These how to CV basics will keep you on the right track if you follow them closely.

If you can try to get strong adjectives into this section that will further enhance your employability skills, such as "I enjoy leading teams of mountaineers on a monthly basis."

Key Skills

Ensure that you only include relevant skills and ones that you think will impree the employer as well as the usual ones that one would anticipate to see on your CV such as driving, computer, languages and first aid skills.

Try to be as specific as possible in this section and do not go off in a tangent. Are your skills relevant to the job or actually useful? For example, you may be a great juggler or be able to touch your nose with your tongue, but are these things that an employer wants or needs to hear? Always keep the reader in mind.

References

Normally two referees are adequate: one academic (perhaps your tutor or a project supervisor) and one from an employer (perhaps your last part-time or summer job). We would advise that you do not include their details on your CV however as this can take up a lot of unnecessary space and you do not want your referees to be annoyed with time wasters. If they desire to take your application further they will contact you for their contact details, this way you know that you will probably be called for interview. Put a statement such as 'References are available upon request' at the bottom of your CV.

Remember that an How To CV will help you greatly in giving you a step by step formula to follow that will help you make certain that you have included all of the relevant info.

For more articles and detailed step by step help on how to write a successful CV/Resume then we would advise you to click here: CV Writing Skills.

cv4me is an expert CV and Career Consultancy based in the UK.