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. The following basics are what you have to include in a CV and the series in which you should write them. Read each one through cautiously to guarantee that you are fully aware of how to write a competent CV.


Personal Info

In this section you would include your name, address, email address and telephone numbers so that an employer can get in touch with you if they have any questions.

Education and qualifications

Your degree subject and university plus the year that you graduated. A levels and GCSEs or equivalents are only important to enter if you do not have a degree or higher qualifications. You should mention your grades if you think that they are impressive, otherwise leave them out.

Career Summary

Make use of various adjectives and verbs that illustrate your energy and work ethic, these are usually action verbs.

Don't mention the everyday, non-people tasks (cleaning the tables) unless you are applying for a casual summer job in a restaurant or similar. Delve deep into the skills that are required of the job and enlarge upon them, really targeting the required skills that the employer is looking for.

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 everything back to your 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 mention as many of these skills as you can. If you are appropriate and focused then you will come across in a positive 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 and achievements

Keep this portion short and to the point. As you grow older, your employment record will take precedence and interests will typically shrink significantly in length and importance. Also, if interests are not directly related to the job you are applying for it can be a lot of wasted space.

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.

You do not want to come across as narrow in your interests here or employers will be unsure whether you could fit into a diverse and contemporary working milieu. They want to ensure that they are employing people that are tolerant and would be beneficial to the working atmosphere. Just include diverse and admirable interests here and you will not go too far wrong.

Diverse and interesting hobbies will help you stand out from other candidates, white water rafting or snowboarding will make you come across as competent and someone who will push themselves in every situation. Ensure that you think before you write down some of your more odd hobbies. You may find them absolutely riveting, but an employer may not share your love of pet snakes. These how to CV basics will keep you on the right track if you follow them closely.

Anything showing evidence of employability skills such as teamworking, organising, planning, persuading, negotiating etc. Remember to keep relating everything back to the job role and you should not go too far wrong.

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 expect to see on your CV such as driving, computer, languages and first aid skills.

Be as specific as you can in this section and keep on track. Are the skills that you have included relevant to the job you are applying for? For instance, you may be great at telling jokes, but is this really worthwhile in your job as a waitress? Think before you write and your CV will benefit as a result.

References

It is advisable to have just two referees at hand who you will be sure will give you glowing appraisals. Depending upon your job, one academic and one professional referee is best. Do not include their contact details on your CV however as this takes up a lot of space. It is also a good idea to put a staement at the base of your CV like 'References are Available Upon Request' and you will be contacted if they wish to call you for interview.

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.

About Author / Additional 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: http://cv4me.webs.com/cvadvice.htm

CV4ME is an expert CV and Career Consultancy based in the UK. To visit our website click here: http://www.cv4me.webs.com