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CV writing

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najaB

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I do this with everything and make sure it's the English spelling as things like MS Office pick up the US spelling on EN settings, although I can usually spot it.
That will be because your normal.dot (the blank document template) is set to US English. Set it to UK English and all new documents will be in UK English. I have this all the time working in UK/US (well technically Canadian) company.
 
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Peter Mugridge

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To me this CV could be turned into a very impressive list of skills and experiences rather than a list of employers/voluntary work. A covering letter can explain personal circumstances while the CV highlights skills of working with children, those with special needs, working with the public, responsibilities etc. It is often better to have a number of shorter CVs aimed at particular types of employers eg one for retail, working with young people, and a more generic one.
The real problem is that some of those voluntary jobs she has listed... err.... let's just say it wasn't entirely her choice to leave them... and in a number of instances that's related to the size of her mouth...
 

najaB

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The real problem is that some of those voluntary jobs she has listed... err.... let's just say it wasn't entirely her choice to leave them... and in a number of instances that's related to the size of her mouth...
Well, as long as she doesn't list them for references then any prospective employer will be none the wiser about it.
 

johntea

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I've attached an example of mine (Just redacted some personal details), as you can see I'm in the IT industry - it is several years out of date now as I've always ended up in public sector jobs in the end which do not accept CVs and use their own application process instead

The idea with a concise bullet point list of skills and expertise is when you upload it to certain recruitment agencies these days they don't even look at it initially - they have automated systems in place so when they need say a PHP developer their software will scan through CVs and go 'ah this person mentions PHP on their CV so they might be of interest!'

Also if you do plan to fire off your CV to a million different places then make sure you set up a dedicated 'job hunt' email address and mobile number as you'll still get hounded by recruiters years after actually getting a job!
 

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birchesgreen

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Also if you do plan to fire off your CV to a million different places then make sure you set up a dedicated 'job hunt' email address and mobile number as you'll still get hounded by recruiters years after actually getting a job!
Yes a mistake I made when I was looking for work a few years ago was not having a dedicated phone number for recruiters who continued to plague me after I had a new job (usually with completely useless potential jobs completely at odds with my skills or on the other side of the country). I ended up changing my number in the end!
 

Typhoon

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Well, as long as she doesn't list them for references then any prospective employer will be none the wiser about it.
Or visits this forum - surname. location. past employment!

Two sides of A4 maximum using a clear font (personally I like Open Sans but anything like Calibri or Arial would be fine) at a legible size (so I'd go no smaller than 10 and probably 11 or 12) for your text. My style usually has my name and contact information at the top of the page, then a couple of sentences highlight some key features from my experience that match the person and job spec (so if I was applying for a job as a delivery driver I might say something like "I have held a driving licence for over x years and have never had any motoring convictions or accidents during that time") followed by my work history. Next to each entry I'd put some information about what experiences and skills the job either gave me or allowed me to demonstrate (tailored to the job you're applying for).
Spot on post. I personally wouldn't do 10 point. When I've had to go through CVs, there were typically about 50, in an evening. Any excuse to throw it on the reject pile. And a sans serif font (no fancy fonts), they are easier to read. I would ensure there is plenty of white space to encourage the recipient to read it. The italicised section - a must. A CV that is used for any job says that the applicant can't be bothered writing a CV, so why should we be bothered interviewing them? And I would avoid the over the top phrases that look like they have come out of some marketing handbook.
 

Puffing Devil

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Depends on the industry but I use a tight single page CV with a decent covering email to a named person at the organisation. It's got me three job offers so far and nobody said the CV was too short!

Agree with this - one page is all you need if it's structured well. As a recruiting manager, I rarely go beyond page 1. I will review your LinkedIn profile, though.
 
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I undertake a lot of recruitment. Make sure ALL your qualifications are on your CV, tailor your CV for each job applied for and ensure that you have the requisite experience or attributes required for the role as advertised, as the initial sift is based on these criteria. Once through the initial sift then you are in with a chance of interview. A generic CV rarely makes it through, especially if the job is for a skilled occupation or managerial role. Spelling and grammar matter. A professionally produced CV is less important than the content. I can see through the waffle.
 

MotCO

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I undertake a lot of recruitment. Make sure ALL your qualifications are on your CV, tailor your CV for each job applied for and ensure that you have the requisite experience or attributes required for the role as advertised, as the initial sift is based on these criteria. Once through the initial sift then you are in with a chance of interview. A generic CV rarely makes it through, especially if the job is for a skilled occupation or managerial role. Spelling and grammar matter. A professionally produced CV is less important than the content. I can see through the waffle.

Job descriptions often set out headings for the duties of the post; I would recommend writing a short paragraph for each of these headings setting out your experience and achievements for each duty. So, yes, you definitely need to tailor each CV for each post you apply for.

You should have your CV already 'on the shelf', which may actually extend to more than two pages. Then when your ideal job comes up, you can select the relevant sections and cut and paste to either complete the application form or tailor your CV.

A professionally produced CV is not the real you. They will use all sorts of jargon and management speak, when only you know the real you, and know your full history.

I would also concur that good grammar, punctuation and spelling are essential. Get someone, maybe an elderly relative of the 'old school' to read through it. Looking at some of the posts on here, the grammar and spelling obviously wasn't checked with the thoroughness a CV warrants :lol:. (I'm waiting with baited breath for someone to correct my post!)

If completing an on-line application form, it may be best to write the answers in a Word document so that the spelling can be checked before cutting and pasting.
 
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