A CV is important and it is worth preparing one even if you don’t need it right now.
Your CV is your opportunity to tell a potential employer why you are a suitable candidate for the job they are looking to fill.
YOUR CV IS YOU
Your CV should deliver all the key information about who you are, where you have been educated, where you have worked and what you have achieved.
PREPARING YOUR CV
Gather your information Before starting, pull together all the information you have on your education, employment, achievements and activities so that it is all to hand. List it all and then sift out what you feel is important and what has less relevance.
YOUR CV BASICS
CVs follow a standard format which is generally worth sticking to.
Full personal details Name, home address, phone number, email address. Date of birth and nationality are not mandatory, although many include these in their CVs.
Introduction A short paragraph on who you are. This is the part where you highlight the key skills qualifications and experience that are relevant to the job and why you should be considered. Spend time on fine-tuning this to make is short, to the point, and does a good job of selling yourself.
Education Your education history should start with the most recent education history. You should include the name of the education establishment with dates and list achievements, special projects of note, skills and qualifications gained.
Employment Starting with the most recent, give date ranges, company name and job positions,, with a brief description of the job if necessary. Highlight major achievements, promotions and expertise gained. Consider which parts of these jobs are relevant to the one being applied for and highlight them.
Other details Include personal activities and achievements. What you do outside of work is also important. Any sports, hobbies, or other activities that you participate in regularly should be mentioned briefly. This can demonstrate a ‘well-rounded' person – and it may trigger a point of conversation at an interview. Also include driving licence and work visa details if relevant
Tailor it to the job In your employment and personal details you should highlight the skill areas that you have that are relevant to that particular job application. Use the internet to find out more about the company and gather any more relevant information about them. You should aim to tailor each CV to each job in some way, rather than send out a standard CV to every job.
PRESENTATION
CVs should be short and concise. Employers will have a lot of CVs to sift through, they will want to see the relevant details instantly and not work through long paragraphs of text. It should not be more than two pages.
Keep it neat and tidy Prepare your CV on a word processor and print it out on good quality white paper.Keep the layout simple. Write it in standard English and use UK-English spell-checkers to ensure correct spellings and grammar.
CHECK IT
Get someone else to read it and make suggestions and corrections. They may see things that you can highlight, or point to areas covered that maybe less relevant to a potential employer.
KEEP COPIES
Make sure you have copies of the CV, the covering letter, and the Application Form that you have sent for reference prior to an interview -- and Best of Luck!
