How To Put Together An Effective CV

1.1 How to create a CV when you have little work experience

Welcome to this course on job interview and CV writing skills!

You will learn how to prepare yourself for any kind of job interview, compose a strong CV, write a compelling cover letter and discover how you can put yourself at an advantage by using communication skills that will set you apart from other candidates. These skills are crucial to your success, whether you are a school leaver looking for your βirst job or an established professional aiming to embark on a new career.

Most people βind the prospect of attending a job interview to be more intimidating than assembling a strong written application. However, in order to secure an interview in the βirst place, you will need to submit a suitable CV plus (in most cases) a cover letter.

In this module, you will learn how to make your CV stand out from the others. Some of the points listed here may seem obvious, but applicants regularly fail to ensure that their CVs meet all the basic criteria an employer expects. Finding the right job is difβicult in its own right, so do not sabotage your chances by neglecting your CV.

Fact

Employers typically form a βirst impression of a candidate within 30 seconds of reading their CV.

Source: jobzoo.co.uk

1.2 What is the purpose of a CV?

A CV is a document that provides an employer with a quick but comprehensive overview of your achievements, qualiβications and work history. You can think of it as an audition - if your CV grabs the attention of a recruiter, they will place you in the “potential employee” pile. Therefore, your CV should be of high quality and tailored to meet the requirements of the role. Under no circumstances should you send out identical copies of your CV to multiple employers.

What do employers look for in a CV?

Before reading further about the characteristics of a great CV, work through the exercise below:-

Activity 1: What Makes For A Great CV?

Estimated time: 5 minutes

Imagine that you have been given responsibility for hiring a new administrator in a small ofβice. The job is an entry-level position.

Within one week, you have received 20 CVs and decide to make a shortlist of your favourite βive candidates.

What factors would determine whether someone's CV made it to the shortlist?

1.3 What an employer looks for when they review a CV

A match between the role and the applicant's experience and qualifications

Although some employers are better than others at filtering applications, most know that in order to choose the right person for the job, there must be a good βit between the demands of the position and the applicant's background. If an employer is recruiting for a graduate entry position, they will check that the applicant holds the necessary qualifications, usually a 2:2 or 2:1 degree. Evidence that the applicant has made an effort in putting their application together

Common sense dictates that if an applicant is serious about the role, they will invest more time and effort into creating a clear and informative CV.

Evidence of an applicant's competence

CVs act as evidence of a person's competence in two ways. First, they list an applicant's qualifications and experiences, which demonstrates their skills. Second, a CV is proof that an applicant has the self-awareness required to take an inventory of their skills. This is a good sign that

they are able to undertake continuous professional development (CPD).

Fact

At least 20% of workers have lied on their CVs, in order to give themselves an edge over other candidates.

Source: jobzoo.co.uk

Evidence that an applicant has positive character traits

One of an interviewer's aims during the recruitment process is to ascertain whether an applicant will fit in with the company's culture. However, they will begin evaluating the applicant's character from the moment they start reading the CV. This involves “reading between the lines”.

For example

If an applicant has changed jobs several times over the past few years, this suggests that they find it hard to commit to a position over the long term. If an applicant has worked in a number of roles across a range of sectors, this suggests that they lack clear personal direction.

Evidence that an applicant understands basic business etiquette

If an individual is to succeed in a professional role, they must demonstrate that they know how to address those in authority. A well-written CV, accompanied by a strong cover letter, communicates that they can do this.

1.4 What does a good CV look like?

It is easy to read

Few people are excited by the prospect of reading multiple pages of dense text. Use 1.5 line spacing and leave a line between paragraphs. If possible, you should use bullet points rather than long sentences. If your writing style is usually long-winded, set yourself the challenge of keeping your sentences to a maximum of 15 words.

The ideal length for a CV is two A4 pages.

It begins with your contact details

Believe it or not, some applicants forget to include their contact information! Obviously, this brings the application process to a halt. Include your full name, address, telephone number and email address, at the top of the βirst page. Ensure that the email address you are using looks professional - you might need to open a new email account if your personal address is too informal.

You can use your discretion in deciding how to present the information, but positioning it in the centre or at the top right of the page are the most common options. If you are in the country on a visa, it is a good idea to state this with your contact information. It is also important that you know what to avoid and what to include, when putting together this initial section.

Do not indicate your relationship status, your sexual orientation, your religion, whether or not you have children, or your date of birth. Marital status, sexual orientation, age, religion and family situation are irrelevant factors and including this kind of information may create the impression that you do not understand the “rules” of putting together a CV. There are a few instances whereby employers are allowed to discriminate on the basis of one or more immutable characteristics; such as requiring that a carer for a female service user be female, but this is not the norm.

It contains a succinct personal statement

Following your contact information, the next part of your CV should contain a few lines describing who you are, the skills you can bring to the organisation and the next steps you are hoping to take in your career. The statement should contain no padding, it should be positive and it should show an element of originality. As a rough guide, it should be between 50 and 200 words in length. Think of a personal statement as a newspaper “headline”, whereas the rest of the content is akin to an article.

Here is an example of an appropriate personal statement:

“As a recent graduate from X University with a First in English Literature, I have completed three internships with well-known publishers, including X, Y and Z, which have enabled me to develop several transferable skills. During my time with Publisher X, I conducted my own research project, assisted with line edits on three manuscripts and worked with the publicity department to generate excitement around an eagerly-anticipated title. I am looking to use my skills in editing and marketing in my first full-time role within the publishing industry”.

It lists your key skills.

The next step is to create a set of bullet points that outline your key skills. Think about the tasks you undertake on a daily basis within your role, if you find this difficult. Allow yourself at least half an hour for this exercise, because it is common to overlook the tasks you do every day. Consider the technology you use, the problems you have to solve and the people you interact with. Once you have drawn up your list, consider whether they are relevant to the position you want.

For example

If you are a computer developer with extensive experience in .NET, this would be an important skill to list if you were applying for a programming role, but it would be irrelevant if you were looking to get your first role in the health and social care sector. Look at the job description or person speciβication, to ascertain what skills the employer is looking for. Always make the process easy for the individual who has been tasked with reading the applications. If you can show within a few seconds that your skill proβile matches with that required by the employer, you stand a good chance of securing an interview.

It lists your key educational achievements

List your qualiβications, beginning with the most recent. There are no hard and fast rules dictating how far back you need to go - some people only state their degree subject and classiβication, whereas others list all of their GCSE grades. In most cases, it is appropriate to list all qualiβications obtained post-GCSE and to simply state that you hold GCSEs in all core subjects (if applicable) - an employer will not be especially interested in each grade. If you have many qualiβications spanning different industries or subject areas, consider leaving off those which are irrelevant to the role.

It addresses the issues of references

Most employers take up references prior to making a job offer, however, there is no need to state names and contact details of referees on your CV. Employers do not usually ask for references prior to interview, because they understand that an applicant may not want to let their current employer - who will be one of their referees in the event of a job offer - know that they are intending to leave their current job. It is perfectly acceptable to state that the names and contact details of referees are available on

request.

Activity 2: Assessing Your CV

Estimated time: 10 minutes

Take a copy of your CV and assess it using the points given above. Do you need to make any

amendments and why?

1.5 Tailoring your CV for a specific job role

The best CVs prove that an applicant has taken the time to think about how their skills and experience match those required to carry out the role to an adequate standard. If you have the necessary skills, edit your CV so that they are emphasised.

For example

If the role requires skills in written communication and you developed these skills in your current position, you would list them first when describing your current responsibilities. If you hold a specific qualification stipulated in the job advertisement, such as a certificate of competence in a programming language, be sure to include it in your personal statement. If an employer can immediately see that you meet the most important requirement, they will be more likely to pay attention to the rest of the CV.

Although it is conventional to list your work experience in order, starting with your most recent position, it is acceptable to bend the rules if doing so will help an employer realise that you have the right skills for the job.

For example

If you have many years' experience in film editing but have taken a temporary job as a catering assistant whilst between jobs, an employer looking to hire a film editor would appreciate the chance to read about your relevant industry experience first.

Transferable skills

If your skills do not happen to match those listed in the job advertisement, you will need to show that you have the capacity to succeed in a new line of work. Any skill that you have developed in one role that could prove beneβicial in a different industry is known as a “transferable skill”.

Transferable skills include:

Clerical skills: This includes operating computer software, taking notes, bookkeeping, telephone skills, managing records and data entry.

Communication: The ability to convey information in both oral and written form. This includes writing reports, giving presentations and taking an active role in meetings.

Conflict resolution and negotiation: The ability to find satisfactory solutions that work for all parties involved in a dispute.

Delegation: The ability to assign tasks to other people.

Giving feedback, especially constructive criticism: People who are good at providing constructive criticism know how to offer negative feedback in a way that is not offensive, but helps the other person to improve their performance.

Management: The ability to oversee the work of others and help them perform to their potential. This may also include recruitment skills and the ability to impose disciplinary action.

Problem-solving: The process of devising solutions, both individually and as part of a team.

This is often associated with creativity.

Prioritisation: The ability to ascertain which tasks are most and least important and tackle them in an appropriate manner.

Research skills: The ability to locate information relevant to a project or problem, assess its quality and communicate it where necessary.

Time management: The ability to accurately gauge how long a project will take and to organise tasks accordingly.

You can indicate your transferable skills by describing them, with supporting evidence, within your description of a previous role. If you are looking to break into an entirely new industry and have no relevant work experience, you may wish to make your skills the primary focus of your CV, rather than your work history.

Experiment with a couple of layouts and imagine yourself in the shoes of your prospective employer - this will help you to decide which strategy makes the most sense.

1.6 Accounting for gaps on your CV

It is not uncommon to have a few gaps on your CV.

It can sometimes take several months to βind a new job following redundancy and this could result in an “empty period”. Recruiters are human and they will appreciate that sometimes it is not possible to transition seamlessly from one position to another. However, it is a good idea to account for gaps of longer than a few weeks, if possible. The following strategies can help:

Talk about positions in terms of years, not months

You can hide gaps lasting a few months by referring to the years you spent in one or more jobs, rather than providing details of speciβic dates. Such as stating “2008-2010” rather than “March 2008- September 2010” would allow you to hide a few months' worth of gaps in both 2008 and 2010.

However, if your prospective employer presses you for further details, you should be prepared to give honest answers to their questions.

If the gap in question was over 10 years ago, it is unlikely to matter

There are few professions that demand a complete employment history beginning with your very first job, especially if you are very experienced in your field or used to work in a different sector. If you had a couple of years out of the workforce a long time ago, it is unlikely to warrant further explanation. Most employers will realise that gaps in employment dating back a decade are irrelevant to your current employability.

Describe what you were doing during the gaps in a positive, proactive way

Even if you spent your time looking for work, you can still frame this experience positively. A suggestion to write would be “I spent time looking for a suitable job that was a good βit for my qualifications and experience. I also took the time to refine my networking skills and undertook a free online qualification in X”.

If you went travelling, briefly explain where you went and what you learned from the cultures you experienced along the way. If you have been raising children or caring for an ill relative, outline this in a couple of sentences. There is no reason to elaborate - if you are called in for an interview, you may be given the opportunity to clarify the situation in more detail.

If your gap is fairly recent and was due to ill health, your prospective employer will be looking for reassurance that you are now capable of working. A brief explanation that ends with a statement that you are now βit for work is sufficient.

Include any explanations in a cover letter

If your situation is too complex to outline in a couple of sentences within your CV, you can explain the gap(s) in your cover letter. However, this should be kept to a maximum of one paragraph. Reassure your prospective employer that you are currently ready and eager to work and that you will be happy to clarify the situation during the interview or beforehand on the telephone.

1.7 Writing a CV when you have little or no work experience

If you have not yet had the chance to gain work experience, you will need to write your CV so that it emphasises your skills instead.

Think about the skills you have acquired whilst studying for a qualiβication and taking part in extra- curricular activities. Refer to the above list of transferable skills, if you are not sure where to begin.

For example

If you held a leadership position in a university society, note this as an example of time management and communication skills. If you took modules in statistical analysis as part of your degree, you have proof of your numerical skills. Voluntary work, travel, internships and informal work experience gained by helping out in a family business are all valuable sources of transferable skills.

1.8 CV errors to avoid

Apologising for a lack of experience

If you are a modest person, you might not like the idea of using a CV to “sell yourself” and feel compelled to apologise for what you perceive as shortcomings. Resist the temptation! Employers appreciate CVs that inspire confidence.

Including an unnecessary amount of personal information

There is no need to provide a lengthy personal history or detailed description of your hobbies and interests. An employer will typically have many CVs to read and they are looking to identify key pieces of information that will help them determine whether you have the skills required for the job.

Listing attributes with no supporting evidence to back them up

Anyone can claim to possess particular traits, but they do not carry much weight unless they are supported by evidence. It is better to omit a skill altogether than it is to list it and hope that an employer will take you at your word.

Alliteration

Some people appreciate alliteration as a literary device, whereas others find it amateurish and off- putting. Take a conservative approach and avoid it.

“Superstar Salesperson”, “Conβident, Competent Computer User” and other alliterating phrases are to be avoided.

Listing and describing a succession of similar jobs

There is little point in outlining all the duties you had to undertake in your previous jobs if they all required the same set of competencies. Instead, go into detail when describing your most recent role and summarise earlier positions using one or two sentences. Of course, if you won any awards or demonstrated outstanding personal performance earlier on in your career, describe what you did and how you did it.

Failing to update the appearance of an old CV

Some people write a CV after leaving school or university and then add a new paragraph or two whenever they apply for a new position. This is a lazy approach and it can give a CV an outdated appearance. When applying for a new job, take the opportunity to overhaul your CV from beginning to end.

Starting every sentence or paragraph with “I”

Your CV is about your skills and achievements, but starting every sentence or paragraph with “I will make it hard to read.

Spelling out “Curriculum Vitae”

An employer will know what “CV” stands for. Spelling out the full meaning at the top of the page may make you look pretentious, naı̈ve, or both.

1.9 How to get help with your CV

Even an applicant who excels at written communication should ask for feedback on their CV. This is because proofreading your own work is often ineffective. When you create a document, you know what you are trying to say. When you read it again, your brain automatically βills in the gaps, making it difficult to check your work for errors. In addition, other people often see our skills from a perspective other than our own. Typically, an individual underestimates what they can do and may miss out on a great role as a result. A third party can make all the difference in securing an interview.

There are two types of feedback that will benefit your CV.

Feedback on the content of your CV

You need to ascertain whether it is an accurate, accessible reβlection on who you are and what you can do. A careers advisor or recruitment consultant can give you constructive input. Someone who knows you personally is also a good choice, because they will be in a position to highlight your strengths and point out where (if applicable) you have misrepresented yourself. If you know someone who works in your industry, or has a lot of experience in reading CVs, you could ask them to read it and give their honest opinion. If you are still at school or university, book an appointment with your careers service.

Feedback on presentation, spelling and grammar

Your second step is to find someone who enjoys reading and writing and ask them to check for any typographical mistakes. This could be a friend, relative, tutor, or careers advisor. If you have the time and money, you may wish to consider hiring a freelance editor to make sure that your CV is perfect.

Module Summary

Your CV is one of the most important documents you will ever write. Its central purpose is to summarise your qualifications, skills and achievements in such a way that an employer can quickly ascertain whether you are suitable for a particular role. Therefore, you must make sure that it is professional in appearance and that it contains accurate information that communicates your aptitude for the position.

A CV should begin with your contact details, followed by a short personal statement. Depending on your work history, you should then describe the vacancies you have held in your career to date, along with the skills you used to succeed in each. If you have not yet accumulated any work experience, opening with an outline of the skills you have gained throughout your education is a suitable alternative format. In a conventional CV, educational achievements and qualifications are listed towards the end.

Finally, you can include a short section detailing your hobbies and personal interests, although this is likely to be useful only if they are relevant to the position. As most employers will want to take up references before making the offer of a job, you must address the issue of referees in your CV. It is acceptable to state that names and contact details are available upon request - most employers will not take up references unless they offer you the job.