You've probably spent quite a bit of time figuring out exactly what content to put in your CV, but how long have you spent thinking about word choice? It seems like a minor detail, and is probably something you haven't given much prior thought to, so is it really necessary?

According to recruiters, it is. Finding a candidate that truly stands out in the current jobs market is getting tough as the standard of CVs has increased. Many jobseekers still choose to list their skills and experience, but fail to identify their achievements in the workplace; and by failing to do this, a candidate is missing the perfect opportunity to stand out. Look at the following two sentences:

-Filing company reports.

-Implemented a new filing system that was adopted throughout the office, replacing the old measures to improve the efficiency of filing company reports. 

Out of the top two examples, which stands out? The active verb 'implemented' in the second sentence allows you to assert ownership of the task, and show what you achieved. The first sentence gives the employer nothing- just saying that filing was part of your job is about as useful as copying and pasting your previous job description on your CV- it shows what you did, but not what you achieved. Using action verbs allows you to give an example of how you helped the company to change its way of working to accommodate your ideas. This is a far more useful way to convey your skills as it allows the employer to see the value of adding you to the workforce.


Action words speak louder than, err regular words!

Here are some examples of active, positive verbs that can be used to help describe your experience on your CV. Instead of focusing purely on the tasks you carried out in your role, try and relate these to what you've achieved. Think about projects or presentations you contributed to, ideas you had that were implemented, things you have accomplished etc, and truly sell yourself to your prospective employer.

-Introduced
-Implemented
-Developed
-Created
-Pioneered
-Increased
-Saved
-Supervised
-Achieved
-Evaluated
-Managed
-Completed
-Delivered
-Researched
-Co-ordinated

Your CV is your personal sales tool, so make sure it's working for you!

For those of you who have been job hunting or in the job market for a long time then CV writing is probably pretty old hat. But for those of you who might be struggling with your CV, I’m going back to basics to give you a rundown of what to include in your CV.

What is a CV?

Curriculum Vitae or ‘CV’ for short means ‘course of life’ in Latin, and the definition of the French term Resume is ‘summary’. This is effectively what your CV should be; a summary of all of your achievements in your working/educational/professional life.

What information should be included in your CV?

You may not have all of the following things to put on your CV, but as a general rule these are the kind of things that should be included on your CV. At the very least it will need to contain your contact details, work history and education if applicable. Check out the list below and see if your CV ticks most of these boxes...

Contact Details Put your contact details at the top of your CV. This should include your full name, address, a telephone number that you can be contacted on, and/or an email address.

Personal Statement You can include a short description of yourself and your main achievements. Often people accompany their CV with a personal statement on a separate page- so make the description on your CV brief- just a few sentences describing your suitability and skills.

Education You should list your educational qualifications, with the most recent ones appearing first. Highlight the level of education, subject and grades you received.

Career History Your career history should be listed on your CV. You should list these in chronological (date) order. Your most current employment should be at the top of the list, and the furthest back in time should be the last on the list. You should include- name of the company, job title, the date you started the employment and the date you finished the employment. You should also briefly outline your key responsibilities- at interview you may be able to explain further anything an employer would like to know more about. Your CV should be no more than about 2 pages- so if you have had a lot of jobs, you can always remove some of the oldest in the list, or just give the name and date of this company to save space.

Work Experience If you have not been in employment before but have completed some work experience then this will definitely be an important aspect of your CV. You should include your job title, the company you worked for, the duration of the work experience and the dates you worked there. You should also outline your key responsibilities whilst working there. Even if you have had other employment- it may also be worth listing your work experience, as the skills you demonstrated might be important within the jobs you are applying for. 

Training, skills and achievements If you have taken any courses, won any awards within a professional capacity, or have any professional skills or achievements that relate to your profession then you should list them here. If they are courses, remember to provide the dates you attended.

IT Skills If you have a good working knowledge of computers it may be worth listing the IT software you are competent using. Some jobs may require an excellent grasp of word processing software, or spreadsheet software, so listing that you are competent in Microsoft Office, including Word and Excel, for example, will highlight that you have the right skills. If you are familiar with any specialist software or programming languages, then this is the place to list them.

Language Skills If you are bi/multi-lingual, or have a good knowledge of a language other than your native language, then this information may be useful to list. Especially if the job requires you to speak dual languages, you should highlight your competency and the level of competency you have. However, be careful- if you can speak the odd French phrase, don’t put that you are fluent in French on your CV- this would be misleading.

Personal Details I have highlighted in previous blogs that there are stringent laws about discrimination within employment. An employer should not use your age or a disability you may have as a reason not to employ you. Therefore disclosing this information should not be detrimental to the application process. It is your choice as to what personal information you disclose on your CV, but you could add any of the following extra information- date of birth, marital status, whether you have a full/clean driving licence, disability information, unspent criminal convictions etc.

DO NOT DISCLOSE your passport information, a copy of your passport or driving licence, or any bank details on your CV. If an employer needs any of this information they can request this of you once you have been offered a position.

Hobbies and Interests If a passion of yours coincides with the kind of job you are applying for then you may wish to add it onto your CV. For example, if you scuba dive regularly and have a diving certificate, when going for a job at an aquarium, you may wish to note this, as it is relevant to the job. Putting down that you enjoy going out with your friends on the weekend has no useful relevance to an employer, and so should be avoided at all costs.

There are no 100% definitive rules when it comes to CV writing, you may choose not to list all of these aspects or you may wish to include them all. This is just a guide to give you some idea of what an employer might expect to see, so good luck, and Happy Job Hunting!

Before you Free your CV; does it make the grade?

 

The job market can be competitive, so here are some tips from FreeMyCV.com to help you keep up with the competition, and make your CV really stand out... 
 

1)      Spelling and Grammar: This is a simple tip, but very effective. With the increase of tech savvy individuals, you can bin those dictionaries and biros; word processing software does all this for you! This does mean that there is no excuse for your CV to be plagued with bad grammar and spelling mistakes.  This is one of the first things the employer will notice when reading your CV- any obvious spelling misteaks will stick out like a sore thumb! So don’t ignore that wavy red line- check it out!

2)      Proof Reading: Get someone else to proof read your CV. Sometimes it can be hard to spot errors in your own writing, as you know what it is supposed to say, regardless of whether it actually does! Ask a friend or family member to check how your CV reads, and that you haven’t made any typos; it will make all the difference.

3)      Make the beginning of your CV stand out: If the only thing the employer reads is the first few lines of your CV, what does that say about you? Make sure it is passionate, relevant and to the point. Explain what makes you a good candidate and why you stand out from the rest.

4)      Try to avoid clichéd phrases: For an employer there is nothing worse than reading hundreds of CVs with the same generic phrases. Try thinking of better ways to say you are ‘hard working’ and ‘a good team player’; give examples of personal experiences and avoid making your CV sound like you’ve copied and pasted it from the internet!

5)      Relevance: Target your CV to the job you are applying for. If you are applying for a job in teaching you need; all relevant qualifications, examples of working with children, examples of public speaking. The employer won’t need to know how many different cocktails you can make, from your job in TGI Fridays. So make sure to tailor your CV according to the job; Your CV should be no more than 2 pages, if you want the employer to read it until the end!

6)      Be prepared to explain gaps in your CV: This is a common question you may be asked at an interview if you have been out of work for large periods of time. So if you see those gaps on your CV, start working out an answer for this question to avoid being caught out. Employers won’t be happy to know you were out of work because you needed a year to ‘chill’ so think of something constructive and positive to say.

7)      Make it short: Make it short, relevant and to the point. Your CV should be no more than 2 pages. This ensures that it is specifically targeted to the job you are applying for, and ensures the employer reads it until the end!

8)      Make sure your contact information is up to date: Now, this sounds like an obvious fact, but it is surprising how many people forget to change their address on their CV when they move, or their number after getting a new phone. You may not have even looked at your CV in a couple of years, so don’t just send it out without checking your details!

9)      Adding references: It is good to be able to provide your new potential employer with some references, but there is no need to fill up your CV with their comments. ‘References available on request’, as long as this is true, will get the message across and enable the employer to ask you who they need to contact; if they want to check your references.

10)   Accessible Style: The layout of your CV should be clear and concise. Ensure that your work history and education are all in reverse chronological order so that your most recent employment is at the top. Avoid using overly complicated frames and fonts; keep it simple and classic to get maximum impact.

 

Keep checking back for more information and tips to make job seeking easier, and in the meantime: Happy Job Hunting!