It is the start of week two, module 1 and with the majority of my current tasks under my belt, I want to express a few thoughts on the importance of a good CV.
Your CV needs to show all that it can about your education and qualifications, your experience and your personality. Employers want to see why you would be good for them but also like to get an immediate impression of who you are.
Depending on experience, it can be difficult to fit it all onto a maximum of 2 sides of A4. It always needs to be well structured and presented. It should show off your strengths in a positive way and be adaptable so that further details can be added to emphasise certain skills etc, depending on the job you are applying for.
Through researching, I discovered an article 'How to write a successful CV before applying for a job' on BBC News website from November 2011.
They state:
The basic format for a CV includes:
- Personal details, including name, address, phone number, email address and possibly any professional social media presence. You no longer need to include your date of birth, owing to age discrimination rules.
- Career history, starting with your most recent job first. Include dates and temporary or voluntary jobs if appropriate.
- A personal profile which sells yourself and your qualities, tailored towards the job you are applying for.
- Achievements from previous jobs that are relevant.
- Qualifications and training from previous jobs, with the most recent first.
- Interests, if they are relevant and especially if the skills or teamwork concerned are relevant for the job.
- Any extra information, such as reasons for a career change or reasons for gaps in career history, such as caring duties.
- References, ideally two or more and including a recent employer.
All of these above points are very necessary. You must make your CV relevant to the job in which you are applying for and give the important details which will make you stand out from all of the other applicants - think about why they should choose you.
From looking through other CVs on blogs, I have found it interesting to see that some people have numerous versions, depending on the type of employment they are looking for whether it be dance, drama, musical theatre or every day work. When in education and for some time afterwards, I too had a 'dance CV'. This showed all of my performance and work experience within the dance world and to prove to employers why I would be suitable for them. I do the same now with all vacancies that I apply for and include the skills I gained from my dance experience e.g. self-motivation and good time keeping, to boost my strengths and attributes.
Thanks for this useful post on CVs. The point on achievement is worth thinking on. Is it enough to just state a Job Title with dates etc? To make your CV stand out a bullet point or two on achievement in a particular role will make you stand out and indicate that you recognise what and how you actively contributed to that employer / organisation / contract.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rosemary. I stated on my blog of my own CV that I would normally include points about each job and any particular skills I gained during the experience. I will take your advice on board. I would normally mainly write what the job involved, rather than include personal achievements, which, like you say, will make a CV stand out from the others!
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