In this issue we’re going to look at your own personal selling tool – your CV; consider the importance of effective problem solving skills and discuss how to turn complaints to your advantage.

• Editor's Desk
• Bite 1
• Bite 2
• Bite 3
• Working Web
• Last Word

Ensuring Your CV Does the Job

Your curriculum vitae (C.V.) is an outline of your educational and work history. It tells a prospective employer about you: your education, your experience, your abilities, your interests and your attitude so it should be prepared with great care. A good CV can make the difference between getting the job and not getting it.

Many people do not get as far as the interview because of a poor letter of application or a carelessly written CV. So, think of a CV as your personal sales letter and make sure it is:

• easy to read
• well set out and arranged under headings and subheadings
• comprehensive
• brief

So what does a CV contain?
It normally contains information about yourself set out in the following way:

Curriculum Vitae

Name (surname/family name).

Address

1. PERSONAL

Sex (if not obvious from name)

Date of Birth: (D.O.B.) (in full form)

Nationality:      (Passport/ID No – if appropriate)

Marital Status: (Optional)

2. PERSONAL STATEMENT/PROFILE (More about this on the next page)

3. EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS

Schools/Colleges attended and qualifications achieved (in chronological order). Don’t forget colleges attended as a mature student or qualifications obtained at evening classes, through distance learning courses etc.

4. EMPLOYMENT

Appointments held:

Job title, name of employer, address, date of employment, brief summary of duties.

Responsibilities – emphasise these and highlight personal achievements and promotions.

This should be in reverse chronological order, i.e. the most recent first. Then, if an employer is in a hurry when reading it they can see at once what you have done most recently and leave the rest.

(Note: some experts now recommend putting your employment history before your education and qualifications.)

5. MEMBERSHIP OF PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

(Omit this heading if it is not appropriate)

6. INTERESTS

(Provide one or two to give some idea of your character)

7. REFERENCES

These are people who are willing to speak or write to the prospective employer on your behalf. People who you might approach for a reference include teachers (if you have just left school), a college or university lecturer or a previous employer. You need to make sure that they are people who think well of you and your abilities so that they can write honestly and favourably about you.

So far we have looked at the basic CV, the minimum you should produce. This can be elaborated as you get older so that it matches your qualifications, experience and interests.

Let’s now take a closer look at each of the main sections in the CV. The standard practice is to begin with personal data.

1. Personal

It is not always clear in a multi-cultural society (or if you are applying for a job abroad) which is the family name, so you should make this clear. Some nationalities write it at the front; some at the end. It is therefore better to give your full name with your family name in capitals.

Here are some examples:

2. Personal Statement/Profile.

Here people usually give a brief summary of what they have to offer. So you might, for example, say:

“An experienced sales representative with a strong background in IT technology. Able to communicate well with both clients and colleagues. I am adaptable and work well on my own initiative, or as part of a team.”

But take care. Some people are so fulsome and boastful in this section of their CV that it actually works against them with prospective employers.

3. Education & Qualifications

These are usually put in chronological order.

If you are a school/college leaver you may wish to include details of the grades you have achieved at each level. But once you have been working for a few years it is usually sufficient to list the qualifications obtained (since the age of 11). The prospective employer will probably be more interested in the positions you have held, your work experience and your achievements.

4. Employment

It is the normal practice to put the most recent employment first, for the reasons we explained earlier. In a long CV it enables the reader to skim through without reading everything about you, but at least reading the most up-to-date information.

Write the name of the company or organisation, then your position, followed by the dates you worked there. Then, either next to each position held put a brief summary of your duties and responsibilities. Or, do a general summary at the end. This might be a good idea if you feel that one or more of your previous jobs has been of little use from a career advancement point of view. It allows you to generalise. Always emphasise your achievements.

If you are just starting out, include any work experience you have had during school or college or any voluntary work you have done.

5. Membership of Professional Associations

This section tells the reader how interested you are in what you do. After all, if you have taken the trouble to join a professional association, you are probably interested in your work.

6. Interests

You don’t need to give all your interests here, just one or two main hobbies or sports to tell an employer a little more about you. It might help to demonstrate your organisational ability and team spirit if you can show that you are a fund raiser for a local charity, treasurer for a youth club, school governor or have some other responsibility. But, don’t fall into the trap of listing too many interests and activities or the reader may wonder when you actually find time to work.

7. References

Choose your referees carefully.

Their names and addresses may be given separately, or you can include them at the end of the CV.

Don’t forget to ask your referees for permission to use them before you write down their names.

Usually, two referees are required: one educational, one professional. If you have not held a job before, a personal reference may be acceptable. Each should be a person of some standing in an institution, company or in society. Normally a referee should have known you for at least two years.

So far we have looked at the basic CV – the minimum you should produce. This can be elaborated as you get older so that it matches your qualifications, experience and interests.

Don’t make your CV too long or include irrelevant material. What you have done and what you have achieved are the important things. Are they relevant to the job you are applying for, either directly or indirectly?

If you graduated recently, highlight your achievements at school and college, and mention extra-curricular activities, especially those at which you excelled. Note the responsibilities, achievements and any relevant part-time work such as vacation employment.

Give an insight into your non-work activities: clubs, societies, voluntary work, sports and hobbies. These activities show something about your character.

The general appearance of your CV is very important. Like your dress at interview, it gives a first impression to a prospective employer. If you fail on first impressions, the rest doesn’t really matter: you have lost the job. So be professional from the start.

The best time for you to start to write your CV is now! But make sure that you always keep it up-to-date, adding to it or improving it as the need arises.

Remember, it should be comprehensive but it should also be concise. You want it to tell the reader as much as possible about you in the shortest possible time.