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CV Writing Tips
Writing a CV can be a very difficult process. There are so
many conventions and it is easy to get confused and just send one out without
much care and attention. It takes a long time to perfect a CV, but it is a very
valuable tool and essential in your job hunt! The CV is the only piece of
information about you an employer usually has. An employer should look at your
CV and think that this person can do the job they are applying for.
There are many different types of CV, which suit different
individuals and circumstances. The most common and accepted is the chronological
CV. This is presented in order of date. Click here
for an example of a Chronological CV.
General Tips for CV Writing
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Keep it relevant to
the job you are applying to, employers will not skim your CV looking for
significant information. If the information they need is not immediately
apparent, they will not look for it.
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If you want your CV to
be most effective, you should tailor it to the job and organisation you are
applying to. You will get lots of information on company websites, company
literature, job adverts etc. about the 'type' of person working in the
organisation and be able to adapt your CV to match this.
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Your CV should be a
story of what you have been doing in your work life, keep it interesting, you don't want
employers to think that you have done nothing exciting!
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Don't include things
that you did at school, or years ago. Employers are interested in what you are
doing now.
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Make sure that there
are no spelling, grammatical or formatting errors - get as many people as you
can find to proof-read your CV.
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Do not include
contentious information, or information that will lead people to stereotype you.
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Do not have
unexplained gaps in your work history. If you have been travelling, have had
time off to care for a child or relative, put this information in. If you leave
it blank, the employer will assume the worst!
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Keep it as short as
you can - preferably to two sides of A4 paper (make sure the paper is good
quality)
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General Tips for Covering Letters
Covering letters are
also difficult things to write. General advice would be if responding to an
advertisement:
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Observe the custom for
writing business letters, with your address on the top right and the recipient's
address under this on the left.
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Always address
a person (you can phone the organisation to ask who to address your Covering
Letter to).
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If the job advert has
minimum educational or experience requirements, mention that you have these
requirements in your Covering Letter.
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Never say that
the company can benefit you, say how you can benefit the company, give an
example of where you have benefited a company in the past.
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Keep the Covering
Letter short, employers often do not have the time to read long Covering
Letters, should be one Side of A4.
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The Covering letter
should have a polite, friendly, yet formal tone.
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The Personal CV and Resume Writer
The Personal CV and
Resume Writer is a downloadable program, which enables you to write an effective
CV and Covering letter. Please click here for more
details.
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