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Write a CV |
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Ensuring your CV is well presented and easy to follow is just as important as including all of the relevant information. Most employers see hundreds of CVs and so yours may get less than a minute of their time.
The layout of your CV is very important. Even though the wording you use may be correct, if people cannot find the information they want quickly they will move on to someone else's. You should use plenty of 'white' space in your CV and appropriate headings and section breaks.
It is usually best to try and keep your CV to two pages of A4, unless someone specifically asks you for a longer CV. Employers do not want to know your whole life history - just enough to decide whether they should interview you or not.
If your CV is not well organised then the reader will find it hard to follow and will not be able to build up a picture of you quickly. Keep your paragraphs short and to the point. List achievements in bullet point form. This will allow for quick and easy reading.
Make sure you do the following on your CV: |
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Confidence |
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Use a confident tone and positive language. |
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Achievements |
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Concentrate on your achievements not your responsibilities. This means listing things you have done - such as products launched, sales increased, awards won - not rewriting your job description. Quote figures whenever possible. |
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Experience |
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Make your most relevant experience and skills prominent to encourage the employer to read on. |
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Quality |
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Keep it to the point and concentrate on the quality of your achievements, not the quantity. |
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Key Skills |
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List other skills that could raise you above the competition such as typing speeds, knowledge of switchboard systems, languages, driving licence, IT skills. |
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Concise |
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Be ruthless with yourself and keep it to a maximum of two pages. Only very senior, experienced, executives have more. |
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Spelling & Grammar |
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Check thoroughly for correct spelling and grammar - spotting errors is a quick and easy way of weeding out weaker candidates when faced with a mountain of CVs to read. |
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Second Opinion |
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Get a second opinion from someone you trust. |
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Examples |
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Include examples of your work, if appropriate. |
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Write Stuff |
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Use good quality paper - white is usually best. |
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