Normally all CVs exclude any and all negative data from the CV. This is because the resume is actually a selling ticket, and the negative data would spoil the prospects to be called for an interview. Do you need to put in this information; first of all, you need to find out. Check out the policy of the company - many times the stand of the company on this aspect is very clear - like they will not employ people with record, and/ or if they have a record it should be clearly mentioned with details.

If there are no such clauses, then you may choose to keep quiet about you past. However, if you think that it is likely that they would discover about it sooner or later, it is better to make a clean breast of it right from the start. Then you will know exactly where you stand and will not need to hide anything. Actually whatever you need to hide, has a terrible habit of crawling out at the most inopportune moments completely embarrassing you in the least, or totally devastating you. Hence, as much as possible do not hide it. Inaccurate personal information will leave you open to firing if you are 'discovered' by the employer. Do not risk being discovered as it brings daily tension which will interfere with your efficiency at the job

Choose jobs where having a record is not a great minus point (however, do not kid yourself that this is not a minus point) - avoid applying for jobs such as accountant, bank operator, etc. Also avoid jobs which will offer you temptations as you might repeat the crime with horrible consequences.

In fact your choice of profession may give you a second lease of life - so choose wisely. Choose something which will definitely not put you in situations where you are tempted to repeat the last mistakes, and/or do new similar ones. Having a criminal history is not really an issue unless it is perceived as a danger to the job you are being hired for. For best results chose jobs which do not have bearing on your criminal record - and as far as possible, inform the employer right at beginning about this fact. Put it in your CV, but also be sure that you show that you have a changed a lot since the last time you were caught and today you are putting your best foot forward to start a new responsible and productive life.

Unless your record is for something drastic such as murder or rape, most people are willing to give young people a second chance to start their lives. Your CV however, should clearly reflect this fact and also take extra pains to match perfectly your own skills with the pre-requisite of the job.

It is not the end of the world if you have a record and want to apply for a job. You can always start your life again.

Read More...

There are many young people who are appearing for jobs world wide and the age is going down every day. This is because the children today need and love the financial independence that a job can give them. It is not necessary that you are at a disadvantage when you are young and apply for a job. Highlight for the benefit of the employer what value addition you can give the company and particularly the job:

Willing to work harder: Young people are associated to willingness to work, enthusiasm and long hours. Ensure that your CV says this clearly. Assure the employer in the CV summary that you are a hard-worker who is willing to put in long hours to prove your worth in the job.

• Willing to work for less remuneration: While mentioning your fit in the cover letter, you may like to mention that you would be willing to accept less remuneration for the honor to start your career in a leading company such as so-and-so (name of the company).Many employers love the saving offer, and they will try you out.
• Willing to work as an apprentice: Even if you have the right qualifications you will need good relevant experience to really be useful in an organization. Assure your would-be employer that you would love to take up the job of an apprentice till you pick up the tricks of the trade and prove really valuable to the company. An employer would be tempted to at least check you out if your offer is good enough.
• Present your skills and talents effectively: The young people who master the art of proper presentation of a CV will definitely get selected more often than those who do not know how to present. The skills and talents need to be highlighted both in context of achievement as well as job fit. Hence, the presentation should be brief, to the point (preferably in bullet points) and totally highlighting the professional and personal achievements.

You can have a brief paragraph at the top of the CV stating why you would think you are fit for the job, and how the company would benefit from hiring you. It should not exceed four lines.
Market your youth as the most desirable product you have - the prospective employer will always look for he best ways in which the company will benefit. Explain in the profile or cover letter how being young is actually an important plus point since the young can learn well and fast, cost the company less, and work longer hours.

• Be confident: Remember that you are competing against people who have higher qualifications and/or more experience. In order to show yourself as a confident and self-assured person, you need to have a highly concise professionally drawn-up CV. The CV should highlight first the skills, then the qualification and then he benefits of the company if he is offered a job.

Read More...

There will many times when some aspects in your CV will be less that the requirements of the job you would love to take up. So what would you do? Give it up? Absolutely not. Keep in mind this universal secret about a job: there is absolutely no perfect fit for anyone to any job. There is always a bit plus and minus and that is why the interviews usually take place to find out actually how much of the plus and minus is there, so they can make an informed decision.

So you have no degree. Okay. Let us focus on what you have. What do you have that can compensate for the lack of degree and which the company would count as a balancing benefit?

Additional skills: Do you have any additional skills that pertain to the job? Have you undergone any special skills training program? Are your talents pertaining to the overall goal of the company? Then by all means write them down in the CV first.

• Additional experience: Do you have a long and accentuated experience which has put you in the league of experts? Write and offer them references for the purpose. In many cases experience far supercedes qualifications; hence put your best foot forward and apply
• Special personal traits: Are you an artist by birth? Is acting a second nature to you? Are you a born leader? These all are personal traits that can stand you in good stead when you apply for those traits specific jobs. In that case, you will definitely get preference over people who are more qualified and more experienced than you. Be sure you highlight you traits properly and that those which are highlighted exactly match the requirements of the job (otherwise it will dilute you case still further labeling you as totally misfit for the job)
• Avoid the educational column altogether: A lot of people who are uncomfortable writing 'undergraduate' on their CVs, can simply omit the column of education altogether. However, this will not be questioned much in the CV only when the other skills and traits will be draw the attention of the employer away from the need to know the qualifications
• Half truths: Another way, but highly unadvisable, is to state that you have started the course but do not mention you have finished it or not. While this tactic may get to the interview table, it will not hold water when asked, and the trick is seldom seen kindly by the employer. Hence, the best policy is indeed to tell the truth

A degree is very important nowadays true - however, there are a lot of other qualities that can overshadow the need of the degree. Be confident when you state your special qualifications and skills and learn to draw away the attention of the interviewer from the need to know about your qualifications. This needs a lot of preparation both at personal level as well as company level.

Read More...

A normal CV should have high up on the first page your career objective (see also Resume Career Objective). All the rest - your experience, your skills, your everything in career will revolve around the career objective. What happens when you find yourself in the middle of a dilemma where you cannot make up your mind about what career objective you should adopt? This is an important issue, however not really critical for the CV.

You need to know your objective in order to get the right match between yourself and the dream job you want to land. In other words, if you do not get a clear picture of what you want to do in life, there is no way you can carve a proper and definite path for yourself professionally. Hence, it is good and important in the long run to know where you are going; then only you can choose the right stepping stones.

However, in case you are young and undecided you can still have a short-term objective instead of a long term. Your short-term objective should be anything except monetary benefit (which though it is high on everyone's mind looks very shallow on the CV). Hence, you could say that you want to gain experience in a particular field, or understand a particular industrial functioning and see the fit, etc

Your objective should be a close match to the overall objective of the job you are applying for, hence whenever you are applying for a job the objective should be slightly modified to exactly fit that particular job. Do not under any circumstance state that the objective is undecided. Such an answer will show complete immaturity and will definitely invite summary rejection.

The CV should always reflect that you are in control and I am sure you can understand how important is the objective to show that you are in control. Otherwise you will seem like a driver who is rearing to go, but has no exact destination. The company would feel threatened to use such talent as there is no guarantee that they would be satisfied and/or will stick to the job for a long period (or at least a reasonable period of time).

There are many other way to deflect the prospective employer from the lack of objective - i.e. by highlighting the skills match to that of the job. However, for a veteran employer such tricks would not hold much water. Hence, be prepared to answer a few long questions on this aspect when you make it for the interview.

It is best for those who have deep doubt of what exactly out of their professional life, not to mention it at all. There are CV formats which allow for this, but its absence from the CV may ensure that it would be asked during the interview for which you should be carefully prepared.

To summarize, state an objective only when you have totally internalized it; state short-term objective when you do not have long-term objectives; customize each objective to fit exactly each job you are applying for.

Read More...

It will so happen every now and then that people want to take up a job which is slightly below them due to certain benefits that they perceive the job will offer them. In fact being overqualified for a job and applying means that you are underselling yourself and if this is not done well, you will come across as a person who has low self-esteem or low value overall. The employer will feel the same as you would feel if you all of a sudden if something very valuable in the market were being sold at half the price. However good it would be, it would make highly suspicious and even if you would not find anything wrong with it, you would still not prefer to buy it for fear that there is a defect that will creep out later on.

In the same manner, when an employer sees he CV of somebody overqualified, will immediately think, 'what is wrong with this person?', 'why is he/she here?'. Your job is to allay the fears and suspicion that arise from this situation effectively through the CV itself.

The CV should in this case clearly contain your acceptance that you are aware that you qualification exceed the expectation of the job. Then, proceed to explain why inspite of this fact, you would still want to be considered for the opening.

• You could highlight you strongest skills and connecting them to the growth prospects in the company, imply that working for that company in question would actually make allowance for such a sacrifice on your part
• You could say that after having a gap in working (for legitimate reasons - such as child rearing, spouse career support, launching business in the family, etc) you are looking forward to work again in the industry which was and is your first and last love (this should match with your career objective)
• Put your willingness to work in a lesser position as a method for the company to test your abilities and attitude, highlighting the fact that you are a very hardworking person as well who would very soon be a highly valuable member of the said company
• Bring away the focus from your educational qualifications by putting high emphasis on your skills and achievements which should match (or made to match) perfectly with the job requisites

Use the cover letter as a gateway to prepare the employer for the discrepancy in the match by subtle flattery (you can say that the honor of working with so-and-so company far exceeds the little inconvenience of a lesser designation) and show confidence that you will prove as an asset to the company

It is possible to sell yourself for a lesser job, but this tactic is actually highly counter-productive and frustrating in the long run. Do not really consider this move unless you are really in a desperate situation and have no other choice.

Read More...

This drawback usually plagues the interview due to lack of experience to show on the resume. There are many things that can be improvised in this scenario:

• Bring the attention of the prospective employer away from the lack of experience by highlighting your match to the job in terms of skills and personal traits. Be sure you use those skills and traits that are best required by the job you are applying for

A skills CV (see also functional resume)will be the best bet for you - more so when you can highlight you willingness to work hard and long hours to gain valuable experience. Your willingness to work hard should come strong enough to attract the attention of the prospective employer, so it should not be written as an after-thought, rather as an emphasis after your description of skills.

• If you have an outstanding academic background, highlight this explaining that you are a fast learner who can in no time be a valuable member of the organization. Attract attention to the subjects and/or areas where the matters are supportive of the job's requirements.
• Do you have any extra-curricular activities that would boost your skills (with respect to the job you applied for). For example if you are applying for a PR or marketing position, your standing first in elocution and debate competition (proving the gift of the gab) would stand you in good stead.
• You can also use the experience gained in your summer projects or any other hands-on projects that you have done during your college days to show that you are aware of your match to the job and that the past experience, even not in a paid job, made you confident that you can be successful if given a chance to prove yourself.

Highlight the fact that you will be honored to start your career in an elite company such as X (name of the organization) and assure that you would be happy to work harder than anyone else to prove your abilities and become a valuable employee of the organization

• Be candid in your application and down-to-earth. People usually like young people because they have a nothing-is-impossible attitude. Try to project that attitude without sounding over confident or cocky. You can do that by repeating at different intervals that you are willing to learn and work hard so you can fit even better not only in the job, but also the goals of the company overall (do your homework and be specific here; vagueness will seem like boasting)
You indicate that you would be willing to travel, relocate and/or work late (even on weekends) so as to learn the ropes as fast as possible

It is rare that companies resist the enthusiasm of young people applying - and unless the job really needs a lot of experience, you will definitely reach the interview stage if you keep your CV crisp, focused and highlighting yourself as a go-getter.

Read More...

A fresher is a fresh graduate by definition. What should you do if you are a fresher who will compete for regular jobs where other more experienced people will apply:

Do not be intimidated about the competition. Apply highlighting your academic records (if it is good), your personal traits (for example extremely friendly, deadline oriented, a good organizer, a born leader, etc) which best match with those required for the job

• Mention specific courses or training programs which you might have attended and which might give you a good edge over those who have only the required qualification and work experience. Relate the achievements in such a way that ti should show you as a theoretical expert in certain angles
• You might also mention in your CV that you are self-taught person in terms of the latest technological trends and techniques; for example you can learn basic programming, software engineering and design and web designing (among million other such skills) by yourself with the help of the Internet and good book supplements. Be prepared to be asked in detail question at the interview though - so be careful that you write only what you really know well
• Highlight the fact that you are young, rearing to go and are ready to work hard to prove yourself; many employers love the enthusiasm of the young and the go-go approach which is very good for the company

Highlight the fact that you are a fast learner and that you are looking forward to start your career in a established and famous company such as X (the company you are applying for), and an excellent learning experience

• Offer to get additional training (naming the exact courses with their duration) if the job entails it without any interference to the job deliverables.

Overall ensure that you project:

• a positive attitude towards the application for the job
• a hard-working nature, ready and willing to upgrade and work hard for it
• a desire to be part of a leader in the industry (if not chose one of the best attributes of the company and mention that)
• a desire to start your career with one of the best in the market
• willingness to learn, and to work hard towards the company's goals
• high expectation and sincere wish to meet the interviewer for a further assessment of the fit to the job
• your skills set presented in the school and college are the promise of a good match for the job requirements
• have two good references who could back you up word for word in case it is necessary

Read More...

When you want to have a career change, it is of course, your prerogative. However, you will still have to satisfy the curiosity of the would-employer as he/she would be measuring you in terms of your performance, stay with the company and other capabilities. Hence, you will owe an explanation to him/her as to what prompted you to want to change careers. While speaking it is easy - with the right preparation, to say it objectively why a career change took place - however, in writing it is a bit difficult to explain so it comes out clearly.

What you need to do to make your point clear enough so that you would be called for an interview:

• write as concisely as possible about your educational qualifications and skills set; most people will concentrate on highlighting their skills sets as the best reason for switching careers; however your qualifications also could be a good direction pointer at times (for example you are an excellent office secretary/ personal assistant with a Master's degree in English and are good at PR work and communication training - you could make a good teacher for undergraduate students based on your high qualifications and excellent skills set)

highlight your career objectives so the career move would look obvious (for example, in the above example if you have a career objective as 'to be a good trainer and/or educator in communication' then a teaching profession would fall in line - and not really look a too far away jump

• highlight certain experiences in the past (during or outside the last job ) when you had experienced extreme satisfaction taking up different responsibilities, which actually had opened your eyes to your new talents - and these experiences motivated you to seek out jobs as the present one.

Ensure that you assure that you are confident that you will perform well in the new line of work and that a change in career based on the chosen reasons will actually help you grow professionally and personally, which in turn will make you a valuable addition to the company.

The above can be highlighted in the cover letter better than in the actual CV, while you carefully draw the attention of your prospective employer to the best attitudinal and technical skills set. The cover letter can also help you prepare the would-be employer to the difference in the experience and work history. Briefly explain in the cover letter why you think that a change in career would be good for you and why such a change would make you a valuable asset to the company.

Lastly, remember to highlight only those skills that will make you look as a good match for the present job. Do not dilute the fit, by adding all the irrelevant (to the present job) responsibilities and duties carried at the previous job, as this would actually show as a misfit. Highlight only what you need to make your candidature look as closely matched with the job applied for as possible.

Read More...

To answer this question bluntly, 'NO'. You really do need or owe it to anyone to own up information that you were fired from your last job. That is do not volunteer it. There are no rules that require you to write the reasons for leaving your last employment; it is usually understood that this people leave for better prospects.

However, some companies do have a column asking 'reasons for leaving previous job'. When you are faced with the direct question, tell the truth.

• Scenario no 1: You were fired because the company was downsizing. Write the truth - downsizing means people will lose their jobs and it is not necessarily because they were not worth it, but because they were more expendable than others. Be matter of fact when you say this, and keep the bitterness and sarcasm out of your language. End with maturity and show confidence that your skills and experience will add value to the future job

• Scenario 2: You were fired because of inter-personal conflict, you could explain the facts briefly - again, without any bitterness - that your boss and yourself did not agree on certain matters which made it difficult for you to continue. Be objective, and matter-of-fact explaining that the experience taught you better interpersonal relations and that in future you would handle such a situation differently.

• Scenario 3 - You were fired on grounds of negligence/ poor performance/ insubordination, etc. This is a very touchy situation, because most of the employers would ask for feedback from the last employer. Hence, you need to tell the truth and use the opportunity to tell 'your side of the story'. In order to make it as positive as possible, indicate the circumstances (such as difficult task or deadlines while multitasking; or communication gaps; or wrong reporting of facts by supervisor, etc) and be as matter of fact and brief as you can. Avoid the sordid details - just touch the important points and in the end highlight that you have learnt a lot from the lesson which has already cost you dearly, and that it made you a better person and employee as a consequence. Be candid and objective. Never badmouth anyone nor blame anyone. Show a positive outlook and the capacity to move on in the face of adversity.

Being fired is painful and it is even more painful to have to write or speak about it. However, no matter how much you are tempted you should abstain from telling lies. The employer will, 9 out 10, ask the last employer for some type of reference. You should not be found lying as it destroys the foundation of the working relationship. Rather be brave and face the situation squarely. As long as you stay focused on the future and show that you have learnt from the past experience, an employer would rather take your past experience as strength rather than weakness. When asked about the same in an interview, be careful about your body language - as many times the body language gives you away much faster that the words you speak.

Read More...

First of all, understand that having out-of-work gaps is not a big deal by itself. People are not comfortable with it because it looks that they were not productive for sometime, and that implies some sort of failure. Nothing could be further from truth - but the custom remains to hide or 'close' the gaps in the CV to have a continuous work-line. What can you do if you have gaps in your work line that you cannot really explain in lucrative terms. Easy - get them to lucrative terms:

You may like to say that you have been self-employed for some time, trying to set up a business for a friend, brother, father, etc - be prepared to answer some nitty-gritty's of the business you were self-employed at. Be careful to have a plausible explanation as to why you are seeking employment again. A good reply here would be that the business is now successfully handled by the friend, partner, father (or someone who could take over) and you are looking forward to pursue your main career goals

Another idea is to say you had volunteered to raising funds for some cause such as an orphan home, local community clean up, get a library fund, and so on. Here too be prepared for a lot of questions - so it will be good if you have some data and people to back you up on this.

You may also say that you are/ were in-between jobs and did some odd jobs to keep yourself afloat financially, till the right job came along. In this case, you will need to have the list of the odd jobs you worked at during the in-between period.

It is also possible and legitimate (as well as acceptable) to adjust against your spouse demanding career in order to support your children. Hence, you could always say that you had decided to stay with the children who were young, so your spouse could pursue his/her career. Now that the children are big, you are again looking to fulfil you career goals.

As a last resort - and not one that I would personally advise anyone to do - you could just fib saying that 'from the year so-and-so to present I was working in the following capacities' and enumerate you jobs without giving the years. It is possible that the employer assumes that your work is uninterrupted. However, such deceptions (however mild it may seem) can create a deep sense of mistrust when found out - hence it is advisable to always use the truth in your answers.

Look for normal, legitimate ways to bridge the gap. However, you should not worry too much if you cannot really carry it off. In that it is better to tell the truth directly (such as you could not get the right job) and highlight the fact the you would be a valuable asset to the company (do not be over eager when you say this - just act confident and sure of yourself).

Read More...

The CV is the basis on which the employer makes his/her first impression about you. We all know that. Hence, we always tend to put our best qualities in it so as to create the best possible impression. However, sometimes there will be some minor (and some major) hiccups. Are you able to sail through with poise and rationale? The commonest reaction is to bluff (or tell a white lie) but with an employer it is really not an advisable path to take because truth has the knack to come up at the most unfortunate moments of your life and create some major embarrassment, if not more. There are better ways to handle difficulties - with the truth put across plausibly:

• Scenario no 1: Suppose you have a two years gap in you CV between to jobs when you did not have any job. 'What happened in the gap period?' the employer will ask. In most cases, people leave their jobs to pursue higher studies - if that is the case with you, do let your employer know. In this context the gap will be seen as a benefit. If this is not the case, and you have just been in between jobs for a gap of more than one year - you might say that you have helped your father, uncle, bother, friend, etc to set up their business (be sure you have the details ready as you will be asked for it); you may also say that you have volunteered to work for some philanthropic cause that your family, community, or friends created (again be ready to give details); you can say you wanted to be with your family for sometime before you started working again (be sure you have plausible reasons - like grandmother sick or wife/husband having a too demanding career which neglected the children who were young at the time).

• Scenario no 2: Suppose you have a minor gap of a few months (less than a year). In that case nobody needs to know about it really. All you have to do is to write your CV with yearly gaps instead of giving the month and year. In this way, when you mention only the years it will not be visible that there is a gap of a few months in between. If the gap indicates the time period you took for having a child, then it is good to tell them so, without any qualms. Be ready however, to be asked whether you plan to have any more babies ( so they could judge whether you will drop out again in the near future) - answer truthfully - 'not in the near future' or better still, 'not anymore'.

The point is that you have to assuage the fears of the employer that you may not be dependable. They will be worried to see the unexplained gaps because they would picture you as an unreliable person. Hence, it is best to explain the gap in as simple and realistic situation as possible, which in all probability will not recur in the future.

Read More...

To apply for a job within the same field.

You like what you do, but you want to do it somewhere else! Make sure your CV highlights your achievements. Writing a CV is easy but writing a good CV isn't! Achievements can show the employer that you are able to meet objectives, something all employers are looking for.

To apply for a job within a different field.

So the time has come for a career overhaul. You have thought hard and decided that you do not want to pursue a career in the current direction. Write a CV that highlights any experience or qualifications in this new area. You would also need a reason in your CV outlining why you want to make a career change.

To summarize your life achievements.

Having a full CV, is always a good idea as you never know when a good opportunity will come up. Keep your CV updated at all times, adding any relevant courses or qualifications. This way, when you find yourself applying for a job in three months time your CV will already be written and having to remember all your courses/experiences/projects will not be an issue. If you then apply for a different position, all you will need to do is edit your CV to suit the particular post.

To apply for a particular job vacancy.

Address all the job requirements in your CV. If you do not have any formal qualifications that cover the job requirements, try to make up for it by showing your experience. Make sure you carefully read the advertisement and follow all instructions. A CV is an essential tool in you job search and career.

Read More...

CV Heading

In CV heading you can write your general information:

• Name
• Surname
• Local address
• E-mail address
• Phone number
  

(If applying for an overseas job, please remember to include your international dialling code.) Include your mobile/cell phone number if you are going to relocate soon.

CV Skills Summary

The Skills Summary section of your CV includes your main skills. You should only include keywords in his section, do not go into lengthy descriptions of your skills. The skill summary is also called personal profile.

CV Objective

The CV Objective, sometimes also referred to as CV Personal Profile states "What is my next step in my career?" This should be a short, concise statement that informs the employer what kind of position you are looking for. The type of position, the role (managerial, supervisor, contractor) should be included as well.

If you are job hunting it is a good idea to have several CV's with different profiles or objectives. For example, you can have a CV for a sales supervisor and the other for a shop floor manager. Your 'sales supervisor' CV can highlight achievements in this area, the CV would be tuned to that particular in terms of job descriptions and achievements.

Education on your CV

List all your qualifications in this section. Include all of your education including certifications from non-academic institutions, especially those that are related to this job vacancy. If you have more work experience than qualifications, put your work experience before your qualifications.

Tell me more about writing the Accomplishments & Work Experience in my CV.

Read More...

The CV can be written in a professional and neat manner that makes it easy for the recruiter to scan and read it; yet, most job hunters make the same mistakes in the compilation of their CVs. A few vital improvements to your CV can make the difference between you and the job hunter next to you. Check your CV for these common mistakes and use the guidelines to improve your CV.

Use bullets rather than paragraphs

Another way to improve your CV is to get rid of paragraphs. Paragraphs are great in your profile section, but should not be used throughout your CV. Use bullets to create a more readable CV. Always keep in mind that the recruiter normally scans through hundreds of CVs and should be able to identify the main points within 30 seconds.

List information based on relevancy to the employer

Your CV is not aimed at you as the reader and what may seem important to you is not necessarily relevant to the employer. Improve your CV by focusing on the most relevant information.

Your job title is the most important in your work history, so list it first, followed by the employer, city, and dates for starting and ending of employment. When you list your qualifications you should follow the same procedure. The name of the qualification (don’t use abbreviations), the institute, city, completion date and the majors. Your work history and qualifications are listed in reverse chronological order.

Don’t assume the employer understands the acronyms you used

As a general guide, always spell out the acronym if you think that the employer may not be familiar with the term. Avoid using jargon and academic terms to describe qualifications and experience. They may look impressive, but the reader may not be familiar with the terms.

Get rid of unnecessary words and formatting in your CV

Only list dates that are relevant. You don’t need to state the dates for short courses, club membership or hobbies. Instead of parenthesis make use off commas as it improves readability. If space is limited, you can leave out the comment about references being available. Steer away from 'I' and 'me'. Instead of using 'I' you could simply state the sentence. It is perfectly acceptable to use fragments in a CV.

Emphasize the abilities that you want to use at your next employer.

Don’t write essays on mundane tasks and skills. If you for example, did routine filing as part of your job, but had more important accomplishments you should rather list those.

Keep the verbs and noun fragments separate, for example:

Full budget control (noun).
Expanding existing markets (verb).
Can be replaced by:
Full budget control
Expansion supervision of existing markets

Avoid words such as worked in – everybody works somewhere. You should rather specify the job. Use words such as collaborated, campaigned, marketed, controlled, managed, supervised, initiated, sold etc. instead of worked.

Published material

It is of no use to list published books or articles without dates and publishers. If you are the author of a book, include the ISBN number.

CV length

Even though the shorter CV is preferred, you shouldn’t cram the information to fit on one or two pages. You need a lot of white space and if your experience and qualifications necessitate more space then use an extra page. Many job hunters have far too long CVs because they repeat tasks and accomplishments for every job. You can shorten your CV by eliminating duplicate entries. Avoid having a full page, followed by a quarter-page information. In this case you should try to condense the content to fit on one page. You can do this by setting the margins and by using a smaller font, but not smaller than 11. If you are using headings on the left side with the information on right side, you can switch to headings on top with the information below. You should thus get rid of two columns and use one instead.

Include a profile or objectives section at the start of your CV

It makes it easier for the recruiter to scan your CV if you include a summary of your goals, skills, qualifications and experience at the start of your document. This should be focused on the job that you are targeting.

Only list the past 10 years experience

Avoid age discrimination by only listing relevant experience for the past ten years. You can list up to 15 years if you are applying for a senior level position.

Vocabulary should be achievement driven

Avoid the use of words such as 'duties' or 'tasks'. Don’t list your work responsibilities; rather list your achievements in the specific position. You are supposed to be able to do the all the tasks, but why are you better than Ms. X as a secretary? Show how you have done more than what is expected and have performed better than your colleagues. Your contributions to the company and team should stand out.

Use the tips in this article to improve your CV. Never use a CV of three to six months old. Always update your CV for every job application.

Read More...

You must be aware that the CV is that key which unlocks the gate of the company for you. You want the job, you are ready for it - but have your really got the right key? How do you make your CV an interesting document?

• Always write a new CV for each job, specifically designing them to answer and highlight the relevant information about yourself as regards to the job requirements; never give a standard formal CV to one and all - in case you do, do not expect great results from such a delivery
• Always draw he employers interest towards your best plus points which would be show you as one of the most eligible for the job applied for
• Collect enough information about the company and the job in question to know exactly what points are the employers looking for so you can match your best talents to match those particular points of the requirement
• Be aware of the market trends regarding the latest technology, latest training, latest jargons that are relevant to the job. Use those in sufficient quantity to show that you are abreast with the times

The formatting of the CV should be pleasant to the eyes in alignment, typesetting (the font should preferably be Arial or Times New Roman with a size between 11 - 12 pt), margins, paper quality - each and every aspect should be chose with the company and job you are applying for in mind. For example for a computer professional a highly professional, latest technology and software CV would be very appropriate; while for an advertising or copy writing job a colorful and innovative style would prove your credentials even before the employer read your CV

• Use the key aspects that the employers are looking for correctly and throughout the CV - this will not only attract their attention but also highlight your overall awareness
• Keep the CV crisp and easy to read, using proper highlighting tactics for different areas you need to attract the employers attention to - often the employers has only a few brief few seconds' time to glance through the CV and make his/her decision whether he/she interested to know more or not
• Keep it interesting with short sentences if you need to elaborate and bullet points when you need to list - so a person can scan the contents without effort and also enjoy what they read
• You need to build the expectations of the employer slowly but steadily so he/she will want to interview you; use the right formatting applicable to that company, region or country. Incorrect formatting often leads to rejection since the person cannot re-organize his/her way of thinking only for a stray CV
• Highlight clearly what value you can add to the job and the company so they can appreciate the value addition you can bring in

The above list is by no means exhaustive. Your CV should generally speaking, invite the employer to know you better, create a good first impression, and open the possibility in their mind that you might be the right candidate for the job.

Read More...

When is the best time to have a CV drawn up? As soon as you are out of the college you should a professional CV drawn up and be ready for job opportunities. Every six months you need to upgrade your CV to contain the latest information as and when you complete any new degree, training or achievement.

Every time you apply for a new job, you need to re-type the CV which should be totally tailor-made to the job you are applying for. In order to do this you should have researched well in the company's background as well as identified the best personal traits and qualifications which match with the prescribed job requirements. Only then your CV will catch the attention of the prospective employer and you will gain the chance for an interview.

A common mistake is for people to draw up a general type of CV and only change the cover letter and send the companies. Nothing could be more harmful to your chances to get to an interview. Since each job is specific and has special requirements, there is no way how a regular CV can match of all the jobs universally. Rather when the CV is not drawn to highlight your fit to the company, it is summarily rejected without further introspection.

It is important hence, to have a tailor-made CV for each job you are applying for. It is also important to have your CV continuously upgraded to include each and every aspect of your professional and personal (relevant) growth. You should, for best results, have a master CV in your computer which can be changed at the drop of hat to fit any job requirements so it can be submitted properly. However, the master CV would slowly be polished to contain each and every facet on your professional and personal life. Then whenever you need you can pick those traits which are best suited to a particular job and wait for that interview letter.

Hence, you start writing your CV now, the sooner the better. When you have the CV written down well, your thoughts will also be organized particularly to your strengths and weaknesses and other aspects that you will be able to present better and better. The fact that you have control over the facts will in turn give you increased confidence which will clearly come through in your CV and your interview.

This is the importance of writing a CV in time. The timeliness of having this document ready will unleash a useful circle of processes by which you can only benefit. Do not wait till the last moment before you need to apply to write your CV. When in hurry and under duress, you will tend to leave out many beneficial points which would have otherwise gained you an interview with the company. Be careful in how you invest your time for your future - a small delay may cost you dearly.

Read More...

A CV or Curriculum Vitae is:

• Your Life History
• Your Job History
• Your Achievements
• Your Skills

I am not sure where to get this information.

Show me how to write a CV.

Why should I have a CV ?

A CV or curriculum vitae is a marketing tool. With your CV you will be able to promote yourself. Imagine the CV as being a brochure that will list the benefits of a particular service. The service being your time and skills! When writing a CV look at it from your employers point of view. Would you stand out against the competition (the other candidates) and would the manager want to talk you for a possible job? You have to ask yourself these questions when writing your CV or curriculum vitae.

Networking and interviewing are essential for your job hunt and your CV is just the first step in the job search. However a CV will be your first contact with potential employers and will open the door. If you are invited for an interview you would then be in a position to explain and expand on what is in your CV.

A CV is an essential tool in your job search. When applying for a vacancy you generally first have to send your CV to present yourself to the prospective employer.

Read More...