| SORT
OUT YOUR CV RESUME
IN 8 EASY STEPS |
|
|
1:
Make a first draft
Write down your
current job title and list down all the
things you do and are responsible for on
a day to day basis. Re-read what you've
written and try to prioritise your
responsibilities. Think about what
skills you need to do what you do. What
have you done in your current role that
has made you most proud? Asking yourself
these questions will not only get you in
a CV/resume frame of mind, it will
provide you with all the information you
need.
2:
Choose a format
Now you've got the
knowledge you need - it's time to decide
how to package it. There are three
standard types of CV/resume, and each
has its uses.
The Chronological
CV/resume - This is almost an
industry standard. Use it if your work
history is stable and each move has seen
you climb steadily up the career ladder.
Not for frequent job changes or those
who have had a case of the
responsibility hiccups.
The Functional CV/resume
- For those who have experienced spates
of unemployment or sporadic job jumps.
This CV/resume does not list employment
dates or company names, preferring
skills and responsibilities.
The Prioritised CV/resume
- A format for those about to undertake
a career change, or whose current skills
are not directly relevant to the job
applied for. This CV/resume is written
prioritising the work experience which
is most relevant to the job you want.
3:
Don't make it too long
Work to the
maximum length of two-pages. No-one
reads long CV/resumes, they just reach
the waste bin first.
4:
Or too clever
Choose your
content and your words carefully. Treat
your CV/resume as an outline sketch of
your job history - highlight your
strengths and abilities to problem solve
using active verbs such as "responsible"
and "achieved", which have
universal appeal.
5:
Exaggerators beware
So you weren't
principal boy - then say so. Don't
exaggerate your achievements, if your
success was because of teamwork,
identify it as such. It will make your
claims more believable.
6:
Speling?
Your skills may
win you the battle - but bad typing and
grammatical mistakes will lose you the
war. Run the spell checker, read your
CV/resume more than once or better still
enrol a friend as a second pair of eyes
.
7:
Alert your referees
Check your
referees before you use their name. It's
a courtesy, and a good fail safe - they
may have moved.
8:
And don't mention the money
Keep your current
salary to yourself for now, unless
you're asked directly of course.
Otherwise, if you earn too little or too
much you'll have ruled yourself out
before you even reach the door.
|
