CV WRITING FOR ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING STUDENTS

WHAT IS A CV AND WHY DO I NEED ONE?

Think of a CV as snap shot of your true working potential! It's your first and maybe only shot to impress an employer. It outlines:

•What skills you have•What strengths you possess•What relevant education or qualifications you have•What relevant work history you have•And how all of the above make you the right person for the job!

Can I just modify a CV from a friend or website?

A CV is YOUR chance to shine!

A CV is also:

• A sales document – it needs to shout:“I’m proud to be me”!

“I am the solution to your problem”!

• A chance to show your attitude!A great CV shows you have a hard working,

positive attitude

• The way employers decide who they will interview

•Your CV should be logical, specific and modified to suit each position.

•It’s your chance to shine, but it must be true and you must be prepared to back it up with explanations and specific examples

Also called: mirroring

Have a look at this CV template:

Question:In which section will I make it clear that THE SPECIFIC JOB I’m applying for is the perfect job for me?

Answer:In the Objective/Profile section, the Highlights section and the Skills section

LET’S TRY IT - HAVE A LOOK AT THIS JOB AD:

HAVE YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES?

 

Electrical Fitter Electrical Fitters maintain and repair

the vast array of electrical equipment used by the Army in New Zealand and overseas. In order to achieve this you'll need to undertake some extensive and first class training such as:

Basic Electrical FitterMaintenance repair documentation, perform basic general engineering skills, maintain small generators, repair single-phase electrical generators and maintain three-phase generators.

Intermediate Electrical FitterRepair and maintenance of three-phase generators and field equipment.

Senior Electrical Fitter RefrigerationRepair of in-service refrigeration and air conditioning equipment.

As you can see you will receive extensive training and a great chance to travel.

You'll need:

To be a minimum age of 17 Have completed at least 3 years

secondary school. Have a proven ability in English,

Mathematics and Physics or General Science at NCEA Level 1 (12 credits per subject) or equivalent).

Have 100% visual colour perception You must have been a New Zealand

citizen and have lived in New Zealand for at least 5 years.

How would you write the Objective or Profile for this particular job ad?

Remember: an Objective or Profile

sets out exactly what role you are looking for – it must mirror the job advertised or the role you are marketing yourself for

An example of a Career Profile specific for this job:

I am about to graduate with a Level 2 Certificate in Electrical Engineering from MIT. I have developed skills in basic engineering and also attained good grades in NCEA Level 1 Maths. I also have 100% visual colour perception and I am an NZ citizen. I am looking to bring my dedication and outstanding work ethic to the NZ Army.

It has to be true!

Now it’s your turn to write an Objective specific to the advertised job

You will be working with a leading manufacturer of wire harness, cable and control panel assemblies servicing multiple industries. The role requires sound experience in assembly and wiring switchboards and control panels to a high quality. This is a challenging position in a fast paced production environment.

  Skills required:   Experience reading drawings Practical knowledge of hand &

power tools Working knowledge of electrical

machinery Panel wiring testing &

commissioning experience preferred

 

Personal attributes:   Mechanical analytical skills Versatile problem solver Must be able to work with a team Organised and tidy Good communication skills   This electrifying challenge combined

with a very attractive remuneration package is on offer to a results focused achiever with a positive ‘can do' attitude. Contact Debbie on 09 375 7689 for a confidential chat.

Highlight 3 qualities the employer is looking for that YOU HAVE.

Then write a three sentence Objective/Profile statement that mentions any skills you have that would fit with what the employer is looking for. Be honest; but also, don’t underestimate yourself

You have 5 minutes to complete this task.

Let’s have another look at the template – what comes next?

Next come highlights….

What are the most interesting or successful parts of your life so far?

full licence? NZ resident? a fantastic mark in a specific course? a great sporting or athletic achievement? excellent references? an amazing attendance record? have you helped your community somehow? have you done any volunteer work? think of the person in the world who loves you the most - what would they

say about you?

Order these according to what the employer is looking for.

Pick 3 of these words to add into your Objective or Highlights

accurateactiveadaptableadeptbroad-mindedcompetentconscientiouscreativedependabledetermineddiplomaticdiscreetefficientenergeticenterprising

enthusiasticexperiencedfairfirmgenuinehonestinnovativelogicalloyalmaturemethodicalmotivatedobjectiveoutgoingpersonablepleasant

positivepracticalproductivereliableresourcefulself disciplinedsense of humoursensitivesinceresuccessfultactfultrustworthyPick 3 of

these words that

describe you best

Next come skills…

Brainstorm ALL of the technical skills you’ve learned while studying at MIT or at another school (Hint: look at your course outline)

Brainstorm ALL of the skills you’ve gained throughout your life

What are YOU good

at?

Communication Skills

Explain your ideas and feelings (Express) Listen and ask questions Share information using different technologies (e.g., voice, e-mail,

computers) Read and understand information (e.g., words, graphs, charts, diagrams) Talk easily with others Greet people Take messages Seek information from others Counsel people Create and talk about new ideas Write clear reports Speak in public

Problem Solving Skills

Identify problems Look at different points of view Recognize different parts of a problem Identify the root cause of a problem Be creative in exploring possible solutions Consider different solutions Put the solution into action Check to see if a solution works Change the solution if needed

Leadership Skills

Supervising others Arrange social functions Motivate others (making others

feel interested in something) Negotiate agreements (come to

an agreement about something) Decisive (able to make decisions) Plan Delegate (giving someone else a

job to complete) Run meetings

Direct others (telling other

people what they need to do) Self-controlled Explain things to others Speaking in public Self-motivated Get results Solve problems Mediate others (helping two

sides come to an agreement) Take risks Instructing others (showing

others what to do) Competitive when necessary

Positive Attitudes & Behaviours Skills

Confident (feel good about yourself) Deal with people, problems and situations with

honesty and respect Recognise my own and other people’s good

efforts Take care of my personal health and hygieneShow interest, initiative and effort Accepting responsibility (admitting where you

could have improved)

Responsibility Skills

Set goals and priorities balancing work and personal life

Plan and manage time, money and other resources to achieve goals

Accountable for my actions and the actions of a group Socially responsible and contribute to your

community Meeting deadlines (Getting things done on time) Aware of personal and group health and safety

practices

Learning Continuously Skills

Be willing to continuously learn and grow Find your personal strengths and areas for

development Set your own learning goals Identify and access learning sources and

opportunities Plan for and achieve your learning goals

Hands On Skills

Use my hands Assemble or make things Build or repair things Construct or repair buildings Use complex machinery Operate tools and machinery Drive or operate vehicles Repair things Good with my hands

Skill in Working with Others

Understand and work within the dynamics of a group

Flexible (Open to change) Respect people’s differences Accept and provide feedback in a

considerate manner Contribute to a team by sharing

information and expertise Lead or support when appropriate Understand the role of conflict in a

group to reach solutions Manage and resolve conflict when

appropriate Patient with others Encourage others Care for others

Persuade others Confront others Interview others Teach others Kind Pleasant Counsel people Sensitive Sociable Listen Trust Supervise Tactful (concerned or thoughtful of

others) Understanding Outgoing personality Help others

Dealing with Numbers and Information Skills

Analyse data or facts Investigate Measuring and calculating Audit records Keep financial records Make estimates and verify calculations Controlling budgets (organising large amounts of money) Find information using technology (research computers databases) Calculate (figure out the total amount of something) Manage money Negotiating (give and take, to make an agreement) Observe and record data Compare, inspect, or record Count, observe, compile Research Pay attention to details Take inventory (counting the stock or merchandise of a store or company)

Creative and Artistic Skills

Artistic (able to express yourself through art) Music appreciation (love for music) Dance, body movement Perform, act Drawing, art Play instruments Expressive (able to express feelings easily) Present artistic ideas Write short stories Write poetry Design web pages Achieve high scores in video games

SKILLS SPECIFIC TO ELECTRICAL FITTERS/ELECTRICIANS

study and interpret electrical wiring diagrams

install and maintain electrical wiring and equipment

repair or replace electrical wiring and equipment

test electrical wiring and equipment for

safety keep records of the

problems they find with electrical wiring and equipment and the servicing they carry out.

SKILLS SPECIFIC TO ELECTRICAL FITTERS/ELECTRICIANS

knowledge of electrical theory knowledge of electrical legislation, codes, and standards

of practice knowledge of how to install electrical wiring and

equipment excellent communication skills the ability to read and interpret wiring diagrams good problem-solving skills maths skills  record-keeping skills first aid and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills knowledge of safety procedures.

SKILLS SPECIFIC TO ELECTRICAL FITTERS/ELECTRICIANS

accurate and methodical practical and logical responsible and able to work unsupervised able to use their initiative able to work well as part of a team able to follow instructions and procedures safety-conscious.

How should I order all this?

Remember: Order your skills from the MOST important skill for this particular job to the least important skill for this particular job

Next steps…

Fill in all of the details you can remember about any paid or volunteer work you’ve done – most recent goes first

Fill in the Education section – most recent goes first

Fill in the References section – make sure these people know you are using them as references

THINGS TO REMEMBER:

Size 12 font (except for name)Easy font to read – Times New Roman or

ArialOverall design: columns, borders – needs to

be easy to readUse space

THINGS TO REMEMBER:

THE STRUCTURE  Ideally 2 pages  Make it look and function logically

THINGS TO REMEMBER:

THE CONTENT  Demonstrate that you can do the job  Include relevant work experience that match the

job  Include relevant qualifications that match the job  Include relevant skills/interests or personal

qualities that match the job

THINGS TO REMEMBER:

THE WORDING  Be professional—no slang, no spelling errors

or grammar mistakes  Short and to the point/Less is best   

THINGS TO REMEMBER:

RE-CHECK FOR DON’TS  DON’T INCLUDE INFO ON AGE, SEX,

RELIGION, CULTURE  DON’T INCLUDE PHOTOGRAPHS  DON’T INCLUDE TRAVEL AS AN INTEREST  DON’T UNDERESTIMATE YOURSELF!

THINGS TO REMEMBER:

THE ONCE OVER  After you’ve finished, read and re-read it  Make sure all the information you’ve included is accurate  Check for any spelling or grammar issues  Have someone who can be objective read it and see if it

needs changing  

CV Checklist:

Printed on clean A4 paper Name is letter head and big/clear Your contact details are correct Objective is clear and concise Skills are clear, true and relevant Education is accurate and relevant Work experience is chronological going backwards and inclusive of month/year for start and finish dates Work experience includes company,

job title and outlines duties very clearly Relevant volunteer experience is included Interests included are simple Work related referees with accurate contact details are listed   

 

   

A BEFORE AND AFTER

VISIT THE CAREERS CENTRE

Monday – Friday 9am – 4pm JKL Block, South Campus

Ph: 968 8615 for an appointment  

PS: visit eMIT - Careers Centre for online career guidance!