Peter CosgroveFeb 2011
presenting yourself on Paper
Your CV
1 %’s
30 seconds to make an impression
Your Advert
Our approach to transition
Your CV
CV – initial thoughts
“I did not have time to write you a short letter so I wrote you a long one”
Most cvs are a First Draft
If a recruiter does not understand your cv or does not like the layout – its your fault
92%92% of cvs still coming intoCpl have errors either in formatting, typos, or grammar errors
CV FORMAT
CONTACT DETAILS
PROFILE
CAREER & ACHIEVEMENTS
EDUCATION & TRAINING
OTHER SKILLS & INTEREST
CAREER OBJECTIVE
REFERENCESXDon’t put a career objectiveOn your cv as it can be limiting to your job search
VISUAL
SIZE MATTERS
WORDS NOT PAGES
FONT
WHITE SPACE/ MARGINS
If you have less than 5 years experience you should be able to have a 800 word cv, if you are senior you should still be able to make it under 1000 words
CONTENT
Biographical
Key Words
Complexity
What does an employer want to see
Begin with the end in mind
Can someone out side your industry understand your cv
Remember with key words to include sectors that have worked in such as “telecoms”, “Financial Services”, “Manufacturing” as most people give company names but not the sector
EVIDENCE & CREDIBILITY
● Managed a team of 6 people
● Organised budgets and targets for the group
● Recruited and interviewed staff
● Motivated and built morale
● Responsive to customer queries and issues
EVIDENCE & CREDIBILITY
● Managed a team of 6 people~they hated my guts
● Organised budgets and targets for the group~ never got one number correct
● Recruited and interviewed staffthe main reason people did not join
● Motivated and built morale- told awful jokes that no one liked
● Responsive to customer queries and issuesSent all calls to voicemail
What’s the difference between what you did and the guy who got fired?
Employers want to know what you did well not what you did – you need to stand out
Why even after reading you may have spelling ‘msiteaks’
Arocdnicg to rsceearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer are in the rghit pcale. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit pobelrm. Tihs is buseace the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
Language
Organized / Color
Principal vs Principle
Led vs Lead
Accept vs except
…also be careful of jargon
SO WHAT!
Action Step
Responding to employers/ agencies
Do Not:
Send speculative applications to companies / agencies
Send mass emails out to agencies
Write detail on your cover letter that is not in your cv
Do:
Read the job spec and what is being asked of you
Research people to send applications to
Know what you are looking for when applying
Remember your online footprint
Your cv needs to match your online profile, so having multiple cvs can be harder to manage
Try where possible to avoid the cv
Employers want meet you and like you and then there will be more chance that they what to interview you – so present yourself before they see a 2 page of you
Name Peter CosgroveTitle: Director – CplPhone: +3531 614 6160 +353 87 6200836Email: [email protected]: @petercosgroveWebsite: www.cpl.ie
QUESTIONS?