Writing your Curriculum Vitae

Writing your CV

Objective

By the end of the presentation, you will be able to identify the

1. Areas to be covered in a CV 2. Content and positioning of each3. Identify common mistakes

Format Name (14)

PhotographAddress. Cell. Email

Date of Birth: Marital Status: Nationality: Visa Status: (10)

Career Objective / Personal Statement (12) Strengths/Skills Key Responsibilities/ Professional Highlights / Summary Academic Profile Trainings/Certifications Technical Skills Associations Personal Achievements & Interests References

CV RulesDo Format - simple and clean (no colored paper, glitter designs, borders, grease stains, chocolate smudges)• Tailor - make small adaptations to your CV to match employer requirements.• Language/Grammar check ( seeking a party-time position with potential for advancement’, I have a

bachelorette degree in computers.”) Length - no more than 2 pages Photograph - only if required (formal, passport size) Font - one and two font sizes (avoid 4 different fonts, 3 ink colors and 6 highlighting options) A formal email address (avoid likes2party@email.com) Dates – double check Chapter president, 1887-1992)

Don’ts• Copy and paste• Language – flowery, exaggerated expressions, clichés (“Good communicator”, “Works well in a• team”– without evidence) Unclear statements (“I believe that weakness is the first level of strength, given the right attitude and driving

force.”) Bad format – cluttered, no logical sequence, design and images Irrelevant information (don’t put in everything and say nothing)

• Incorrect or false information - wrong claims, exaggeration• Personal attributes - height, weight, age, race or religion.

Your Introduction

Personal StatementPersonal Profile / Key Attributes /About Me

A carefully worded summary stating your USP (your key strengths, skills, experience and interests)

Can replace your covering letter (where letter may become detached. – recruitment agencies)

Do Start with a short description: "A highly motivated graduate who has just completed a Law

degree at the University of Kent” Be positive, clear and short Use action words to brighten up the content. Analyze your core strenghts. Focus and use your profile as a sales tool: provide brief details of your major selling points,

important in the job you are applying to. Answer three questions – (What do you know? What have you done before? What can you do for me?)

Don’ts• Me phrases – “Looking for a challenging opportunity to develop…” Tell your employer what you will do for

them.• Buzzwords - vague, sweeping generic statements or skills , "I have good team working and

communication skills"  / “I am great with the pubic.” . You sound like a faceless, plastic applicant with no real personality

Repetition - using words that you have used in your cover letter - write similar content using different words and a slightly different perspective.

Career ObjectiveAim / Aspiration / Goal

What you are looking for in terms of work, career and development

Example

• ‘Looking for a challenging entry-level Marketing position that allows me to contribute my skills and experience to fundraising for a Charity.“

Or

• I want to play a major part in watching your company advance• “Student today. Vice president tomarrow.”• “I am anxious to use my exiting skills.”

Examples1. To enter a graduate training programme in multimedia, preferably in the new- media sector where my creative initiative, ideas and a genuine enthusiasm would allow me to progress. I have a good working knowledge of many industry leading software applications such as Adobe Dreamweaver, Photoshop and Autodesk Maya. I work to the highest standards and have an eye for detail with skills in design and organisation. Completing my course projects has taught me to provide originality and quality whilst successfully meeting deadlines.

2. A Business Administration graduate from the University of Kent. He has skills and knowledge essential for managing key areas of an organisation and the problem solving skills needed in finance. He is looking for a graduate trainee post in marketing where he can use his strong influencing skills. Through his studies, work and voluntary roles he has acquired the ability to meet deadlines while maintaining a high standard of work. He possesses a good telephone manner and is able to relate to a wide range of people.

3. I have a visual impairment (full details are available on request), but this has not in any way prevented me from successfully completing a demanding degree course and further education qualifications. Far from being a disadvantage, this has increased my awareness of the needs of others and has increased my determination to succeed and to persevere when obstacles are placed in my path.

ExamplesThe good, the bad, the ugly

1. A motivated, adaptable and responsible graduate seeking an entry-level position in public relations which will utilise the organisational and communication skills developed through my involvement with Kent Rag and promotional work during vacations.

During my degree I successfully combined my studies with work and other commitments showing myself to be self-motivated, organised and capable of working under pressure. I have a clear, logical mind with a practical approach to problem solving and a drive to see things through to completion. I enjoy working on my own initiative or in a team. In short, I am reliable, trustworthy, hardworking and eager to learn and have a genuine interest in PR.

2. I am an energetic and enthusiastic person who enjoys a challenge and achieving personal goals. My present career aim is to work within IT because I enjoy working with computers, I enjoy the environment and I find the work interesting and satisfying. The opportunity to learn new skills and work with new technologies is particularly attractive to me.

3. I am a dynamic individual with excellent team working and communication skills. I would like job in business.

Key Strengths/Skills Types of skills

1. Transferable - learnt in one field of work that can easily be adapted to a different field.2. Job-related - directly relevant to a specific job.3. Adaptive - Cannot be proven by experience but by personality traits.

Do• Format - narrative or in bullet points Relate to professional expertise developed at work . Highlight skills related to the job you are applying for. Finance job will involve 

numeracy, analytical and problem solving skills; Marketing role - persuading and negotiating skills.

• Link skills to results (“Use my excellent communication skills to attract and retain high profile

clients.”)• Skills must be demonstrable and support CV details (can type without looking at the key

board) Give a maximum of 4 or 5

Don’t Avoid unnecessary, irrelevant details (Cleaning skills: “bleaching, pot washing, window cleaning, mopping, etc”, “able to say the ABCs

backward in under five

seconds”) or vague attributes “Strong Work Ethic, Attention to Detail”)

Examples 1. As an experienced Senior Advertising Sales Executive my networking abilities could

help your company achieve its goals. Active and potential clients will be impressed with innovative product presentations and the meticulous management of their accounts, allowing long-lasting relationships to be formed.

2. If you're seeking a Network Technician to improve the reliability and development of your company's server, my experience in design, implementation and maintenance will prove invaluable. Troubleshooting and support come as second nature, meaning fewer and less fre

3. Self motivated graduate with well developed project management and IT skills combined with a flexible attitude to work.

4. A critical thinker with strong analytical and good presentation skills. Strive for quality in everything I do.

5. Strong team-player skills developed through work in retail, in group laboratory experiments associated with the degree, and in group presentation work.

6. Good organisational skills developed in a variety of deadline orientated situations.7. Get on well with people at all levels, easily making good working relationships.8. Seek out new responsibilities irrespective of reward and recognition.

Key Responsibilities Professional Achievements / Highlights / Summary

General Format Date - Feb. 2012 ~ to date Role, Organisation, Location Style – narrative or bullet points

TypesChronological - applying for a position similar to the one you already have. Show a track record of gradually advancing your career. • Include the dates that you worked with each employer • List each position in reverse order starting with your current of most recent position.

Functional CV – Out of the workforce for a prolonged period of time or seeking to change careers. • Focus on the most important experience and skills relevant to the job you are applying for instead of

employment dates.• Briefly list the positions you have held and dates, but you don't need to go into great detail.

Combination CV - Redundancy, job-hopping, brief employment dates signal red flags for employers. • Divide and combine your employment history - put your various roles into batches . • Work out which have given you the certain skills that make you suitable for the job you're applying for. • Put company names and dates at the top of each group and list below the various achievements you

have made and experience gained below.• Include measurable results for your work. eg.“Significantly increased revenues and grew client base

by 40%”.

Key ResponsibilitiesDo

Use action words such as developed, planned and organised. Stick to one tense. “I worked with Messrs, Jubilee insurance and handle clients and

routine work”.

Show responsibilities that you actually achieved whilst in your last role. Link to Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) that are quantifiable. Give % increases wherever possible.

Don’t

Highlight duties instead of achievements – Don't mention routine, non-people tasks (cleaning tables, “checking customers out”, “Maintained files and reports, did data processing, cashed employees’ paychecks.”).

• Leave out information – of previous jobs meaning a gap in employment. Even if you weren't working, mention any transferable skills you picked up that will help your chances.

Explanations or reason for a job switch - (career break in 1999 to renovate my house) or (getting over the death of my cat for three months).

Academic Profile1. Qualifications• Degree, Subjects, Institution, Location, Year• Mention grades unless poor• List in reverse chronological order starting with your most recent education. • If your educational background is your strongest selling point, move Education section

after your Personal Statement. Eg. For recent graduates, from highly regarded university with excellent academic results.

• Experience professionals – work experience before academic detailsAvoid - “I have extensive experience with foreign accents.” or “My father is a computer programmer, so I have 15 years of computer experience.”

2. Trainings/Certifications o Name, Institute, Location. Year

3. Technical Skillso Language e.g. (good conversational French, basic Spanish) (avoid - written

communication = 3 years; verbal communication = 5 years.)o Computing (good working knowledge of MS Access and Excel, plus basic web page

design skills)o Driving (full current clean driving license).

• If you have lots of relevant skills to offer, use a skills-based CV 

Associations o Name, location, date

Personal / Academic Achievements & Interests

Format Name, location, date

Do’s Categorise - sports, creative etc. Show a range of interests if possible, relevant to the job. Relate hobbies to job reqs. Provide evidence of employability skills such as team

working, organising, planning, persuading, negotiating etc

Don’ts• Avoid listing passive, solitary hobbies or unrelated achievements .

Reading, watching TV, stamp collecting, gossiping Enjoy cooking Chinese and Italians Having a good time! Brought in a balloon artist to entertain the team. Nominated for prom queen Won contest for building toothpick bridges in middle school Donating blood. Fourteen gallons so far. Awards: “National record for eating 45 eggs in two minutes.” My contributions on product launches were based on dreams that I had.”

ReferencesFormat

Dr Mike Smith (Lecturer in microbiology)Department of BiosciencesUniversity of KentCanterburyKent CT2 7NJemail m.smith9999@kent.ac.uk

Whom to choose Academic - Teacher, project supervisor. Employer  Friend

Avoid: “Please do not contact my immediate supervisor . My colleagues will give me a better reference.”

Make sure Referee should know you well enough to be able to write positively about you. They

should also know you relatively recently (“Bill, Tom, Eric. But I don’t know their phone numbers.”)

Ask for their permission  Provide your referees with a copy of your CV  Thank them

CIPD advice on writing references  www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/recruitmen/selectn/references.htm?IsSrchRes=1

Thank you

Employability SkillsProfessional Skills Attitude Technical Skills

Teamwork Determination PresentationPlanning & Organising Adaptability Language

Decision making Lateral thinking Computing Problem-solving Assertiveness Spoken/written

CommunicationPersuading / influencing

Commercial awareness

Negotiating Maintaining MoraleLeadership

Time Management

Reference Questionnaire 

  Well abov

e avera

ge

Above

average

Average

Below Avera

ge

Well below

average

 

Written communication

Succinct clear structured writing which is to the point and conveys its meaning.

          Unstructured, verbose or woolly language which is hard to read and misses the point

Taking responsibility

Seeks out information and makes decisions on their own initiative. Willing to do what is required to get the task done. Tries to improve themselves.

          Unable to carry out work without constant supervision. Reluctant to make decisions. Unwilling to tackle demanding tasks.

Organising

Plans ahead and breaks down objectives into manageable tasks with clear goals and deadlines.

          Doesn't work well to deadlines. Struggles to amend plans in response to changing priorities. Doesn't allow for contingencies

Working under pressure

Can cope with being thrown in the deep end. Can handle several tasks at once. Able to think on their feet. Works well to deadlines.

          Struggles to deliver when given several tasks at once. Not good at thinking logically when under pressure.

Facing challenges

Focuses on tasks to be achieved and not easily distracted. Shows determination to continue even when things are going wrong.

          Shows little resilience and easily deflated when facing obstacles. Easily loses focus. Struggles to stand their ground.

Persuading

Deals confidently and diplomatically with people at all levels. Can influence others via reasoned arguments. Can negotiate effectively.

          Lacks tact. Struggles to influence others by using logical reasoning. Poor negotiating skills

Please comment on the student's academic performance over the past two years and their academic ability:

What your referee really meansCareful thinker: can't make decisions

•Very well qualified: has committed no major blunders to date.

•Quick thinking: offers plausible excuses for errors.

•Leadership qualities: has a loud voice

•Unusually loyal: wanted by no-one else.

•Alert to company developments: an office gossip.

•Needs work-value attitudinal readjustment: lazy

•Will go far: managers son or daughter.

•Should go far: please!

•Effective time management: clock watcher.

•Creative: finds reasons to do anything except work.

•Excellent use of resources: delegates everything.

•Active socially: drinks heavily.

•Zealous: opinionated.

•Unlimited potential: will stay until retirement.

•Takes pride in work: conceited.

•Takes advantage of every opportunity to progress: buys drinks for superiors.

•Deals tactfully with superiors: knows when to keep mouth shut.

•Approaches difficult problems with logic: finds someone else to do the job.

•Expresses self well: can string two sentences together.

•Spends extra hours on the job: miserable home life.

•Conscientious: scared.

•Attention to detail: nitpicker.

•Good sense of humor: knows lots of dirty jokes.

•Strong adherence to principles: stubborn.