Steps to success

CV writing

The word Curriculum Vitae means 'story of your life' and your own personal description of your career to date. Writing a CV needs careful planning and this guide will look at the different types of CV and which one will suit your needs.

The chronological CV

This is the industry standard and the writing of this type of CV is covered below - Writing the CV.

The Performance CV

This format should be used if you are searching for a new role in the same industry. It is same layout as the Chronological CV but job titles and company names are being strongly emphasised. The job description is listed with strong references to achievements that have been obtained in the role.

The Functional CV

This type of CV looks at the skills that have been obtained from work experience or whilst in Education. This CV suits graduates or college leavers as it concentrates on the skills that have been nurtured whilst in Education. It can also be used if you are changing career direction and want to emphasise your abilities and achievements earned prior to your most recent job. This type of CV can also be used if you have a large number of jobs and want to describe the experience you have gained in total.

The Alternative CV

This is suitable for individuals in creative careers. i.e. designers, public relations. It tends to have more of a design feel to it with images, graphics and other visual mediums to highlight key points on the CV. It will often show the talents of the individual in the actual presentation of the CV.

Writing the CV

The CV consists of the following:

• A summary
• Education / Qualifications
• Career History
• Other Experience
• Interests

A Summary

The summary should consist of a brief objective, describing the type of role you are searching for and an overall impression of your suitability. The summary should also have your contact details, date of birth and nationality.

Education / Qualifications

List your qualifications with the most recent first. Place the grades obtained next to the qualification (for degrees or professional qualifications). The other qualifications can be entered with the dates attended and the educational establishment named.

List any work related training courses which you attended, including company courses and any you attended on your own initiative.

Career History

Start with your most recent or last job and work backwards. For each position (treat internal promotion as a new job and record the dates separately) list your job title (e.g. Administrator, Secretary etc) and when you started and finished in each job. Give the name of the company and include a brief description of the service they provide (using the terms they would use to describe themselves). Set out your main responsibilities, achievements, duties, and skills from each role.

E.g.
December 2000 - November 2004
XYZ Ltd. ( The world leader in magnetic lettering.)
Title: Receptionist
Duties:

• Providing a comprehensive front-of-house reception, switchboard cover and computerised room booking service for meetings and corporate entertainment
• The role involved meeting and greeting guests and liaising with individuals at all levels to ensure a seamless, efficient, friendly and courteous level of service
• Booking refreshments and lunches

Other Experience

List any computer skills you have, including the software and operating system used, e.g. Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Microsoft Office. If you have foreign language skills which may be relevant for any jobs which you are applying for, list them and indicate whether your skills are spoken, written, business or technical. Please also indicate your level of fluency: i.e. fluent, good business written.

Interests

This section is debatable to its relevance, however we believe that at interview if you and the interviewer share a similar hobby or interest then having something in common to talk about can be to your advantage. It also gives the employer a better understanding of the type of person you are outside of work.

Finally

The CV should be about 2 pages of A4, unless someone specifically asks for a more detailed CV. Ensure the CV is presentable and in a clear font (Arial) and either size 10 or 11. Make sure that if you are printing it that it is on good quality white paper (100 gram). Finally get someone you trust to proofread the CV for typographical errors, mis-spellings and poor grammar - don't rely on just a spellchecker!