Help settle CV layout argument

Smorganna

My school leavers course rocketed by 30 points this year so now we have to bide our time til next year and reapply.

I'm helping assemble the CV but my hubby and I differ on a couple of points.

Hope you can help....

I feel it should be kept to one page as she only has a certain amount of work experience and a concise CV would be more attractive to a busy employer.

I also feel that it is moot to include actual exam results as she has honours and passes in all subjects and I feel it is sufficient to say thus.

I have included all the usual headings with relevant detail under each heading.

Are employers looking for actual results from school leavers or do you feel as I do that this is unnecessary and a waste of space and reading time????

I'd be grateful for your thoughts

srsly78

Depends on what you are applying for.

Would have to be a pretty low skilled job for employer to care about leaving cert.

CSC

Would go for two pages. One page is too little while three is two much.

Wouldn't put actual results in.

thesimpsons

Am I right in thinking this for an 18year old looking for first real job? if so, I'd include the LC results to show level of ability of the teen. Keeping the CV to a page would be recommended. I'd also include anything like school mentor position/student council stuff, etc. shows level of responsibility.

Smorganna

@ srsly78: The type of job would more than likely be a department store.

@ CSC: Thank you.

@ thesimpsons: yes first proper job til we reapply to CAO again. She has been on the student council and helped the basketball coach with the juniors at matches, kept score etc., thanks for reminding me to include that PHEW!! :-)

Oh it's such a worry isn't it!!!

BostonB

As the others have said a lot depends on the job and the person applying for. You should really customise the CV for each job. A generic CV for all jobs is not the way to go. Personally I finding focusing the CV on the core skill-set the employer is looking for is most successful. If there's any special achievements that make the candidate different to other people, then list them. But don't fill the CV with the same stuff everyone else will have.

Smorganna

Smorganna wrote: »

yes first proper job til we reapply to CAO again. She has been on the student council and helped the basketball coach with the juniors at matches, kept score etc., thanks for reminding me to include that PHEW!! :-)

I hope this doesn't sound rude or off topic (I have a point, I promise!), but if she's old enough to work she should be old enough to write her own CV (and apply to the CAO herself). I know you're only giving her a hand, but she probably doesn't need it as much as she thinks she does. Secondary schools go through CV writing with students at length. She sounds like a proactive and capable girl, has been on student council and has held roles with responsibility. CVs need to be tailored to the individual, and the type of CV that she needs will have been the exact type that she should have gotten experience with in school. I'd say leave the CV as she has done it, as while it's her first job I'd find it unlikely that it's the first CV she's written.

If she's really unsure though, I'd say two pages but not a full two (maybe just the last two sections on the second page). For exam results I'd put the total points, with an outline of the subjects she excelled in (be tactical if you can!).

Smorganna

@ true-or-false: I take your point indeed. When I say "we" reapply I feel the parents are still involved until we stop paying for things e.g. college fees, food, clothing etc :-)

I want to give her the benefit of my experience. While I acknowledge that the school provide some information re CV writing - I feel by the time the student is actually looking for a job it is time to remove the list of subjects studied and focus on work experience and capability. Save trees and time and all that and stay on point.

I really appreciate all the responses. It's good to get all the various feedback :-)

Mrs OBumble

If she's applying for larger department stores, then the CV may well be irrelevant: most of them have their own application forms (either paper on on-line) and don't want a CV.

And it might not be the right time to bring this up with her - but what happens if the points don't drop again next year?

Seems to me that she needs to be thinking of either a way to get herself more points (I have no idea if that's possible) or a plan B that requires less of them, just in case.

Smorganna

JustMary wrote: »

If she's applying for larger department stores, then the CV may well be irrelevant: most of them have their own application forms (either paper on on-line) and don't want a CV.

And it might not be the right time to bring this up with her - but what happens if the points don't drop again next year?

Seems to me that she needs to be thinking of either a way to get herself more points (I have no idea if that's possible) or a plan B that requires less of them, just in case.

Thanks justmary. There is a plan b, c and d none of which are of any use until cao opens again.

Good point about application forms and online. 😊

thesimpsons

unfortunately what schools teach school leavers in terms of writing a CV leaves a very lot to be desired. both my eldest had classes in school on how to write a cv and while I'm sure it passed what the curriculum states a CV should look like, it really concentrates too much on minor things. Jnr Cert results, minor certs issued by the school, business enterprise module and climbing Croagh Patrick on TY, etc. don't really count for much to most employers. If only hobbies are reading and music I'd gloss over them but things like red cross, scouts, sports coach I'd highlight. Then, tell her walk the streets with her cv, asking everywhere. other my eldest got summer jobs this year when most of their friends gave up looking after first few rejections.