The CV

WhiteWashMan

ok, i figure we should probably have a little sticky thread about cv's and resúmes so im going to start one of.
i will post up whatever i find that looks like good advice.
anyone else who has some interesting points stick em up.
i will also post up my own CV at some stage if i can find it, so you can take pointers etc.
and remember, the CV is only there to get you the interview, so you want to promote yourself completely.
point out your obvious greatness.
tell them all about how bloody wonderful you are
tell them how fantastic you are at team work, but....
also tell them how you would make a marvelous team lead
explain to them how invaluable you would make yourself to the company.
make them understand why you should be the one they want.

you know, the usual. the CV should be the biggest ego boost you ever give yourself.
now, go get that interview......

ButcherOfNog

Get someone else to read over it when your finished, not for spell checking/grammer etc, but just to see how it reads and what sort of image you're giving of yourself. The person you choose to do this should be someone that will be able to tell you 'you sound like a right wanker from this cv'.

I get a few CV's in every week, i mark them with a tic if they seem good enough to interview, an X if they're unsuitable and a W if they sound like a wanker.

Don't go completely overboard on the 'I'm the best, I'm a god' stuff, don't go into too much detail on your hobbies and outside of work interests, for instance I really don't want to read nor do I need to know that you have the nose cone of a F1 McClaren in your bedroom, it just makes you sound a wee bit deranged

GoneShootin

any chance of putting up the IDEAL cv ? i know each one should be personalised to each job application, but just to give ppl an idea

leeroybrown

Which reminds me, ...

I really need to put together a proper CV.

Employers/HR People out there what do you really want to see.

I've always tended towards a CV that focuses on Skills, Projects, Experience etc. I always find filling out the Hobbies and Interests a pain in the ass (I play soccer once a week as part of a ...). All that crap seems to be a waste of space when you want to fit a clear and concise resume on two pages.

I'm just wondering do potential employers actually pay any attention to that section when selecting the candidates to call back for a full interview.

alb

2 pages? I was recently complimented by an interviewer for keeping it down to one page. Whats your opinions on this?

dazberry

Basically keep your CV as free from fluff as you can, and no essays.

I've been using the same format CV for the last 7 years, and have only ever had one criticism, which IMO was unfounded. My CV lists all my experience with relevant details, and if you want to know more indepth details, ask me at the interview

My CV consists of
Personal
Education
Tools experience - for software development
Work Experience - for same!

No hobbies, no mission statement, no unrelated experience when I was 16 etc., just what I've used, what I've done, and where I've done it. With the experience my CV has just creeped onto the 4th page which is a bit long IMO, I generally aim around 3.

So if you can, keep it short, brief and to the point ...

papashiv0

Originally posted by leeroybrown

I always find filling out the Hobbies and Interests a pain in the ass (I play soccer once a week as part of a ...). All that crap seems to be a waste of space when you want to fit a clear and concise resume on two pages.

A few hobbies can't hurt shows you have interests and that you can interact with other ppl. But your right they are a pain in the h0le to fill out.

Hellrazer

Personally I prefer to see a 1 page resume arrive on my desk.
As papashiv0 says knowing peoples hobbies etc. is not what I want.All I want to know is that a person can do the job.If there cv/resume can show that then they will be interviewed.
Another thing which some people consider a small item and dont bother to put on their CV is if they are a keyholder for a previous employer-This shows a high level of trust and should be included.

Heres a hilarious example of a Cv I got in one day regarding a job.
Under hobbies this person put down that they like walking and socialising and since the CV came from someone I though would be suited to the job I decided to interview.
Me:So I see you like walking-what type of walking do you do,is it hillwalking and if so where do you walk.
Interviewee:Well its not really hillwalking that I do.I walk from my gaff to the birds gaff and back home later on(done in best finglas accent)
So I said to myself here we.
So I then asked about the socialising aspect on the CV.Asked was he involved in sport/social clubs or similar.
The reply;Well I hang around at the corner with lads a few flaggons and a bit of smoke.
Needless to say this guy didnt get the job.

Gaz

My 2 cents ...

When listing your duties/tasks of previous jobs, do it in short bullet points. They are easier to read than a big essay. When you consider the amount of CV's some positions get , they may be only looked at for 30 seconds, you want your CV to convey as much info as possible in that time !!!

Karoma

confident not arrogant

1. confident not arrogant (everything on the page should back you/your image up)
2. anything over 1 page better be worth it (it's best to restrict yourself to 1 page-conent will improve. but NOT if it means sacrificing the layout-clutter kills your chances from the very start)

WhiteWashMan

Originally posted by Karoma
confident not arrogant

1. confident not arrogant (everything on the page should back you/your image up)
2. anything over 1 page better be worth it (it's best to restrict yourself to 1 page-conent will improve. but NOT if it means sacrificing the layout-clutter kills your chances from the very start)

1 page is a resúme.
2 pages is a cv.

dont mix the two up....

Lump

Hmmmm, said I'd stick my nose in here.


Basically when I was in secondary school, my guidence teacher told me to keep my CV simple, formal, and plain. (Standard B+W, no pics etc......) However now that I am in college the tutor of our course gave us a lecture on CV writing..... Oh dear god I thought, not this crap again. However he told us to use colour, design, photo's etc. TBH I prefere the formal approach, what are peoples views on this?


John

Wook

hmmm , i am in kinda trouble then with my 4 page CV....

pika

I recently was looking to change jobs and the feed back I was getting from agencies was that they ask you questions and they alter your cv to fit??? 3 or 4 agencies asked me to email my cv and said dont worry I will clean it up for you !! I shoul of asked for it to be mailed back. But they generally want is...
1 name,
2 address,
3 dob,
4 schools, (as this was one of the main topics of my interviews)
5 exam results, be breif as 5 honors 3 passes will do for LC
6 work (general outline of what you do
7 references
all the above should be on pg 1 bar references which is pg 2.

Hope this helps, as I got lots of offers of jobs and was called for 12 interviews (took the first one)

Good Luck.

Hobart

Never ever ever let an agency send out your amended CV/Resume without getting a look at it. Always read your CV before an interview. Kepp it short and snappy. No colour, no pic's and nothing on hobbies etc..... All that crap is for the interview,

Make sure and contact your referees before your prospective employeer does. And do not tell fibs..

Kolodny

Good point Hobart, I work for an agency and I've seen them change bits of CVs to suit to the job they're trying to place the candidate in and it's really caused problems for some people once they've stared the job: "What do you mean, you DON'T have fluent French, German, Spanish, Portugese, Chinese and Swahili?! If we'd known that, we never would have hired you!"

Ok, maybe not that bad, but they will exaggerate certain points if it means making a decent amount of commission for themselves out of it.

Victor

Does anyone know where I can get sample CVs?

Kolodny

I'll sell you some (joking). A lot of recruitment websites have sample CVs, can't think of any off hand though.

CareerSearcher

As the last post indicated, there are many online facilities now to create or build a CV. Most are excellent.

Generally,

- Two pages MAX
- Well organised
- Important information easily read, highly visible and understood
- Indicate your key achievements (what you actually did)
- Be relevant
- Change the CV content for each job application if required.
- Emphasise the key elements that you have experience in
- Rule of thumb:
Page1: Contact information 1/4 page
Career Summary: 1/4 page
Education 1/4 page

CareerSearcher

Ooop's!

Hit the wrong button.

Where possible top half of first page should be made up with your contact information, summary details and educational qualifications.

The bottom half of the first page should start on your most recent experience.

In this way you are getting at the most important information within 1/2 a page.

At most 3/4 page should be given to contact, summary and educational.

It is vital to have experience on first page to keep the reader interested and to get your CV ahead where relevant.

Second page should be 3/4 experience.

Remainder should indicate general information: example drivers licence, interests and hobbies very briefly.

Lastly, indicate that references are available on request.

After that you need a good cover letter......


IMPORTANT READING: Have a look at www.irelandHiring.com where there is an excellent and free CV builder which allows you to print or save for future use. It does a pretty good job at creating a good CV.

Happy job hunting!

GoneShootin

as per discussion in another thread on this very forum (STICKY IDEA) I am slapping up my Resume

id appreciate any comments on it, helpful or otherwise, and should u know of a job that it suits please let me know

also, if it can be of some help to others, then thats just great too

seamus

I've always worked with the same format. Each set of info in a small block, separated by a single line.

Example:
http://www.boards.ie/members/seamus/CV.html - In very basic html

Any pointers?

I went a bit overkill on the computers bit, but I normally edit mine depending on what type of job I'm going for. I also have the exact same in MS Word format, so I can send it to less tech-savvy employers

Kix

I don't think it's already been said:

Avoid bindings of any type. A simple staple in the top left corner is perfect. Two pages in a complex plastic monstrosity does not look more professional, it just looks ridiculous.

Employers will rip your CV out of it, throw the pages in the bin and use the binder for their stamp collections. You have been warned.

K

Promo

Check out the CV Builder under "Career Tools" on this page....easy to use and very helpfull

Promo

Sorry this is the link

edited to remove link...

WhiteWashMan

Originally posted by Promo
Sorry this is the link

two things.

1) the layout of that CV is awful.

2)what happens to the details that are inputed? do they get added to a database for you to use in recruitment?

Promo

That layout enables over 2000 people a year to get jobs, so I think it's effectiveness is reasonably well proven.

The details are not captured on the database unless you explicitly decide to register those details yourself. In fact most CV builder users are completely unknown to the database.

WhiteWashMan

well, ok then, i dont like the layout.

and it doesnt get people jobs.
people get people jobs, cv's get people interviews.

and im still not happy that the details are not kept and used, so im still not going to allow it.

however, i have left your other two links in because they are free and htey are useful and there is no catch.
if someone feels the need to browse your site and use the cv maker, then good for them, and good for you.

lets leave it at that shall we?

Promo

Ok

Chaos-Engine

Don't make a Generic CV.
Some CV's should truely be portfolio's
And again. Tailor the CV to the Job you are applying for.
If its IT. DO include what you have done and your IT skills.
it its not an IT job. Don't...

pretty straight forward

And formal is always better. If you want that jazzy CV get a web site.

[Iramus]

i just wanna say this a a really helpful thread. I was kind of lost when it came to the CV. This was a great help.

Cheers;)

lordsippa

Hey! Great thread. Now I've finished the leaving I'm gettin my ass in gear and this has been a help. So thanks lads.

Elmo

I keep it to 2 pages.

And I have made look more like an application form as most companies ask you to fill them in anyway. (By the way there usually about 3pages long what's with CVs only being allowed 1-2 pages long????)

Also while I had taken my Leaving results off previously, I put them back on because in one interview the girl interviewing me asked me about them. Orginally I had only put down Honours in and passes in etc., I have other qualifications that I thought were more important. With the other courses I did I have stated what subjects I did without results. Basically on the first page I have my personal details, the my educational details with 2 tables one for 3rd level and the other for 2nd level.

On the second page I placed all my work experience into tables with my duties placed underneat the dates, job title and company address. After that I just state my hobies and interest and then my references and then I sign it off.

Its neat and tidy, and if the HR person wants to ignor certain parts they can.

Is this ok?

WhiteWashMan

there is no hard and fast rule about a CV being 2 pages long.
most people agree that a CV should be 2 pages long, because most of them are cramped, messy and generally unviewable, and get chucked straight in the bin.
My CV is 3 pages long, but it is neat and the presentation is excellent.

depending on how old you are and what your work experience is like, i wouldnt leave my leaveing results on it. if they want to know, they can ask. but then again, im nearly 20, so it doesnt really matter about an exam i did 12 years ago!

also, i put my work stuff first (after the personal details of course!) with last job first.

under that you can add your studies and whatever else you want.

just remember, the most important thing on a CV is to make sure its neat. if its not neat, it will get binned.

second most important thing on a CV is to make sure you sell yourself.
thats what a CV is for. dont be afraid to tell them how fúcking wonderful you are and why they need to hire you!

dont use tables. they suck
use bullet points. better presentation and much easier to read.

Elmo

dont use tables. they suck

I think they look well WWM.
I have to say I don't like your CV all that much.
I felt like I was reading your life story and a don't need all that detail.
(IMO)

im nearly 20, so it doesnt really matter about an exam i did 12 years ago

Are u 20 or 30 because with the lanuage you have used here you only sound like a 20 year old.

As I said before I only added my results because I was asked. I don't there all that important and the space can be used more usefully.

I have put my work experience on the second page so that they have one page to themselfs without having to turn over and read the rest of them on the next page.

Again I think its your own prefreance on to how a CV looks what every you feel confortable with is at the end of the day the best for you. Especially if it gets you the job.

WhiteWashMan

Originally posted by Elmo

Again I think its your own prefreance on to how a CV looks what every you feel confortable with is at the end of the day the best for you. Especially if it gets you the job.

and i only give advice. im not the CV nazi police. i dont tell people what to do. i always tell people to go with what they feel is best. but people send me their CV's all the time. sometimes they like the info i give, sometimes not. it deosnt bother me either way.

im happy with my cv. it has got me a job with an absolutely atrocious amount of money and a company car. i guess i did something right eh?

however, on a more serious note, i dont like tables because i think they detract from a cv. the reader wants to read info, not delve through tables. but as you say, thats IMO. and its an oh so humble opinion....

Lex Luthor

Do not put down any references.....just a one liner stating they are available on request

ford fiesta

Is this a golden rule??...I brought this up a week or 2 ago on this board...what if a specific job wants to see names on the CV (yes, I have been told so since, to do this!!!)...I dont want to, but they insist that no people will be contacted without my consent..should I believe them, I'm currently working, so they said "Put the names and addresses of the referees and just put "referees on request" below" is what I was told to do

ivan walsh

Hi Folks,

I've written CV's for a living at one stage and can offer a few tips here:

Do
• Use the first person e.g. "I have" rather than "He has."
• Use ‘user-friendly words’ rather than jargon
• Emphasise your achievements.
• Double-check for spelling errors AND punctuation.
• Check for grammar errors, e.g. spelling "practice" (noun) v "practise" (verb)
• Use succinct sentences, i.e. make it easy to scan
• Use standard typefaces. Avoid obscure fonts
• Use active verbs and positive language.
• Ensure every line sells you at your best.
• Include figures, i.e. numbers of staff you managed or budget size.

• ***Highlight what you can OFFER the employer rather than merely listing what you have done.***

Don’t

• Date your CV.
• Put irrelevant personal details first, e.g. nationality.
• Mention Salaries
• Reason for leaving

If you have any questions you can post them here or, if its personal, you can get me at iawalsh@yahoo.co.uk.

Regards

Ivan

PS: the personal interests section is 'essential' to get right. Dont just say "I like Music etc" instead paint a picture of who you are and write "I enjoy German Techo, Italian Opera, and Christy Moore or whatever."

You have to stand out from the other CV's!

SantaHoe

Actually on the use of tables:
I had one table at the top of my CV, there were no borders, so it was just for layout... but oh my God when I opened it up in Wordpad... yuck, text was all over the place and the border was clearly visable.
I'm not willing to risk having a potential employer open my CV and see that, should he be using an older MS Office or use the default .doc handler (wordpad).

What do you think about time gaps in CVs?
My previous CV had only relevant jobs listed, yet I've had people ask about this unexplained gap.
Do you think it's better to list those unrelated and frankly embarressing jobs, or leave them out?
What assumptions do employers make about unexplained time gaps?

seamus

Originally posted by SantaHoe
Actually on the use of tables:
I had one table at the top of my CV, there were no borders, so it was just for layout... but oh my God when I opened it up in Wordpad... yuck, text was all over the place and the border was clearly visable.
I'm not willing to risk having a potential employer open my CV and see that, should he be using an older MS Office or use the default .doc handler (wordpad).

I usually write in word, save as .rtf, revise in wordpad, then save as .doc again in Word. Usually comes out perfect, though it is a long way around.

What do you think about time gaps in CVs?
My previous CV had only relevant jobs listed, yet I've had people ask about this unexplained gap.
Do you think it's better to list those unrelated and frankly embarressing jobs, or leave them out?
What assumptions do employers make about unexplained time gaps?

I think just be prepared to explain why the gaps are there and why you did those irrelevant jobs in the first place, i.e. Money to tide you over in a sparse job market, or whatever. If you're really worried about the gaps being there, you can add in those jobs as two liners - The dates, Location and job title. Any employer should know by the company that it's not relevant to your application.

vector

Save it as a PDF (yes Acrobat is expensive, but there are many free alternatives)
that way formatting is saved.

RicardoSmith

The problem with all these tips to writing a CV is that nearly every where you go you get asked for something different. Some places insist on plain text, some on word.doc some on PDF, some want 2nd level education some only want experience. Some want you to fill in their template, some don't want anything in tables, some want it electronic some want it on paper. Some want a cover letter some don't, some have an application form some don't.

At this stage I try to keep it to 1-2 pages, but will add more detail if I think the job requires it. I don't use any fancy formatting, and I don't have anything other than contact details, relevent experience and skills and 3rd level education. Each as brief as possible.

smooth operater

......just leave the cv completly blank, but in the middle of this page in small writing put- IM A GOD. place ur mobile no. at the bottom of the page. works like a charm..

loyatemu

having just redone my CV here's how I laid it out - think it looks pretty good

Personal Details
Skills Summary - bullet points
Work Experience - just the relevant stuff
Professional Qualifications and Training - bullet points
Education - very brief, no-one gives a damn what some 30 year old got in his leaving
Hobbies - very brief, most HR ppl aren't interested, you can elaborate if they ask you at the interview
References - "available on request"

2 pages, no tables just tabs and bullet points, used Arial as it is clean and easy to read.

Anyone I know who is involved in hiring all hate getting CVs of more than 2 pages - you might get away with 3 but if yours stretches to 4 or more its time to get the scissors out!

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by loyatemu
having just redone my CV here's how I laid it out - think it looks pretty good

Personal Details
Skills Summary - bullet points
Work Experience - just the relevant stuff
Professional Qualifications and Training - bullet points
Education - very brief, no-one gives a damn what some 30 year old got in his leaving
Hobbies - very brief, most HR ppl aren't interested, you can elaborate if they ask you at the interview
References - "available on request"

2 pages, no tables just tabs and bullet points, used Arial as it is clean and easy to read.

Anyone I know who is involved in hiring all hate getting CVs of more than 2 pages - you might get away with 3 but if yours stretches to 4 or more its time to get the scissors out!

The perfect CV is different for everyone and for every job...;)

tribble

The European Curriculum vitae TBH...



http://www.cedefop.eu.int/transparency/cv.asp

RicardoSmith

tribble wrote:

The European Curriculum vitae TBH...

http://www.cedefop.eu.int/transparency/cv.asp

Visually it stands out. But on a practical level I don't think its thats great tbh.

tribble

RicardoSmith wrote:

Visually it stands out. But on a practical level I don't think its thats great tbh.

I love it.
It's clean but still makes my relativly poor "qualifications" look good.

WhiteWashMan

tribble wrote:

I love it.
It's clean but still makes my relativly poor "qualifications" look good.

no. youre qualifications will look tidier, it wont change the actual qualification marks

not a big fan, it looks too bueracratic, too much like some sort of visa application or something, and there is no personality in there.

if i was doing a poll on people, thats the sort of form i would use, but getting a job is different, you are trying to present yourself and sell youself. not comparmentalise yourself.

id actually prefer the 'i am god' cv than this one
(but only coz thats what i use now )

Frank Drebin

I find the resume wizard in microsoft office does a good job.