The CV

lordsippa · 26-06-2003 01:16AM

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 · 15-01-2004 12:34PM

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 · 19-01-2004 11:27AM

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 · 22-01-2004 06:08PM

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 · 22-01-2004 07:36PM

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 · 17-02-2004 12:11PM

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

ford fiesta · 18-03-2004 05:42PM

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 · 29-03-2004 12:06AM

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 · 15-04-2004 11:54PM

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 · 16-04-2004 12:08AM

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 · 06-05-2004 06:12PM

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

RicardoSmith · 09-05-2004 10:52PM

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 · 03-06-2004 01:03AM

......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 · 28-06-2004 04:24PM

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 · 28-06-2004 04:53PM

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 · 11-11-2004 04:13PM

The European Curriculum vitae TBH...

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

RicardoSmith · 11-11-2004 05:31PM

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 · 20-11-2004 04:11PM

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 · 25-11-2004 10:01AM

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 · 25-11-2004 10:01AM

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

WhiteWashMan · 25-11-2004 10:10AM

where is that?

p.pete · 25-11-2004 11:31AM

In Word -> File -> New -> New From Template -> General Template... -> Other Documents (tab) -> Resume Wizard

At least that's how to find it on the version sitting on my PC

Frank Drebin · 25-11-2004 12:19PM

You can do it that way. Mine is: start menu/ new office document/ other documents/ resume wizard.

WhiteWashMan · 25-11-2004 01:05PM

hmm, i dont have it at all

Lump · 25-11-2004 01:13PM

I think you need to install templates fromt he disk, although the option should be there, and when you click it, it'll ask you to install them if they're not already. Depends the version you have I guess.

John

p.pete · 25-11-2004 01:15PM

WhiteWashMan wrote:

hmm, i dont have it at all

Is there a chance that you're sitting in an office and Word was installed on your computer by somebody clever enough to realise access to CV making stuff isn't necesarily the best use of resources?

Or just the particular version of Word...

Frank Drebin · 25-11-2004 01:18PM

p.pete wrote:

Is there a chance that you're sitting in an office and Word was installed on your computer by somebody clever enough to realise access to CV making stuff isn't necesarily the best use of resources?

Or just the particular version of Word...

LOL! If your employer is anything like mine this will be the case.

enda_4 · 30-11-2004 09:49PM

Some very useful points there folks, in the middle of doin mine now, leavin it a bit late i know. Just wonderin, doin degree dis yr in Applied Computing, for experience should ya include worked in bar, buildin site, etc or just include relevant experience ??? Any opinions...

WhiteWashMan · 30-11-2004 10:47PM

there is that problem with tables alright.

persoanlly i prefer not to use them unless i am printing my own cv tobring with me to an interview (always bring 3 copies:))

with regads gaps, well, it depends how long agao, what your relative experience is etc.
no one cares if you have been working for 10 years, and you only have your last three gaps, but you can always use the smaller jobs as reference to times when you got experience doing this or that, that maynot be direclty relavant to what you are going for, but can be used to exemplify instances where you were in an area of responsiblity, did good work or whatnot.

i have started leaving off most of my first jobs after university, because i have anough experience in my current role, and my previous jobs. although, i have left off my 1 month of work inthe middle where i got sacked for reading boards.ie and looked for jobs when i mived to england

i was on vacation apparently

ixoy · 01-12-2004 12:01AM

OK, I'm going to need to update my CV now that I received the Christmas present of a P45 (bastards).

As it last stood, the CV was on 3 pages - which yer saying is a bad thing.

Page One - Personal stuff: Contact details, Hobbies, Achievements
Page Two - Experience/Skills
Page Three - Contact Details

There's blank space, for example, at the bottom of page two because I wanted to clearly delineate sections.

I wanted to try and make it neat and tidy, employed Arial 14 for section headings and Verdana 12 for actual text.

Looking here - what's the best tips for re-organizing? The consensus seems to be to move hobbies/achievements to the end. Should I curb my section on experiences, currently in paragraph from, to a bulleted point or am I selling myself short?

As it is it's my first full time job and I've had three years there. More importantly I'm probably looking to go into a different field in IT than the one I was in and may need to re-word accordingly...

All tips welcome. It's time to get Ixoy a new job...

The CV

Comments