The first basic principal is presentation. Never hand write your CV.; beg,
steal or borrow a word processor if necessary and preferably get someone who can
actually type to turn out the finished article. Check spelling (particularly on
the words curriculum vitae!) and ensure any mistakes are corrected even if this
means going back to the beginning and starting all over again. Even one mistake
can spoil a good first impression. Whilst there are some advocates of
photographs and presentation folders, the consensus of opinion is that they are
gimmicks and best avoided unless specifically requested. Photographs in
particular seem only useful for brightening up personnel departments' Monday
mornings.
This section should cover your name, address, age, date of birth, marital
status, nationality and , if convenient, a daytime telephone number. Things to
leave out are names of children (illuminating, possibly entertaining, but
completely irrelevant), height and weight (most companies have little interest
in whether you can stick to a diet or not) and how long you have been married.
Remember this is a CV, not a dossier for MI5.
This should include a list of schools and further education establishments
attended together with dates and exam successes, both academic and professional.
Only leave off the grades of 'A' levels or level of degree if they are bad.
Potential employers and recruitment consultants tend to be a suspicious lot and
will assume the worst.
Employment history is the section that really separates the wheat from the
chaff. Here, candidates tend to latch onto a variety of styles. Out of the
woodwork come fans of the Minimalist school (fifteen years of hard work in four
sentences), James Joyce (all the information is in there somewhere but it will
take a week to work it out) and Leo Tolstoy (CV can only be lifted onto the
recruiter's desk with the aid of a fork lift truck). As a rule try to aim for
two sides of A4 paper which is about as much as a recruiter can handle on first
reading.
Employment history is best written in reverse chronological order, starting with
your present position, which should also be the one covered in most detail. Give
accurate dates, state salary and list your key responsibilities with appropriate
detail rather than writing reams about bits that interest you most.
Try to show progression in your career and illustrate a variety of experience
drawing attention to interpersonal skills, technical skills, decision making
abilities and computer literacy.
Tell potential recruiters what business past employers are engaged in and how
large they are. Whilst IBM and ICI may speak for themselves, Bloggs and Co does
not. Try not to leave gaps in chronology. The suspicion factor is usually
activated if time is unaccounted for, so if you have been expanding your
horizons by travelling the world say so and dispel the assumption that the time
has been spent less fruitfully in Pentonville Prison.
The final section of the CV is that which cover interests and achievements. This
is the area which allows you to show yourself as an individual and get something
of your personality over to your potential employer. Do not, however, be tempted
to get carried away. Remember that you are applying for a job as an accountant
not as a cricketer, sky-diver, etc..
Try to put down fairly recent achievements; junior school prefecture and cub
scout badges are unlikely to have much impact once you are in your twenties.
Resist the temptation to attach references, press cuttings, articles, diplomas,
etc.. Whilst it may be worth referring to them briefly in the CV, they will only
stand in your way in initial application.
Above all, resist the temptation to oversell yourself - you will only get caught
out and look foolish. Everyone has strengths which are marketable outside their
present company, the secret is to recognise them and present them in the best
light rather than attempt to project yourself as something you are not.
Once you have finished your CV and given it to a sympathetic friend or spouse to
check for sense or typographical errors you will need to write a covering
letter. This can be hand-written if you are really confident about the clarity
and presentation of your handwriting but a typed letter is generally safer if
you have any doubts at all. As with a CV keep the content concise and to the
point. If you are approaching a recruitment consultancy, confine yourself to who
you are, what sort of position you are seeking, salary range required and
geographical areas you will consider. If you are applying direct to a company
state briefly why you are interested and refer to any relevant points in your
background which make you suitable for a position. It is essential that you keep
this section brief and to the point. Candidates still come out with such old
chestnuts as their desire to work with people in applications to leisure
companies. This is the kiss of death and can result in even the best CV getting
filed in the bin.
On a final note, if you are asked to fill in a form by a consultancy or a
potential employer, then do so properly. Avoid the temptation to be clever
and/or funny as it hardly ever works. Answer all the questions, not just the
ones you like the look of and do not just write "refer to CV" in the
spaces provided.
If an application is worth making at all then it should be done in a serious and
professional manner.
