Hello, I need advise about CVs

A starting point : https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/tools/cv/Pages/default.aspx

xapprenticex wrote: »

Have you considered buying a respected book on writing CV's? Amazon is your friend. It will be a lot cheaper than paying someone to look at your CV.

Also there is a good chance your CV has not even been looked at by a human, its all done by computers unfortunately and is mainly about having the right key words.

Is there a book you would recommend ?

Or just buy 1 that's popular.

I'd second the suggestion to speak to your University's careers office to find out whether they can offer any help or advice.

I would also get someone you trust to check your CV looking specifically for spelling, grammar, and typing errors. Like Manxman, the advise/advice error jumped out at me.

What type of jobs are you applying for? Are you tailoring your CV and cover letter to each job?

If you know anytone who is already wrking in the types of job you are applying for, it might help to ask that person t review your application and give some feedback.

It may be, of course, simply be that there is a high volume of applications and that there is nothing particualrly wrong with your CV, just that there are lots of applicants. if you are applying for jobs related to your degree then the other difficulty is that you are now competing against the 2016 gratuates, and your job experience isn't linked to your degree.

one thing you might find helps is to think about what you have learned from your time in employment. Even if the job wasn't directly relevant to your degree, you may well have gained experience or skills whoch would be relevant - for instance, things such as working with a team / having to organise your own workload and prioritise it / working with customers / clients are skills which are very relevant and transferrable to lots of diferent types of job.

How are you dealing, in your CV, with the fact that you were dismissed? Was this for misconduct or were you simply 'let go'? (You don't ned to answer those questions here, if you don't want to, but thinking about them and how you apprach that on your CV may help you to improve it.

I can't comment on CV companies as I'v enever used one, but I would sugges that if you do look for professional help, look for soemone who can sit down and work with you, and discuss what they recommend, rather than someone who re-writes the CV for you. This will mean that you can then make further changes to tailor your CV to each application, and also that the CV is more likely to be consistent with the rest of your application, and less likely to come across as a mass produced one.

good luck in your job search.

I shortlist staff so can hopefully give some general advice.

Spelling and grammar is a big issue on a number of CVs that I receive. It's normally things like their/there or advise/advice being mixed up rather than a complete spelling mistake.

CV format. The most recent employer should be at the top and be clear on the duties and responsibilities held. I like to see key facts or figures regarding specific achievements in the role backed up with a solid example. I see comments like 'I am hardworking and confident and work well in a team'. A CV that is better gives specifics about how they have demonstrated this in their previous role.

Company names not given is common so I might just see the job title and have no idea exactly what industry they have gained experience in or why the are hiding the names of their employers from me.

Not listing the relevant qualifications they hold. It's surprising how often this is missing.

Using the same CV for every job application is a big occurrence and quite often means it does not highlight the skills or motivation for applying for that job. Please tailor your personal statement or highlight the roles within your previous employment that were relevant to the post you're applying for.

Out of every 5 CVs I receive, I would say that 4 are guilty of most of the above. There are a lot of bad CVs out there so if you have a well written and laid out one, you will stand out.