CV help needed

AutumnMist

Hi everyone

I'm looking for some help with my cv. I'm worried its a bit dated looking or something?
So here it is cut and pasted below

I've removed it now as I don't want any employer to come across it and guess who it is.

Thanks very much all for your help. Much appreciated

AP007

No personal profile?

Why the job ended in May 2011?

Achievements in each role?

Competencies?

Computerskills?

AutumnMist

AP007 wrote: »

No personal profile?

Why the job ended in May 2011?

Achievements in each role?

Competencies?

Computerskills?

Thanks very much for advice. It ended because of redundancy. I never thought of putting the reason for a job ending on a cv. Does not putting the reason make it look like I was sacked or something? Do most people put why each job ended on their cv?

As for achievements and competencies, I don't really know how to include such things, I wouldn't really know what to say so I just list that tasks.

Computer skills, I did a lot of computer work in the office job, and I did an ECDL course one time. The RSA exams include word processing and mail merge. I can use microsoft office, spreadsheets, powerpoint too, though its been a while since I used the spreadsheets.

If I start listing achievements and competencies would that not make it too long? It might go over onto the 3rd page then. Not that far onto it of course as I wouldn't have that much to put. I would normally put that sort of thing in my cover letter - which could probably do with sorting out too, as it wouldn't be heavily focused on achievements.

To be honest I'm no good at all this 'competencies' business.

albacookie

I wouldn't bother with individual GSCE/A level subjects having left school prior to 2001 - just put 3 passes at grade A-C as appropriate.

AP007

AutumnMist wrote: »

Thanks very much for advice. It ended because of redundancy. I never thought of putting the reason for a job ending on a cv. Does not putting the reason make it look like I was sacked or something? Do most people put why each job ended on their cv?

As for achievements and competencies, I don't really know how to include such things, I wouldn't really know what to say so I just list that tasks.

Computer skills, I did a lot of computer work in the office job, and I did an ECDL course one time. The RSA exams include word processing and mail merge. I can use microsoft office, spreadsheets, powerpoint too, though its been a while since I used the spreadsheets.

If I start listing achievements and competencies would that not make it too long? It might go over onto the 3rd page then. Not that far onto it of course as I wouldn't have that much to put. I would normally put that sort of thing in my cover letter - which could probably do with sorting out too, as it wouldn't be heavily focused on achievements.

To be honest I'm no good at all this 'competencies' business.

Computer skills etc just list like IE

Agresso, Sage Line 50,Sage Payroll, Pegasus Opera & Senior, SUN Accounts, Tetra 2000, Mentor, MicrosoftDynamics Navision (only at the training/testing stage). Also a competent user of Microsoft Word,Excel, Lotus 123, the internet, email & Barclays Business Master.


By not putting them we have no idea what systems you can use etc

Also competencies are things like: ability to lead a team, work to deadlines, great interpersonal skills etc

I have achievements on all but 1 job of mine and this shows an employer what you may have contributed to each role and made the job or procedures better etc

One of mine says:

Achievements: Iset up a new way for getting the invoices through the systemto payment stage by obtaining a proof of delivery/worksheet instead of sendingout invoices to other sites in order to be signed off by two different people

AutumnMist

albacookie wrote: »

I wouldn't bother with individual GSCE/A level subjects having left school prior to 2001 - just put 3 passes at grade A-C as appropriate.

I never thought of that. I thought you had to list all exams. I just went by what I was told to do years ago and just added to it. Time to blow the cobwebs off it I think!

chrissyr60

From experience of working with cv's don't put the word 'curriculum vitae' at the top of the page...as i was told...you don't write the word 'letter' at the top of a letter so why with a cv? They will see it's a CV, they won't need telling and also it saves space on the page as cv's should be no more than 2 pages.

Annisele

I think you should cut some of the padding, and replace it with something that gives more of an idea about what you can do.

For example:

AutumnMist wrote: »

[STRIKE]Date:[/STRIKE] July 2001 - October 2003 We can see it's a date

[STRIKE]Description of role:[/STRIKE] Also kind of fluff
Customer service What sort of customer service? In person? Phones? Dealing with complaints? "Customer service" on its own doesn't tell me much about what you can do.
Working towards individual and team targets Did you "work towards" them, or did you actually achieve challenging targets?
Till operation
Stock replenishment and stock taking
Merchandising OK, but that doesn't tell me whether you're any good at merchandising. Were you putting out boxes of cereal in Sainsburys, or designing the window displays in Selfridges?
Demonstrating products to customers What sort of products? Are we talking retail, or going into other businesses to demonstrate?
Checking deliveries and reporting any discrepancies

AutumnMist

chrissyr60 wrote: »

From experience of working with cv's don't put the word 'curriculum vitae' at the top of the page...as i was told...you don't write the word 'letter' at the top of a letter so why with a cv? They will see it's a CV, they won't need telling and also it saves space on the page as cv's should be no more than 2 pages.

Thanks. I always thought putting 'curriculum vitae' seemed very dated, but it was something I was told to do. Can't remember where, I think it was on some recruitment agency website, maybe. I'll be very glad to get rid of that one

AP007

AutumnMist wrote: »

Thanks. I always thought putting 'curriculum vitae' seemed very dated, but it was something I was told to do. Can't remember where, I think it was on some recruitment agency website, maybe. I'll be very glad to get rid of that one

Told to do? Really? I put my name and its obvious what it is

penelopedee_2

At the top of your CV put a couple of good, promoting (boasting) sentences about yourself and your work skills, rough example:

A fully qualified secretary with extensive experience in customer care and telesales.... Extensive use of computers and office equipment. Confident with .... blah blah blah

(look on any of the office recruitment agency sites - they normally have good examples of this on their CV training sections).

Then add a tick list of your competencies/key skills, something like...

Key Skills

* Proficient in Excel, Word and PowerPoint
* Ability to prioritise
* Confident in customer relations and telesales
* Organised and efficient
* Friendly and approachable
*
*

Sell yourself first then put the factual detail.

Just try and sell yourself in a good light without being too cheesy. You have to give a full employment history - as suggested, try and include some achievements against each role to keep it positive. You will be asked to explain the gap. Remember - your job was made redundant, not you as a person.

Then drop in any professional (work-based) training and then the name of any college or secondary school you attended (with dates) and a simplified list of exams/achievements.

Finally - Reference - details available on request. (Keep these on hand and at least one should be an ex-employer).

Make sure your name (use slightly larger font), address and contact details are in the header on each sheet. Put a line underneath this and it won't roll into the rest of the text. Then you can delete the contact details on the top.

Proof read, spell check, get somebody else to check and proof read again. You must put yourself in a good light but don't lie, it will make you uncomfortable in interviews and there is a chance the bit you lie on is the bit that you get found out for. 2 pages are enough.

Hope this helps and good luck, I'm currently in the job seeking game at the moment, its slow progress but there are nice interviewers out there