CV help needed too

livalicious

Following on from another poster's thread about help with his CV, could I please ask the same, to have a look at what I can improve on. I've been applying to jobs on a daily basis for the last few weeks and not had hardly any response. I would just like to make sure I'm selling myself well, so I would really appreciate any advice please (I omitted personal details, just pasted necessary info):

ACCOUNTS ASSISTANT

PERSONAL STATEMENT


I have had employment in various fields of workand have thereby gained various skills and experience, namely as an AccountsAssistant and Tax Processor. In April 2010 I completed an IAB Diploma course inSAGE 50 Computerised Book-keeping and Payroll of which I received a distinctionfor both. I am proactive, diligent and willing to learn anything new, and alsotend to take initiative in any job I endeavour. I work equally well within ateam or own my own, and very enthusiastic about taking on any challenges.


EDUCATION &QUALIFICATIONS
* Sage 50 ComputerisedBook-Keeping Diploma
*Sage 50 Computerised Payroll Diploma
*Small Business Financial Management

*Media Studies Diploma


3 years at ****


Specialist Subjects: Journalism and Radio

WORK EXPERIENCES
Company Name
Date Started 2005- current
Tax Processor / Accounts Assistant

§ Sincecompleting my diploma in Book-keeping and Payroll I have been responsible formaintaining the company’s accounts alongside the company accountant. My dutiesincluded entering purchase and supplier invoices and receipts on the systemusing Sage 50, issuing cheques to suppliers, bank reconciliations, credit cardreconciliations and other book-keeping duties on a weekly basis
§ Inaddition to this I was responsible for the accounts of the Business Park whereour company is based and our director is chairperson
§ Myduties also include preparing annual tax returns for Employed and Self-employedconstruction workers
§ Liaisingwith clients and the Inland Revenue over the telephone on a daily basis
§ Dealingwith correspondence from the Inland Revenue regarding client accountinformation such as rebates, tax liabilities, penalties and so forth
§ PreparingAccountant References on behalf of clients for various financial institutions


Company Name
Input Processor
Date started 2004 and finished 2004

§ Responsiblefor capturing membership details on to the computer data-base
§ Processingany legacies that members have left or intended to leave to the Trust
§ Generaladministrative duties and also working as front of house receptionist


Company Name
Care Worker
Date started and finished

§ Iworked for both agencies as a care worker to care for the elderly in their ownhome, for a few days per week or even up to three months or longer whenrequired
§ Myduties included assisting clients with personal hygiene, taking of medication,preparing meals and house-work
§ Ialso had to drive clients to and from activities, do grocery shopping andprovide some companionship


Company Name
Waitress& House Keeping
Date started and finish

§ WhenI arrived in England in *** I worked as a waitress in the Brassiere restaurant in thehotel from 7am until 11pm with a four hour break most days
§ Myduties also included room-service and bar-tending.
§ Ileft in *** but later returned in *** to work as part-timehouse-keeper as a second job whilst working full time as a care-worker. Ifinished there in ***


Newspaper Name
PA to News Editor and Freelance Journalist
Date started and finished


§ Sincecompleting my Media Studies diploma I worked as a personal assistant to theNews Editor of a National Newspaper in ***
§ Myduties included dealing with telephonic queries and story leads from thepublic, filing and archiving news stories for future updates, maintaining theNews Editor’s diary, arranging meetings and liaising with journalists, andvarious other daily duties on an ad-hoc basis
§ Ialso contributed to the sister paper and supplement magazine, by writingreviews and doing interviews with local celebrities


REFERENCES Refereesavailable on request.

For some reason once I tried to post this, the font changed and spacing between words disappeared, obviously not how it looks in my CV! Hope it makes sense!

AP007

Current job you are saying 'I was' where you should be saying 'I am'??

Bullet points are meant to be just that 'points' not paragraphs like this

Sincecompleting my diploma in Book-keeping and Payroll I have been responsible formaintaining the company’s accounts alongside the company accountant. My dutiesincluded entering purchase and supplier invoices and receipts on the systemusing Sage 50, issuing cheques to suppliers, bank reconciliations, credit cardreconciliations and other book-keeping duties on a weekly basis


Also you have no achievements in any of the jobs?

de_g.

Typos and spellcheck. Did the hotel really have a restaurant caller 'The Brassiere', or did you mean 'Brasserie'?

LittleVoice

Have you simply cut and pasted from earlier CVs. For instance you write, "Since completing my Media Studies diploma I worked . . ." Would that not be "After completing . . ."?

Think of alternatives to "various".

Proof read - "I completed an IAB Diploma course in SAGE 50 Computerised Book-keeping and Payroll of which I received a distinction for both" and "I work equally well within a team or own my own, and very enthusiastic about taking on any challenges."

Was the title really "chairperson"?

Database is one word rather than hyphenated. Ad hoc is not hyphenated.

Dunroamin

"Diploma"? What level?

MisterMan_2

Personally, I like the format:

First line/bullet point details job/role/position.
Second line/ responsibilities you had
Third line/ one of your achievements whilst in this role.

persa

Comments in quote.

livalicious wrote: »

ACCOUNTS ASSISTANT

PERSONAL STATEMENT

Cut the waffle. Rewrite what's left in the third person. I have no idea what a 'tax processor' is, but accounts assistant sounds much better on its own. Processor sounds like you just pay over tax liabilities, which doesn't sound exciting.

I have [STRIKE]had employment in various fields of workand have thereby gained various skills and[/STRIKE] experience[STRIKE], namely[/STRIKE] as an AccountsAssistant and Tax Processor. In April 2010 I completed an IAB Diploma course inSAGE 50 Computerised Book-keeping and Payroll of which I received a distinctionfor both. [STRIKE]I am proactive, diligent and willing to learn anything new, and alsotend to take initiative in any job I endeavour. I work equally well within ateam or own my own, and very enthusiastic about taking on any challenges.[/STRIKE]

EDUCATION &QUALIFICATIONS
* Sage 50 ComputerisedBook-Keeping Diploma
*Sage 50 Computerised Payroll Diploma
*Small Business Financial Management

*Media Studies Diploma


3 years at ****


Specialist Subjects: Journalism and Radio

WORK EXPERIENCES
Company Name
Date Started 2005- current
Tax Processor / Accounts Assistant

This should all be third person present tense. You are still there.

It winds me up when people refer to HMRC as the Inland Revenue. That was 8 years ago! If you talk to HMRC on a daily basis, you should know this.

§ [STRIKE]Sincecompleting my diploma in Book-keeping and Payroll I have been responsible formaintaining the company’s accounts alongside the company accountant. My dutiesincluded[/STRIKE] entering purchase and supplier invoices and receipts on the systemusing Sage 50, issuing cheques to suppliers, bank reconciliations, credit cardreconciliations and other book-keeping duties on a weekly basis
§ [STRIKE]Inaddition to this I was[/STRIKE] responsible for the accounts of the Business Park where[STRIKE]our[/STRIKE] company is based [STRIKE]and our director is chairperson[/STRIKE]
§ [STRIKE]Myduties also include [/STRIKE] preparingannual tax returns for Employed and Self-employedconstruction workers
§ Liaisingwith clients and [STRIKE]the Inland Revenue[/STRIKE] HM Revenue & Customs over the telephone on a daily basis
§ Dealingwith correspondence from [STRIKE]the Inland Revenue[/STRIKE] HM Revenue & Customs over regarding client accountinformation such as rebates, tax liabilities, penalties and so forth
§ PreparingAccountant References on behalf of clients for various financial institutions


Company Name
Input Processor
Date started 2004 and finished 2004

§ Responsiblefor capturing membership details on to the computer data-base
§ Processingany legacies that members have left or intended to leave to the Trust
§ Generaladministrative duties and also working as front of house receptionist


Company Name
Care Worker
Date started and finished

There is no point repeating the job title. Be specific as to what you did - not 'did x or y or maybe even z'.

§ [STRIKE]I[/STRIKE]worked for both agencies [STRIKE]as a care worker[/STRIKE] to care for the elderly in their ownhomes, for [STRIKE]a few days per week or even [/STRIKE]up to three months [STRIKE]or longer whenrequired[/STRIKE]
§ [STRIKE]Myduties included[/STRIKE] assisting clients with personal hygiene, taking of medication,preparing meals and house-work
§ [STRIKE]Ialso had to [/STRIKE]drive clients to and from activities, do grocery shopping andprovide [STRIKE]some[/STRIKE] companionship


Company Name
Waitress& House Keeping
Date started and finish

When you cut the waffle, there's very little to explain what you actually did.

§ [STRIKE]WhenI arrived in England in *** I worked as a waitress in the Brassiere restaurant in thehotel from 7am until 11pm with a four hour break most days[/STRIKE]
§ [STRIKE]Myduties also included[/STRIKE] room-service and bar-tending.
§ [STRIKE]Ileft in *** but later returned in *** to work as part-timehouse-keeper as a second job whilst working full time as a care-worker. Ifinished there in *** [/STRIKE]


Newspaper Name
PA to News Editor and Freelance Journalist
Date started and finished

You have a habit of saying you did various things. If you can't remember what they were or they're not important enough to specify, do not mention!

§ [STRIKE]Sincecompleting my Media Studies diploma I worked as a personal assistant to theNews Editor of a National Newspaper in ***[/STRIKE]
§ [STRIKE]Myduties included [/STRIKE]dealing with telephonic queries and story leads from thepublic, filing and archiving news stories for future updates, maintaining theNews Editor’s diary, arranging meetings and liaising with journalists, [STRIKE]andvarious other daily duties on an ad-hoc basis[/STRIKE]
§ [STRIKE]Ialso contributed to the sister paper and supplement magazine, by[/STRIKE] writingreviews and doing interviews with local celebrities


REFERENCES Refereesavailable on request.

For some reason once I tried to post this, the font changed and spacing between words disappeared, obviously not how it looks in my CV! Hope it makes sense!

Language needs tightening up in a few places. But it's not a bad start. Make the suggested changes, then get a native English speaker to give it a once over for spelling and grammar. It reads like you are 'fluent' but not a native yourself - is that true?

Possibly add nationality (plus visa status if non-EU) along with your contact details - just to make clear you have the right to work here.