Get some tips on writing a CV - Help!

Eliza252

I am looking for a new job and hopefully a career move into working in the charity sector. I want to re-structure my CV (which I dont think is great in the first place). My local library has no books on CV writing at all - am quite prepared to buy one (and then I will donate it to the library afterwards!) - can anyone recommend a good book?
I have also been looking for a webpage which might help - but there are just so many pages I dont know where to start.
Does anyone have any general CV tips they can help me with?
Thanks!

cc25

There is a useful looking guide to CV writing, plus some examples on the BBC "Onelife" webpages here

My advice would be to keep it simple and short (2 sides A4). Don't stick to a 'formula' too rigidly - something of your personality should come across. Put details about your skills, personal qualities, what you think you could bring to the job etc on the first page, and leave the personal details (date of birth, qualifications, previous jobs etc) for the second page.

A good book for job-hunting is the annually revised "What Color is Your Parachute?" by Richard Nelson Bolles - plenty available second-hand, and your library should have a copy! Reader reviews on Amazon are for the earlier editions.

Best wishes in your job hunting

Murtle

Read the job advert and amend your cv to match, this could mean a new CV for each job application even if they are similar. I don't mean lie and say you've done things that you haven't, but pick out what they are looking for and place those points higher up in your cv where they will grab the persons attention. So if it says experience with Microsoft Word, don't leave the fact that you can and do use it or have had training in it to the bottom of the second page, they want to know it "NOW" , equally so if they want Microsoft word and you've used it to type letters on, don't just put typed letter, put typed lettes using Microsoft word. Usually when reading a pile of CV's they are scan read, so they will pick out the words they want.

Good luck

Bossyboots

I think the opposite to cc25. I prefer to read personal details first and skills etc. on the second page. For the last job ad I placed, we had more than 50 responses. There were initially wittled down by the info on the first page as we were looking for a quite specific criteria. Any that did not have date of birth and qualifications on the front page were put to the back of the pile to be considered if none of the short listed applicants looked suitable from their other details. Those CVs did not see the light of day again.

The problem is that so many people apply for each job these days that if your CV differs from the norm, rather than standing out as being different, it may simply be put to one side. It could be taken as an indication that don't want to conform. That may or may not be an advantage depending on the job you are going for.

I agree that it should not be more than 2 sides A4. I am always suspicious when people put "referees on request". I am quite happy for a rider to be included for referees not to be contacted without consulting the applicant first (I interview and then ask the applicant if I can take up references if I am interested in them) but if no referees are put initially I would choose another applicant over that one. That is a luxury employers can afford when so many people apply for jobs.

I don't know how old you are but as far as qualifications go, for older applicants I am not concerned about their early exam results.

Edit: Just read Murtle's post. Please do be honest about your skills. Don't imagine you can wing it once you start. We had a temp whose CV was so stunning we queried whether what we were offering was in fact beneath her. We were assured she was happy to take whatever work was available as she had just been made redundant and was very adaptable. Her skills did not match her CV and we ended up lodging a complaint with the agency. The most noticeable thing she had put was that she was familiar with Word and Outlook and e-mails. It turned out that was exactly what she was - familiar. In the same way I am familiar with my car's engine. I know its there but don't know how it works!

Murtle

There is no need to even put a date of birth on a cv and I would question anyones' reason for wanting to see it first as a way of reducing the CV's to look at. As for qualifications, mine go on the second page, again I haven't seen too many that put them on the first page, and once you have realised that there qualification is actually outdated, you've already wasted time reading them!!!

I guess familiar does mean that, Bossy boots!! It's the interpretation of it, I would use the words experienced to mean I could use it very well intermediate as the next stage down and beginners knowledge. Familiar to me would mean they know about it, but may not have used it very much if at all!!! Just like you with your car!!

There are so many ways of writing CV's so it really is about how you feel comfortable with it at the end of the day. It is your own little piece of "me marketing" and you have to sell yourself!!

Lucie_2

I read through a lot of CVs as I do a fair bit of recruiting, some of them are truly appalling. My hints:

Put your name & phone number in big letters at the top.

Don't bother with minor details - no-one is really interested which primary school you went to or if you have a cycling proficiency badge. Make it relevant. If you've done several qualifications since O level/GCSE (eg A levels, HND or degree) don't bother listing them all. 10 x GCSE grades A - C is sufficient. If they are your most advanced qualification then list fully.

Don't write huge paragraphs about what you did in your degree. No ones cares TBH. Just put the title of the qualification & what grade you got.

2 pages A4 max.

Don't lie. You might just end up being interviewed by someone from a former life...........

Bossyboots

Lucie wrote:

Don't lie. You might just end up being interviewed by someone from a former life...........

How true is that. I found it quite surreal reading through the CVs of people I had taught to read!

Murtle, the job we were advertising was by its nature suited to a younger person and we were only able at the time to offer pay on a low scale. We therefore really needed a school leaver. We were taking a bit of a risk increasing our staff numbers in a period where finances were not the best but the existing staff were swamped and we had reached crisis point. We had to use the new employee to ensure that the existing ones had a burden taken off them, thus freeing them up to do more fee producing work and the job has a lot of quite heavy physical aspects. We have no problem with recruiting older people, in fact two previous employees in our firm who were outstanding in their ability and dedication were retired before coming to work for us. One was still working when he was in his late 70s and was absolutely brilliant. We regularly use other retired people to help out but just on the one occasion we needed to use age as a consideration even though it went against the grain.

Xtreme

Here is 2 documents that i have put together over time , maybe someone can find it usefull !!

1. Advanced Interview technique

2. Keywords e.g. / phrases for your CV


>X<

Jennywren_4

I've always been impressed by Guardian Unlimited's careers advice section - lots of helpful tips on CVs and covering letters.
http://jobsadvice.guardian.co.uk/

Also, this company is offering free CV reviews for GU readers.
http://www.thefullercv.com/partners.asp?id=20

Good luck with the hunt!
x

Savvy_Sue

It's up to you whether you put your date of birth or not, but since you'll put the date when you obtained your various qualifications it doesn't take a degree in maths to work out roughly how old you are!

It is best to do a 'basic' CV but then to redo it for every single job application. That way you make it clear HOW you meet their person spec and HOW you can meet the requirements of the job description. Since each job will have a different person spec and a different job description, one CV will never fit all.

However, some charities (and companies, but OP is asking about charities) will want you to apply on their application form. If that's what they want, that's what you should do. Send you CV if you want, but it may well be binned.

Check your spelling and grammar on everything you send in. If you have a weakness in this area, get someone else to double check everything. Your spelling looks fine but - I wouldn't usually nit-pick I'm just giving an example here! - you are missing an apostrophe.

If you have a particular geographical area you want to work in, find out where most charities in that area advertise their jobs. EG in Bristol it's likely to be in Venue and/or The Big Issue, bigger charities will also use the local paper. If distance is no object, then think of the field you want to work in and see if you can get the 'professional' publication covering that field. EG if you want to be a youth worker then you need a youth work publication.

Couple of websites for jobhunting in the charity sector, no idea if they're any good but I've been trawling to see where we should advertise in future!

Charity JOB

Charity Careers

Final word of warning, do not think that working for a charity will mean you are surrounded by lovely cuddly people, full of altruism and goodwill towards the rest of humankind. Some of them will be, probably the vast majority, but there is no escape from office politics, co-workers who don't pull their weight, overzealous managers etc. Except where I work, of course!