CV Help

Sup3rArsenal

I hope someone may be able to help.

I have recently been made redundant and am now back looking for a job!

I am trying to update my cv and have seen adverts for professional cv writers.

Has anyone used any of these?

Are they worth it?

Does anyone have a recommendation?

vicshippers

Dont do it!!!

They will just take the information you give them and type it out for you. There are loads of cv templates online that you could use as a starter.

When it comes to what to put in there, just try and think about what you would look for as an employer (ie if you're going for a delivery job then you dont need to expand on your maths qualification - think more about how trustworthy and punctual).

lelilo1

Yeh to right there is plenty of info out there
just asample of how my cv is laid out and its very basic covering 2A4 sheets of paper
CV
name
address
tel number
email

Personal profile
just wright 3 sentences biggin your self up

Employment history
most recent first make sure all dates tally
explaining any gaps like unemployment ie (jobsearching)

Education and training
most recent first make sure all dates tally

Key Skills
IE Aptitude for problem solving

Excellent verbal communication skills etc

Interests and hobbies

And

References
Available upon request

I aint had any negative comment about the lay out or content

good luck i know exactly what its like

mumtoangel

Hi,

I done my cv recently on learndirect-advice.co.uk they have a template all you need to do is fill in your details, all completely free.
Good luck.

tobysmummy_2

I work in this field (as an employment adviser, NOT a cv writer!!) and agree that it'd be best to look online for templates etc.

The template that lelilo1 has used above is very similar to the one that I use when doing (free!!) CV's for my clients except for one thing - I always, always put key skills underneath the personal profile. Apparently, research suggests that employers only really digest the first 3/4 of the first page of a CV, and a good/bad impression is made by this. The key skills section is all about how you act/perform within a work situation and should be full of positive information - I always bullet point each individual skill, ie:

* Ability to work well in a pressurised environment
* Able to use initiative when working alone or unsupervised
*etc, etc, etc

By the time you get to the bottom of this list, you have usually made up the first 3/4 of the first page, and therefore, the most impressionable part of a CV.

I'm not in any way pointing out negatives in the way anybody else structures their CV, but I have been doing this job for 8 years, using the same format and many of my clients have been successful in gaining interviews based on this type of CV. Hope that helps.

Also, are you aware that you may be entitled to ReAct funding? People who have recently been made redundant can acces £2,500 government funding to retrain in a new field. My husband is currently in the process of receiveing his funding (we live in Wales, but I'm pretty sure it's a nationwide thing, and not just for the Welsh. Ask at your local careers service, they administer it)

recyclingbox

In "interests and hobbies" don't put 'socialising with friends' - makes you sound like a !!!! head, besides which everybody does this.
Also be truthful about these, don't put things on that you think make you sound interesting- if you don't go deep sea fishing off the coast of scotland don't put int in your CV you never know the interviewer might go deep sea fishing off the coast of scotland and want to have a chat about it!!!

LittleVoice

Another "don't" is don't put "CV" as the heading of the document. It should be obvious that that is what the document is and so you are wasting space that could be used to better effect in selling yourself.

For the person looking to find your CV on their desk, the most important thing is your name. Make sure that is at the top and in bigger, bolder type than what follows.

purplemonkey_2

Hi<br><br>I've done lots of work with CVs over the years, and I agree it's not really worth paying anyone to do it.<br><br>One thing I would say is that if you're not a very young applicant, you don't need to put all the details of your working life 10-20 years ago. You can put '1980-1990' various jobs in retail. People don't need all the details it clutters up your CV.<br><br>Keep statements very brief, better yet put them in your covering letter. <br><br>TAILOR each CV to each job. Use their language, try to repeat key phrases from the job description in your CV.<br><br><br>