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Writing a C.V. part 2 - Grab their attention!
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by the editor
KEY POINT
The average employer will give a C.V. approximately 20 seconds of their time. When they do this they are asking just one main question - Do I want to interview this person?
Structure your C.V. so that this question can be answered in just 20 seconds. You need to say, "I have the qualifications you want, the experience you need, and I`m an all round good egg to boot!"
Here`s How
Bullet Points
Dont write a slab of text. They don`t have time and won`t read it. Consider this example:
"I have a great deal of experience leading outdoor activities. My last post including responsibilities for leading teenagers on canoeing trips, and have led climbing courses, and taught navigation using a compass and map. Additionally I am experienced with leading groups in all kinds of conditions, from snow storms to sunny days."
It would be better like this:
"In this post my responsibilities included:
leading teenagers on canoeing trips.
organising rock climbing and abseiling activities
teaching navigation with a map and compass
Further, I have lots of experience in varied weather conditions, from snow storms to hot sunny days."
Use Active Words
Although the job was in the past use active words as in the example above. Don`t say, "maintained accurate records." say "maintaining accurate records". This has the subconscious effect of telling the person that you are an active not a passive person.
Decode the Job Advert
Job adverts are written from a list of "wants". You need to meet most of the items on that list to get an interview, so it is very handy if you have that list. Getting it is easy. Just go through the advert and write down each item as mentioned. Here`s an example:
"The candidate will have 3 years experience in Print sales, be competent with a computer and have experience dealing with senior level personnel."
When they wrote the add their "Wants" list looked like this:
3 Years experience.
Preferably in Print sales
Good computer skills required
Use to dealing with senior managers and directors
With the list you can now tailor your C.V.
Tailor Your C.V.
If at all possible get access to a computer and put your C.V. on a floppy disk. You can then edit it for each job. Editing your C.V. will increase your chance of getting an interview.
Armed with a wants list ensure your C.V. brings out the areas they mention in their wants list. In the example above make sure the job you did that is most relevant gets a big mention. Play down less relevant areas by using less words, or even just not mentioning what you did. - this last point is critical if you have many years of experience and a C.V. as long as your arm.
Use the summary section (see Part 1 of this article) to good effect. Don`t be afraid to quote their wish list if you can. Here`s an example:
SUMMARY
A good candidate with excellent sales skills which include:
5 Years Print sales experience.
Experience dealing with senior managers and directors
Excellent computer skills
Very `results` focused
Structure your C.V.
Try and build a structure to make the C.V. easy to read. Remember - you have just 20 seconds!
Here`s a few do`s and donts:
Do indent the C.V. so that the headings standout
Don`t mix heading styles. Use bold headings or Upper Case headings, but not bold then upper case then italic. It gets messy and hard to read.
If you are using bullets use them a lot as once they have read one section they have learned how to read the rest.
Do create a structure such as section head, followed by name of organisation, followed by introductory sentence about the school/company, followed by bullet points about exam passes/experience.
Finally get a friend to read it. Preferably some-one with a critical eye who is better at English than you. Don`t be upset when they say its useless, or they didn`t understand it. If they don`t understand it nor will the employer. Listen to their comments and try to make the C.V. better.
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