Make Your CV Stand Out
Don't be scared of CV writing - it's a chance to show off!
Before you send off a CV, it's a good idea to take a look at it and see what modifications or changes you might want to make so that you've highlighted the qualifications you possess
for job you're going for.
Before you write, take the time to do a self-assessment. Write out your skills and relevant experiences. Look at the requirements for the jobs you want. See what matches. This will
make it easier to prepare your CV.
Formatting your CV
Do not include pictures, grahpics or favorite quotes.
Place your name at the time of the page in BOLD and in slightly larger font than the main part of your CV.
To maximize the computer's ability to read your CV, provide a clean original on plain paper and use a standard style. The most difficult CV for the computer to read is one of poor quality,
that has unusual formats such as a newsletter layout, adjusted spacing, small font size, unusual fonts, graphics or lines, script type styles, type that is too light, paper that is too dark,
marbled paper, or heavy paper. Use a good quality A4 white paper.
What should I include in my profile?
Your profile is usually the first part read by a recruiter or potential employer, therefore you need to make an impression quickly and sell yourself. The profile section ii where you can do
just that. Use this section to highlight your profesonal attributes and goals. Keeping the section to about four lines long, making each sentence a key selling point.
What are my unique selling points? (USPs)
Think about why an employer would employ you above all other candidates? What can you take to the position/company? What skills/experience do you have that will meet their needs?
What personal information should I include on my CV?
Your name, address, telephone number and email address (if you have one). Whilst this might seem obvious, you would be surprised the amount of people who send their CV via email
and forget to add contact details such as a home address or contact telephone/mobile number.
Your marital and family status does not need to be included. However, if you think including such information could make your application stand out, it is up to you as to whether you
include it or not.
You may include your date of birth of you wish. However since the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 made age discrimination illegal in the recruitment process, it is no longer
necessary to include it on your CV. PLEASE NOTE: East Coast Recruitment will always remove the date of birth from a CV prior to submitting to our clients.
Where should I include my qualifications on my CV?
Remember your USPs. Are your qualifications a strong selling point? If so, you would probably want to list your qualifications immediately under your profile statement. Recent graduates
are more likely to list their qualifications towards the top of their CV.
If your work experience is stronger than your education, it is more likely that you would list your quallfications after your employment history, thus highlighting your career achievements
and experience first.
What skills should I include on my CV?
Your CV is designed to do one thing, to get you an interview! Therefore every section of your CV must contain information of the highest value, and be relevant to the position for which
you are applying. Equally important, is honesty, never lie on your CV. If you are offered the job, but later found out that you lied on your CV, you could face disciplinary or even dismissal.
Your skills section is arguably the most important section of your CV to any future employer.
There are three key skills type areas for you to consider and apply to your CV.
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Transferable - skills that you have learnt in previous employment that could be easily adapted to a different field
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Job-related - skills or qualifications that are directly related to a position
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Adaptive - skills that are difficult to substantiate because they can not be proven by experience, only by personality traits
Be sure to include skills that will make you stand out, popular ones may include: Communication; Initiative; Technical skills; Team working; Problem solving; Flexibility; Computer skills.
What hobbies and interests should I include on my CV?
Usually at the end of your CV, so often the last place a potential employer will look. If the first section failed to impress, chances are they won't even get this far! A few brief words
here could catch the employer's eye, enough to persuade them to take a second look through your skills and experience. Why do we include hobbies & interest's on our CV? Because
outside interests enables a potential employer to gain an understanding of what motivates you, what personal skills you may have and how well you will integrate within the team.
Keep it simple, always be honest and don't try to portray yourself as some amazingly adventurous individual, if that's not really you.
How should I list my previous jobs on my CV?
A chronological CV is easy for recruiters or potential employers to read, to get a quick overview of how your career has progressed. Include the names of each employer with the dates
of when you were employed (example. September 2001 - March 2006). In addition, always include your job title and responsibilities, plus any achievements reached.
Enhance your CV
Describe your experience with concrete words rather than vague descriptions.
For example, use "managed a team of software engineers" rather than "responsible for managing, training . . ."
- Be concise and truthful.
- Use two pages if necessary. The computer uses all of the information it extracts from your resume to determine if your skills match available positions.
- Use jargon and acronyms specific to your industry (You may wish to have a second CV for human readers, where you would spell out the acronyms).
- Increase your list of key words by including specifics. For example, list the names of software you use such as Microsoft Word or Excel.
- Use common headings such as: Objective, Experience, Employment, Work History, Positions Held, Appointments, Skills, Summary of Qualifications,
- Accomplishments, Strengths, Education, Affiliations, Publications, Papers, Licenses, Certifications, Examinations, Honors, Personal, Additional, Miscellaneous and References.
- Use complete school names, degrees and any relevant special awards/studies.
- Use complete job information and dates. DO NOT include salary history unless asked.
- If you have extra space, describe your interpersonal traits and attitudes. Key words could include skills in time management, dependability, high energy, leadership, sense of responsibility or good memory.
Gaps in Work History
In every case, these must be stated and as positive account as possible made as to why they occurred, as is always the case, honesty is the best policy, mistakes made at this stage
could cause you to lose your job later.
Interview Tips
A good interview is informative, professional and establishes trust. Here are some tips to help you prepare.
Understand the Job Description & their business
Make sure you understand the requirements of the job by requesting a detailed Job Description prior to attending your interview. Check out their website, take as much information in as
you can about their business. For example; if you are applying to a shipping company, find out their trade lines, where they have other offices, the type of cargo carried etc.
Smart research pays off!
Know where you're going
Make sure you have the correct street address and parking information. Take a contact number with you just in case of driving difficulties.
Dress for success
Professional business dress is standard for most office related vacancies. However, check with your Recruitment Consultancy.
Arrive on time
This is a career opportunity. Make the best possible first impression and arrive early enough to guarantee being on time for the interview. If an unforeseen difficulty arises, call your
recruiter contact and let them know.
Prepare for questions about recent jobs
Many leading companies, use “Personality Profiling Assessments or Behavioural Assessments" as a tool to identify top candidates and their strengths. The idea behind such assessments
is simple - your behaviour in the past can help understand and predict your success in the future.
Here are some questions you should know how to answer in the category of past performance:
- Describe your current/most recent job duties and responsibilities.
- In what sort of work environment/with what sort of supervisory style are you most successful?
- Of which of your past accomplishments are you most proud?
- What are the most valuable lessons you've learned from past work experiences? How have you applied them?
- Which of the skills you've picked up at the positions on your CV do you are most relevant into this position? Why?
- What are your long-term goals in this industry?
- Describe a problem you encountered at one of your jobs and how you handled it.
Ask questions
Don't be afraid to ask questions based on what you need to know. What kind of benefits are important to you? What would be the next step in your chosen career path? What are
the internal training/education opportunities you might be interested in?
Good luck!
