Writing a C.V

A CV is a marketing tool, it is an advertisement and the product is you. The fact that you write your own CV means that you should always be able to promote your skills and achievements to the optimum level. Every time you apply for a job you should change your C.V so that it is always structured toward the job that you are applying for.

The purpose of a CV;

• To market yourself directly to a prospective employer
• To list your experience, qualifications and skills for a prospective employer to match against their job description
• To entice an employer to want to learn further about you and therefore offer you an interview

A CV should be;

• Tailored for each job that you apply for so that the experience/skills required for the job are at the forefront of your CV making it easier for an employer to spot their desired prerequisites at a glance.
• No more than two pages long, easy to read in either size 10 or size 12 font in either New Times Roman or Arial. Avoid over formatting a C.V with too many headings, words underlined or in bold. Never submit a hand written C.V
• Bullet pointed in business-like language with no spelling or grammar mistakes
• No need to use “I” as it is already implied

A CV should include;
Personal details

Name, address, contact telephone number (landline and/or mobile), email address

Education

• Most recent qualification should be first
• Use full titles of qualifications
• Unless your results were outstanding there is no need to put them down unless the job specification requires it.
• The more qualifications you have the less important the previous ones become for example: a person with a PhD need not list the subjects they studied for the leaving cert.

Employment history

• Start with the most recent position first and work back put dates of starting and leaving the position.
• Bullet point responsibilities, skills, achievements and promotions gained
• An employer does not want an in-depth analysis of each of your previous jobs. If your experience is relevant you will be given an opportunity to go into detail at interview stage.

Interests and activities

• If you have some hobbies then list them, however do not be tempted to list hobbies that may make you sound more interesting but of which you know nothing about. So if skydiving is really your hobby then put it down.
• Avoid putting down such hobbies as "socialising in pubs"
• If you volunteer for any charities or clubs then be sure to put it down as a bullet point and list the tasks you undertake.

Personal Profile
This is a written paragraph (4 to 6 lines) on you that can appear at the beginning of your C.V under the personal details. The purpose of this is to use the space to highlight your skills and experience that are required in the job you are applying for.

Referees
Always ask before you put down someone as a referee. When you apply for a job or get an interview let your referee know that they may be contacted to give a reference. On your C.V you may wish to put under the Referees section that they are available on request, by doing this you will avoid references been taken without your prior knowledge.

Preparing for an interview

Make sure you know the following:

• The exact location and time of the interview, if you can do a trial run to the venue
• The interviewer's full name, the correct pronunciation and title they hold.
• All the details on your C.V and be able to expand on each point
• Facts about the company - where its offices are located, what its products and services are, what its growth has been, and what its growth potential is for the future. Study the company website and google the company for any other relevant information on them such as press articles.
• Be fifteen minutes early, this will allow you to compose yourself and familiarise yourself with your surroundings

Presentation

Always dress for the job you aspire to rather than the job you are being interviewed for.  First impressions matter. Take all of your appearance in to account from the shine on your shoes to the cleanliness of your nails.

Never imagine that an interviewer will only be assessing you on your ability for the job, they will also be looking to see if your personal image is up to the standard required to represent their company.

At the Interview

• Greet the interviewer/s by name, with a firm handshake and always make eye contact, though don’t stare.
• Maintain good posture, look interested and in control. If you are nervous sit with your hands apart  to avoid a clammy handshake on departure.
• Listen to the interviewer and think before you respond to any questions. Never interrupt the interviewer.
• Never bad mouth any previous employer ever. It is most unprofessional and will give the interviewer a negative opinion of you.
• Know the company you are interviewing for.

Sample Interview Questions
Prepare the questions you will ask as the interviewer will try to determine through your type of questioning if you have the qualifications necessary to do the job.
Be prepared to answer questions like:

• What kind of job are you looking for?
• What motivates you?
• How have you overcome a work obstacle in the past?
• Why did you choose your particular career path?
• What are your qualifications?
• Why would you like to work for our company?
• What do you want to be doing in your career five years from now?
• What has been your career highlight so far?
• When was your last salary review?
• What style of management gets the best from you?
• What interests you about our services?
• What have you learned from some of the jobs you have held?
• Which job did you enjoy the most and why?
• What have you done that shows initiative in your career?
• What are your major weaknesses and what are your strengths?
• What are your hobbies?

Questions you may like to ask:

• A detailed description of the role
• The reason why the position has became available.
• The company culture
• The training and development opportunities
• The career progression within the company
• What is the  next step in the recruitment procedure

Things to avoid at interview

• Bad personal appearance
• Nervousness
• Not knowing your own C.V
• Answering questions with one word answers
• Lack of interest in the interview or position
• Over confident behaviour may be seen as egotistical or conceited
• Inability to articulate thoughts
• Exaggerating or fabricating the truth
• Being negative about  present or past  employers or colleagues