SkillsTrain Courses

DRAWING UP YOUR CV

 

Once you have completed your course, and taken and passed your examinations, it is time to start thinking about putting your skills into practise.

 

The starting point is to draw up your CV. This will take a little time, and it is important that you give much consideration to the content of your CV. Your CV is going to be the first impression that all future employers get of you, and obviously, we want this to be a very good impression.

 

You should aim to have a standard CV, which you will then adapt depending on the position you are applying for. Your CV must be tailored to emphasise the match between the abilities you have and what the prospective employer is looking for.

 

We are going to discuss drawing up your standard CV, but, you must remember, you will need to adapt it for each job that you apply for, depending on specific qualities or abilities that the employer is looking for. Remember, always emphasize your good points.

 

Initial considerations

Your CV should not be too long; aim for no more than two A4 pages, less if possible. Prospective employers do not want to wade through lots of unnecessary details, they want to get to the points that will allow them to consider whether or not you might be suitable for the position. It is your CV that will determine whether or not you get an interview.

At the beginning of your CV you must include:

1. Full name
2. Address
3. Telephone numbers
4. Email address

You may also choose to include your date of birth, marital status, hobbies. However, if you are going to include hobbies it only needs to be brief.

 

Style

You need to decide on the style you are going to use for your CV. If you have Microsoft Word you will find that it includes several CV templates. You might wish to use one of these, or you might want to design your own style. However, don’t make it too complicated, this is not a design competition. The style you choose should be one which makes it easy on the eye and presents the information in a manner which can be easily followed.

The most common format is CHRONOLOGICAL. This follows your career back in an historical manners. However, obviously gaps in CVs are very obvious with this format.

 

The other commonly used format is FUNCTIONAL. This highlights the main skill areas that you have.

 

Print or electronic version

When sending out your completed CV to prospective employers you can choose to post a printed copy of your CV, or you can send an electronic version of it to them by email. Whether you send a printed copy, or an electronic copy by email, it is always best to include a covering letter. In addition, you might wish to consider presenting your CV online, but obviously you will need to have some webspace for this. We will look at the possibility of online CV’s, and how best to present them later.

 

Qualifications

You need to include details of all the qualifications you have gained, not just through the course you have taken with us, but any other qualifications you have. You should include the schools/colleges you attended at secondary level and above, the qualifications you obtained and membership of any professional bodies. Remember to include any short courses that you may also have done. You should try to limit each qualification to one line.

Include details of all previous employments, although, depending on your age, it may be unnecessary to go back many years. Remember to include the start and end dates or month and year, the job title, plus a brief description of your duties. When describing your duties it is important to consider what experience and personal assets the particular prospective employer is looking for, so tailor this section to emphasize the strengths you have which you think the prospective employer might be looking for. Remember, towards the beginning we talked about a standard CV and a CV more clearly matched to the job you are applying for. This section is where you can target and exploit your talents and strengths that match the job you are applying for.

Checking and rechecking

It is very important that you check the spelling and grammar of your CV. It might be helpful if you were to get another person to read it as well. Consider the presentation, is it clear and to the point, and does it show you in the best possible light? When presenting a printed copy of your CV, always send a freshly printed copied of your CV, rather than a photocopy.

Covering letter

When sending your CV by post, or email, it is important to include a covering letter. A sample is below, however, you will need to tailor this in accordance with the position you are applying for.

Dear ……

 

Further to your recent advertisement, I wish to apply for the above position. As requested, I have enclosed a copy of my CV for your consideration.

 

I would be pleased to meet with you and discuss this position in further detail. I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Kind Regards

 

Your name

 

The letter should show your full name, address, telephone number/s, and email address at the top of the letter.