Cv For Interviews

Posts Tagged ‘Effective Writing’

A lot of places around the world call it A Curriculum Vitae, in North America, it’s a Résumé. This is definitely one of the most important tools that any jobseeker has at their disposal. You may be THE best candidate for a particular job by a long way, however, if you don’t make it to the interview stages the company will never know.

Many companies (especially the larger corporations) will use computer software to “read” all the résumé’s and reject any that don’t fit a particular template. This may seem unfair, but it’s cost effective.

So, for some jobs you have to beat the computer and still read well enough for someone who may not have any knowledge of the position you are applying for. It is definitely worthwhile to adapt your resume for the position that is advertised. There may well be some of the “buzz” words the “filter” is looking for mentioned in the job description.

It is very important that you can substantiate all the claims you make, preferably with physical examples or letters. This will be essential in any in interview situation.

There is now a wealth of information available online, from books, local employment offices and with professional writing agencies. You can also access other people’s résumé’s that are posted online which will give some great ideas for style and content.

Professional writers may seem the answer, but, all the research I have done seems to lean away from them. I have never used one and feel that it will give a good impression if you have written it yourself (this will display literacy). Apparently, if they are professionally written, they are easy to spot; however, they may be worth the expense if you are stuck. You can always “customise” what has been written to make it your own work.

In my case, I had been in the military since I left school and had never written a resume or had an interview. I spent a lot of time writing, copying other people’s styles and changing things. I didn’t realise how difficult it is to catch up on 16 years - I’ll never allow mine to go out of date again! I found the hardest part was to actually start writing. The best advice I was given was to just write anything that you can think of and it will soon start to flow. With modern word processors it’s relatively quick and easy to cut and paste so you can keep on changing it until you are happy. More detailed information can be found at http://www.onestopimmigration-canada.com/resume.html

Good Luck!

Bonus Tip # 1:  Don’t include your “hobbies”.

Generally, It is not of any value to put in your hobbies on your CV. Otherwise, if it should be related and of relevance to the position applied for – then you may do so. 

Bonus Tip # 2: Your CV is more about your accomplishments.

Most are mistaken of the idea that CVs are a plain listing of their work experiences – it is actually more than that.  It provides for a record of your accomplishments that would show your capabilities and effectiveness to carry out the responsibilities of the current job aspired for.

Bonus Tip # 3: It should clearly tell what you could do for the prospective employer.

Even at a glance or a quick run over of your CV, the employer should be able to get the impression that you are qualified for the position and should be given a chance for a job interview.  Your highlighting, organization and presentation plays a major role here. 

Bonus Tip # 4: Make sure that it is free of spelling and grammatical errors.

To maintain the professional appeal of your CV, these errors should be avoided.  Fancy fonts will take out its formal look and at worst cases, especially if not done tastefully, may look like an experiment of sorts. 

Bonus Tip # 5: Be concise.

 A two-page CV that is well organized and targeted will do the job effectively.  You don’t need to stuff it with lots of unnecessary stuff.  Doing so may just lose the focus of your CV and may provide cluttered information.