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CV Session. What is a Curriculum Vitae (CV) ?. What Is A Curriculum Vitae (CV)?. CV is short for Curriculum Vitae, which is a Latin phrase which loosely translated means ‘the course of my life’.
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What Is A Curriculum Vitae (CV)? • CV is short for Curriculum Vitae, which is a Latin phrase which loosely translated means ‘the course of my life’. • A CV is a document which provides information on an individual’s unique skills, character, experience and achievements. • A CV outlines a person’s academic and professional history which is usually used for applying for jobs. • The document is your chance to show the employer that they should invite you to an interview and that you are the right person for the job. • Quick Fact: • In 2017, it was estimated that more than 98% of employers in the U.K. when advertising a vacancy, requested a CV from those who wanted to apply for the job.
Why Do I Need A CV • We all need a CV because the vast majority of job advertisements in any industry today require you to submit a CV as part of your initial application. • A good CV, tailored to the role you are applying for, will then give the employer a good idea of whether you have the necessary skills and attributes for the role they are trying to fill. • As a result, it will leave the employer wanting to find out more about you and your experience and so they will likely then invite you to an interview where you can then talk through your CV and go into some more detail about your experience and what you can offer the employer. • Quick Fact: • In 2016, more than 94% of all CV’s submitted as part of job applications were electronic and by email. Way back in 2000, this figure was as low as 20%. So whilst it is always good to have printed copies of your CV to “hand in” to employers, it is crucial that you have an electronic version of your CV.
What Should My CV Contain? • A CV should take on the following format: • Personal details • Personal Statement/Profile • Employment History & Work Experience • Education & Training • Achievements • Language proficiency • Interests • References • Quick Fact: • A recent survey of employers showed that the first 50 words in your personal statement will determine whether or not the employer continues to read through the remainder of your CV. It’s vital therefor, that you get the personal statement at the top of your CV, just right.
How Long Should My CV Be? • A CV can be different lengths for different reasons. • For example, a young person who has just left school/college will not have a huge amount of previous work experience and so their CV should be approximately 1 side of A4 paper containing all the relevant • Information/experience they have for the job for which they are • applying. • An older adult who has been working for many years has more • experience to detail but their CV should still be no longer than • 3 sides of A4. However, where possible everyone should • always try and keep it to 2 pages. • Quick Fact: • Almost half of all CV’s (49%) that are longer than 2 pages are discarded without anyone even looking at them.
Good & Bad CV’s • In your smaller groups, look over the example CV’s you’ve just been given and then discuss and decide which ones are good CV’s and which ones are bad CV’s. • You should be able to explain why you decided which ones were good and which ones were bad.
Good & Bad CV’s Which ones were bad? Why were they bad? Which ones were good? Why were they good?
CV Statistics • Your CV must stand out if it has any chance of being shortlisted. Why you ask? • Well, it’s because: • More than 50% of CV’s are ignored because of spelling and grammar mistakes • 43% of CV’s are discarded because they are written in 3rd person • Nearly half of all CV’s longer than 2 pages are ignored • On average, recruiters spend between 5 and 10 seconds looking at a CV
CV Statistics • A whopping 76% of CV’s are put in the shredder because the applicant has an inappropriate email address. For example, their favourite beer, their football team or their political opinions etc. • 52% of people believe lying in their CV will get them an interview. 48% later admit that their lies cost them either the interview or the job. • Some employers recruit on attitude and can teach the person the skills they need to do the job – This all comes across in your personal statement and that’s why employers deem it so important • In 2016, there was an average of 118 people submitting a CV for every vacancy in the U.K.
CV Do’s and Don’ts • DO’S • Tailor your CV to the role that you are applying for. eg, speak about your skills related to customer service if you are applying for a customer focused role • Be clear and concise and don’t add any unnecessary information • Focus on your skills and experience • Use a simple, easy to read font and font size. Arial and 12pt are the main recommended font and font size for a CV • Always tell the truth • Triple check for mistakes, errors and typos and get someone else to check it for you as well • Always keep your CV up-to-date • DON’TS • Include irrelevant work experience • Include your marital status, your picture, your religion, your date of birth, your national insurance number or any other unnecessary personal information • Tell lies on your CV • Use an unprofessional or inappropriate email address • Include links to social media such as Facebook or Twitter • Use unprofessional fonts like Comic Sans • Include any clipart or emojis anywhere in your CV • Don’t make any spelling or grammar mistakes
Resources For CV Creation • https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/ • www.indeed.co.uk • www.monster.co.uk • www.myperfectcv.co.uk
