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Learn how to prepare a winning CV/resume, understand the employer's expectations, and explore different career paths. Maximize your chances of landing your dream job.
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259192English Activity Week 4
Last Time… • Job Hunting • Career Paths & Future Directions
This Week • CV / Resumes • What are CVs and Resumes for? • What is the employer looking for? • How to prepare your CV.
What is a CV/Resume For? • “To get a job” • “To market yourself” • “To sell your skills, abilities, qualifications, experience…” • An interface between you and a possible job? • To keep track of your achievements?
CV or Resume? • Curriculum Vitae or Résumé • CV <- English… • Resume <- Americans… • But are there any other differences?
CV or REsume • Length • A CV is generally longer than a Resume (A Resume would probably be 1 page) • Purpose • A resume is a brief summary of your skills & experience, a CV is a full record of your career history, in chronological order • Layout • A CV is generally static, with customisations made in a cover letter, while a resume is organized for a particular occasion • Or so they say…
Who is going to see your CV? • The future boss… • Me? • If I have a pile of 50 CVs for 1 job, what am I going to do? • When I’d rather be down the pub? • I am trying to filter you out…
Personal Details • Name • Address • Email Address • Telephone Number • Date of Birth? • Photograph? • What Photo?
What Email Address? • drkencosh@gmail.com • happylittlefish@yahoo.com • lifesucks@mail.com • lazyboy@hotmilk.com • sexylittlecutiepie@datingforyou.com
Qualifications • Your degree subject • CMU • What grades / GPA? • Depends if it’s good! • Depends if it is related to the job! • Might be worth mentioning the courses you did best in! • High School GPA?
Work Experience • Compare:- • “Worked in a restaurant in the evenings” • vs • “Worked as part of a team, providing quality service to customers at ‘ABC restaurant’” • or even • “Part of a team organizing Freshman activities within the Entaneer club.”
Work Experience • Relate it to the job you want • Numeracy? Problem Solving? Coding? Analytical Skills? People skills? • Use action words • “Developed”, “Planned”, “Organised”, “Lead” • Stick in some keywords • “Cross cultural environment” • “Team work” • Stick in some results • “Ensured daily sales targets were met” • “100% safety record”
Interests & Achievements • Compare with Work Experience • As you get more experience that section will grow, while this will shrink… • Think! What will your interests say about you? • “Play Computer Games… Play DOTA2” • Hmmmmz! • “Sport, sport, sport, sport…” • Can you relate to nonsporty people? • “Reading, watching tv, stamp collecting…” • Solo loner?
Interests & Achievements • Something out of the ordinary! • What makes you, you? Sky diving? Traveling? • But why did you travel, and what did you learn? • Try to match your interests to the job… • Keeping up to date with technology blogs…? • Leadership – were you captain of a team? • Employable skills • Team-working, organizing, planning, persuading, negotiating…
Interests & Achievements • These can become talking point during interview… • DO NOT LIE!!!
BULLETS!!! • Use bullet points! • We like lists, they are easy to read and keep track of… • But, having complete sentences & paragraphs can be useful too…
Skills • Languages…? • Programming Languages…?
References • Available on request? • Who should be your reference? • Someone who likes you… ;) • Someone with a good reputation… ;) • Your advisor / teacher… • A former employer…
3 pages to 2? • Margins? • Font size? • Columns? • Boxes? • The opposite of the ‘tricks’ you use for your assignments..!
1 Page to 2? • Think a bit more – there are things that make you special..! • But 1 page can be good and efficient too.
Why would CV’s be automatically rejected? • CVs with spelling mistakes or typos 61% • CVs that copied large amounts of wording from the job posting 41% • CVs with an inappropriate email address 35% • CVs that don’t include a list of skills 30% • CVs that are more than two pages long 22% • CVs printed on decorative paper 20% • CVs that detail more tasks than results for previous positions 16% • CVs that include a photo 13% • CVs that have large blocks of text with little white space 13% (Career Builder)
What don’t Employers like • Spelling and grammar 56% of employers found this • Not tailored to the job 21% • Length not right & poor work history 16% • Poor format and no use of bullets 11% • No accomplishments 9% • Contact & email problems 8% • Objective/profile was too vague 5% • Lying 2% • Having a photo 1%
Top Tips • Use a Basic Font • Include all your contact info • Add a profile / objective • Include Keywords (matching job descriptions) • Prioritise content • Write a custom CV • Tweak for latest technology • Choose format (chronological or targeted?) • Use a template • Remember the cover letter
Oh… • And DON’T LIE!!!