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Effective CVs and Covering Letters. Janet Woolnough Purple Door Careers and Recruitment. Session overview. Key features of a CV How to target your CV Different styles and approaches Covering letters. Effective CVs – a checklist. Personal document – there is no right way to do a CV
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Effective CVs and Covering Letters Janet Woolnough Purple Door Careers and Recruitment
Session overview • Key features of a CV • How to target your CV • Different styles and approaches • Covering letters
Effective CVs – a checklist • Personal document – there is no right way to do a CV • Targeted - towards a particular job, type of work, employer • Format – easy to read, use appropriate headings and bullet points effectively, avoid long paragraphs • Language style - use active words (eg organised, developed), avoid the use of ‘I’ • Recent and relevant information on first page • Maximum 2 pages of A4
Personal profile: in or out? • Keep it factual and to the point • Avoid statements that haven’t been backed up by CV • Career objective instead? Final year criminology student with extensive experience in ………….. and knowledge of ………. seeking ……………….
What is your message? • How would you advertise this car to males age 18-25 • What are the key messages you would use? • What images / atmosphere would you want to create? • What would be different if your target audience was female age 30-45?
How to target effectively • What are the requirements of the job? • What evidence do you have? • Show the match • Look at advert, job description, person specification • Identify relevant skills and experience • Ordering of information • Balance of information • How you describe your experience
Marketing your education Degree • How relevant is the content? Overview or detail • Skills developed • Dissertation/relevant projects Other education A level grades – in or out GCSEs – 10 GCSE C+ including Maths, English and Science
Marketing your experience • Outline your key responsibilities and achievements – not just skills gained • Unrelated jobs can be made relevant by showing skills • Include relevant voluntary experienc • Consider clustering your experience e.g. Relevant experience – other experience Social care experience – other experience • Lots of similar experience – cluster them together • How far back should you go?
Other interests and activities This is generally expected on UK CVs • Voluntary work • Positions of responsibility – eg course rep • Other hobbies Don’t just state – expand
Social and Recreational activities • Stamps • Insects • Reading • Drama • Motorsports • Rugby
Social and recreational interests • Entrepreneur buys and sells • Journeyed to Mt Kenya on insect expedition to insects • Frequent visitor of second hand bookshops and enjoys reading and finding old manuscripts • Stamps • Insects • Reading
Details are important 2003 – 2004 University Diving Society: Social Events Organiser • Organised numerous social events in the society’s calendar, including the annual campus supper
Paragraph v bullet -point 2003 – 2004 University Diving Society: Social Events Organiser • Organised six events including successful annual “campus supper” • Over 250 tickets sold (increase of 25% on previous year) • In charge of committee of six, with weekly planning meetings • Particular responsibility for organising the catering - marking sure right food arrived at right time and place
CV Styles and Sample CVs • Skills based CV • Chronological CV • Hybrid CV Look at the example CVs you have been given. How effective are they in terms of: How they look and how they sell the student
Covering letters • Use a business style and be concise • Use the correct form of valediction -Yours sincerely or Yours faithfully • Aim for 3 – 4 paragraphs on one side of A4 paper Suggested layout Para 1 Who you are and why you are writing Para 2 Why interested in role/organisation Para 3 What you can offer Nice positive ending
CVs – Further information and help • CV Wednesday – 11-4 each week • CV Wednesday Resource Pack – Careers Centre • Applications and CVs – AGCAS booklet www.prospects.ac.uk www.targetjobs.co.uk
Effective Application Forms Competence based questions – use information on Victory and in handbook • Use STAR approach when providing your examples: Scenario Task Action Result Describe your role in a team situation. How did you contribute to the effectiveness of the team? Arcadia Group Application Form
Business Awareness Questions • Might be about the employment sector or the specific employer • Some research required to answer these types of question (eg company websites, annual reports) Please describe in your own words: Why you are applying to Acenture, and how you feel the company differentiates itself from its competitors. Acenture Graduate Scheme
Career related questions • Might ask why you have applied for the job or why you want to work in this field • Require you to show awareness of the skills & qualities needed in the job Tell us what steps you have taken to clarify your career choice. What other careers are you considering? Price Waterhouse Coopers
The big open question/personal statement/outline below how your skills and experience ……………… • These questions look easier but in fact are much harder to answer • Find this type of form with many employers and course applications but not usually for graduate schemes • Starting with why you are applying for role/how it links with your background can work • You must still show you meet their needs and show the match – look at person specification/advert • Ordering – chronological or use of sub-headings?
Application Assignment Options • Generic graduate application form • CV + covering letter • Specific application form For options 2 and 3 details of the job/course applied for must be included. • Job description/specification • Advert • Course details • Similar job role from www.prospects.ac.uk
Contact us Purple Door Careers and RecruitmentUniversity of Portsmouth28 Guildhall WalkPortsmouthPO1 2DD 023 9284 2684www.port.ac.uk/careersandrecruitment