The CV &amp; Covering Letter Thread [New CV Help Forum Now Open]

hi,
has anyone got a really good example/template of a cv I'm trying to pimp mine out you see, thanks :smile:

Plenty of advice on the CV thread, check out the first post on the entire thread which gives all the key points. Once you've applied those points you should be half way there, then you can load your CV into the thread to get specific points if you want.

Reply 1584

Appreciate the help so far. Feel the CV is improving, albeit very very slowly. It's a lot harder than I was expecting (the last one I did was ages ago in the Word CV Wizard for a school project :biggrin:

)

Still think all the experiences etc listed are quite tenuous (I'm not sure what sort of stuff I can say to prove that I'm a good worker as an individual beyond citing my academic stuff?)

sv90

Appreciate the help so far. Feel the CV is improving, albeit very very slowly. It's a lot harder than I was expecting (the last one I did was ages ago in the Word CV Wizard for a school project :biggrin:

)

Still think all the experiences etc listed are quite tenuous (I'm not sure what sort of stuff I can say to prove that I'm a good worker as an individual beyond citing my academic stuff?)

It is getting better, but it still has a long way to go. And you are right, it's very difficult to write a strong CV. However, you aren't giving me much to work with so far, I can spin a lot of things, but I need the basic evidence to work with!

You really need to think more laterally about what you have done in life, you must have done something more than the very little stuff you have mentioned so far. No Dof E, no school clubs, no musical instruments, no school magazine articles, no weird collections, no charity work, no sponsored walks etc?

You can cite academic work, but there are a few issues, it only impresses academic style employers (ie no us efor shop assistant or bar type jobs) and it only really works if you have started on failing grades and achieved top grades.

Reply 1586

I did do a trek-type exercise (similar to DofE) when on CCF...could that be linked to responsibility, organisation etc? I used to play an instrument but not to any particularly good level (grade 2 iirc, it was years ago) and I think that would be better left out. When you say school clubs, do you mean attended or run?

OK, well a trek type thing can usually be worked into something, was it anything with a name like the Ten Tors, or Njimegen (sp!)? That could be linked to teamwork certainly, possibly leadership and organisation. School clubs - run is better, but you might be able to get something out of attended!

Reply 1588

nah, was just a DofE type thing through some remote location (I can't remember where) in England.

Reply 1589

threeportdrift

Plenty of advice on the CV thread, check out the first post on the entire thread which gives all the key points. Once you've applied those points you should be half way there, then you can load your CV into the thread to get specific points if you want.

thanks very much :smile:

Reply 1590

I know this is a bit random but i wanted to add a page border to my cv but every time i click add a border it just puts a border round the line my cursors on, does anyone know how you get a border on the whole page

Reply 1591

Good bloke

19

Lgold92

I know this is a bit random but i wanted to add a page border to my cv but every time i click add a border it just puts a border round the line my cursors on, does anyone know how you get a border on the whole page

I suggest you read the advice in the opening post of this thread. Page borders are a seriously bad idea - they are distracting to the reader - don't do it. It seems that your word processsor is trying to save you from yourself.

Reply 1592

emmaholloway

OK, I have a question.

I have just got my AS results and I want to apply for a job, do I put these results down or should I leave it with the predicted grades for A2 and then the AS in the one I am dropping.

I would be fine with doing that accept my predicted grades are BBBC but I achieved AAAB at AS...

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Reply 1593

Good bloke

19

A CV is about what you have achieved and experienced, not what you might achieve in the future. Put down your AS grades if they are relevant.

Reply 1594

Good bloke

I suggest you read the advice in the opening post of this thread. Page borders are a seriously bad idea - they are distracting to the reader - don't do it. It seems that your word processsor is trying to save you from yourself.

haha save me from myself and ok i shall do! thanks :smile:

Reply 1595

username156343

15

Here's my CV, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Also, it is slightly over 1 page, any help on reducing the size or should i just leave it as it is.

Rizzletastic

Here's my CV, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Also, it is slightly over 1 page, any help on reducing the size or should i just leave it as it is.

You need to make it much crisper and give it more impact. The first thing is to redesign the language to remove the 'I did this' construction. It should just read 'Communicated with...', 'Responsible for...', it's all about you, the I is taken as read. This should save quite a bit of space.

Dates should be written in chronological order ie 2001-2008, you just put the events in reverse chronology.

Delete studying, replace with Bsc, BA or whatever.

Put date, job title and location on a single line, bolding the job title

Remember that the employer isn't really bothered with the detail of what you did, just the headline skill and experience. You could make the job descriptions a lot more concise.

Double check some of your statements - if no reasonable person wouldn't do/enjoy what you claim then the claim is worthless. So going out with friends, meeting new people, reading, going to the cinema etc are not worth mentioning.

You have to be a little stronger in offering evidence for your claims - simply playing 5 a-side football doesn't really show organisational skills, being the manager, team coach, league secretary etc might. Check you are really giving evidence for the words you use, not just putting in important CV words.

Drop the 'one week' no need to show them it was such a short time unless they ask.

You might want to look at putting the skills sections under the job descriptions, ie breaking the job sections into two parts, Responsibilities and then Skills. At the moment, it's not immediately clear how you gained the skills you claim, but part of that is because your job descriptions are too wordy at the moment.

Reply 1597