Career Success Tips

CV writing tips

Designing a CV
Your Curriculum Vitae is a personal record of who you are and what you have achieved up to this point in your life. It provides the employer with a summary of your past experiences and training. A CV is usually accompanied by a cover letter when applying for a job.

What should a CV look like?
A CV starts off with your name, address and contact details. It may then give some personal details, including your date of birth, ID number and citizenship (but this is not compulsory). It should include your latest education history and any experience that you may have.

Your CV plays a key role in the job application and is generally used as the first selection tool. Most CVs follow a similar structure. Once you have this basic format in place, you can modify the final design to suit your own taste. Many people make the mistake of drafting a single CV, which they send with every application. However, some details, such as the part-time jobs or committee functions you have helped, may be pertinent for one position, yet totally irrelevant for another. With every application you going to make, consider whether your CV can be submitted as is or whether certain information should be included or omitted.

How long should it be?
Any CV that you submit to a company for employment should not be longer that two pages. This is because an employer gets numerous applications for each job. Only give the most important information that is relevant to the job you are applying for.

Tailor your CV
A CV should emphasize abilities and achievements that are directly relevant to the job or position you are applying for. Read the advertisement and job specification to make sure that you understand exactly what the employer is looking for, show how you meet the criteria using the cover letter and the CV as a reference. You can upgrade your CV as you get new qualifications, skills and experience.

Emphasize your Skills
As a young person you may lack work experience and therefore it is important to highlight skills that you have acquired by emphasizing what you can do for the employer. List short courses that you have done or experience that you have had outside of formal school hours. List any special skills, for example, language, computer, leaderships skills, organisational skills, etc.

CV tips

Use a good quality A4 paper
Make sure your CV is clean
Make sure the CV does not have dog-eared pages (corners of the pages are not bent)
Check your spelling and grammar (unlike on Facebook or BBM where you just use short words)
Make sure that it is neat
Leave plenty of white space
Have your CV typed out

You are as Google says you are (Facebook, twitter, etc.)
Before sending off your CV, take a minute to see if a Google search on your name reveals any information that might contradict your CV. Your employer could easily access this information. Check, too, that there are no pictures or wall posts in Facebook that could damage your reputation.

Qualification and course
For each qualification and/or course you have completed, include:
The start and end dates of the programme
The name of the school/institute and
The location

Also indicate whether you obtained a degree or diploma, together with the date. Programmes that you did not complete by receiving a degree or diploma must also be mentioned. Avoid negative statements such as ‘failed’ or ‘incomplete’. Work backwards from the qualification/course that you have completed most recently to your secondary school (it is not necessary to mention primary school). Your most recent qualification should be mentioned first, as it probably provides the clearest link between your skills and competencies and the position for which you are applying. Only include your marks if they are exceptionally good.

Work experience
For every position you have held, you should indicate:
The start and end dates of your activities
The name of the position
The name of the organisation and
Your most important duties and responsibilities

Temporary and holiday work can also be included in your list, as any work that you have done contributes toward your experience.

Traineeships or internships

Traineeships forming part of your qualification, like voluntary work, may be worth highlighting in your CV. Often, traineeships or internships are the only avenue for graduates to gain work experience. Indicate what duties you performed, what responsibilities were entrusted to you and what you achieved during the period of your traineeship or internship.

Additional information/ extramural activities
The achievements and qualities that you acquired while studying can be an important addition to your ‘personal profile’. This may include the following activities:
Active membership of an association
Executive positions
Work in committees
Political activities
International experience
Business course

Inclussion of photographs
People often include photos of themselves on their CV. Don’t! Unless you are applying to be a model or wish to work as an actor/ actress, then including a photo with/ on your CV is definitely not recommended. Photographs often allow recruiters, rightly or wrongly, to develop a preconceived idea of you as a person. And this might well count against you. They may have an irrational aversion to facial hair for example! An example is the most appropriate place for the recruiters to first see an applicant, not the CV.

Missing or inappropriate email address
Whilst having no email address at all on your CV is clearly a problem, it’s not something seen very often. Far more common is the use of fun or jokey email addresses. Whilst these may be fine for corresponding with friends and family, employers will probably regard more ‘serious’ email addresses as simply more professional. You might have the perfect CV, but if your email address is mrluvverman@example.com then it may harm your chances! It is, therefore, suggested that you open a new email account to use for professional purposes (Hotmail, yahoo or gmail) and keep your professional correspondence separate from your personal correspondence.

Superflous personal details at the top of the CV
Some people often feel that it is compulsory to include details such as their marital status, nationality, number (and ages) of children/ dependents, etc. While, yes, it certainly used to be the norm to include this sort of information on a CV, it is now increasingly rare, given modern anti-discrimination legislation, to find these sorts of details on a CV. They simply aren’t relevant anymore. Too many candidates get too personal. A recruiter does not need to know whether or not you are married, how many children you have, where you like to go on holiday, what your partner’s name is, what you normally have for breakfast.. These facts should not affect whether or not you can do the job! They simply clutter up your CV, making it hard for recruiters to get to the key information that they really need to us.

Referees included
Details of referees generally shouldn’t be included on your CV. They are a waste of valuable space! A simple statement at the bottom of your CV saying, ‘References are available on request’ is more than sufficient because it’s not information that a recruiter needs to have up front.

However, normally two referees are sufficient: one academic (perhaps your tutor or a project supervisor) and one from an employer (perhaps your last part-time or summer job).

My five top tips to make your CV stand out:

• Maximise readability
• Include a Professional Profile and Objective
• Include Achievements where possible
• Keep your CV concise and to-the-point
• Target/tailor your CV

Please do not hesitate to come to Career Centre for more indepth information about CVs. We have got plenty of CV examples here at Career Centre. You can even bring your CV and we just go through to every section together to make it effective and stand out.

Job Interview tips

The purpose of the job interview is to give the employer the opportunity to meet and evaluate the applicant for a position in the organization. It is a chance for the employer to ask questions. The questions an interviewer will ask will depend on the particular job and the type of person they are looking for.

The prospect of job interview can be nerve-wracking, but any potentially awkward situation can be avoided by preparing yourself thoroughly. . There are three steps to follow when preparing for a job interview, as show below:

STEP 1
Before the interview:
Find out dress code, time etc.
Do research on the company
Find out what type of interview

STEP 2
During the interview:
What questions to expect
What questions to ask
The dos and don’ts.
 
STEP 3
After the interview
Reflection
Follow up
Dealing with rejection.

Good Preparation Requires:

Content preparation:

if you have your sights set on a position at a specific company, you need to be familiar with the organisation. That’s not to say you need to know its turnover for the past 10 years ,but it is useful to have done some research. Good preparation will make you feel self-confident.

Mental preparation:

Set  goal for yourself, so that you know what  you want to achieve with the interview. Read  you letter and your CV carefully, then read it again so that you recall everything you have displayed, the qualities you have listed .

Physical preparation:

It is important that you are ready to give of your best.  Make sure that you are well rested and that you feel positive. Wear clothes that you find comfortable, but which also suit the culture of the organization. Arriving on time will make you feel at ease and allow you to absorb the atmosphere within the company.

Language and Tone

It is important that you speak clearly. People who mumble or speak unintelligibly are seen as less assertive. Pay attention to you speech volume; it should not be too loud (which is viewed as impolite)but nor should it be too soft, as you will appear insecure and shy.

You tone is equally important. An enthusiastic, self-confident tone usually makes the best impression.

Body Language:

Your body language says a lot about you. In fact, recruiters look at your body language to judge whether you are insecure or self-confident, whether you a calm personality type and whether or not you are telling the truth. Your body language also indicates qualities like enthusiasm and friendliness, and how you handle stress.

First Meeting:

Before your interview, you will usually be asked to take a seat somewhere until someone comes to fetch you. Shake hands firmly and make eye contact with the other person. If there are other people in the meeting area sitting behind a table, you should walk around the table to introduce yourself and shake hands rather than bending across the table. Make eye contact with every person you greet and introduce yourself rather than assuming that they know your name.

What should you do with your arms?
Many people don’t know what to do with their arms during an interview. Many of us are inclined to fold our arms when we are in situations that make us feel  vulnerable, as this gives a sense of protection. However, this is sign of resistance. It is better to rest your arms loosely in your lap or place them in a relaxed manner on the armrests of your chair. it is also easier to support your words with hand gestures from such a position.

Movement: a dynamic interview
Nodding your head while you speak is a good way to reinforce or emphasise what you say. Gestures can also liven up the discussion. Usually its better to use your hands less in the beginning and gradually increase your gestures. Watch your interview partners as well: if they use their hands a lot to indicate thing, you can certainly do so as well. Just as with posture, it is important to attune your movement to theirs. Shuffling with your feet, kicking against a table leg, drumming with your fingers or clicking a ballpoint pen will detract from your professional image.

Eye contact:
During the interview, it is important to make equal eye contact with all interview partners. By looking at the other person, you give a sign of trust. When answering a question, you should first look at the person who asked the question, but while you continue speaking you should look at the other interview partners in turn. You should turn to the person who asked the question again when you want to emphasise something and at the end of your answer.

NB. Fact: 70% of recruiters decide within a minute whether or not they are interested in your application. You  first impression is therefore very important.
Tip: Be yourself. The goal of an interview is to ascertain whether you are  the best person for the position. By giving an honest reflection of yourself, the interviewer will see that you act within integrity - a quality which counts in your favour.
Task—checklist in order to prepare: Carefully read the website of the company;
Speak to people you know working at the company;
Read the company annual reports ;
Collect newspaper and magazine articles about the company;
Tip: Write down five questions before you go for your interview .You may  wish to look at your list at the end of the interview to see if all your questions have been answered;

Task—checklist in order to prepare:
Done content preparation
Done mental preparation
Done physical preparation
Thought of questions
Studied your CV and letter
Printed your CV and letter to take along to the interview

Fact to remember: 55%  first impression that we make is determined by non-verbal communication (body language and the colour and style of our clothes). About 38% by the sound of our voices and only 7% by the thing that we say.

TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS
The first discussion over the telephone is often the most important interview because it is the first contact that an applicant has with an employer or employment agency. Very often the advertisement is placed in the newspaper by a personnel agent or employment agency. A personnel agent is the person that the employer uses to screen candidates over the telephone. If you are successful in the telephone interview, you may then be asked to attend an interview face-to-face

You should:
Learn how to  respond to advertisement on the telephone.
Practice your telephone skills by replying to some advertisements in the newspaper
Listen carefully to the question asked and answer appropriately.
Select your words carefully, and speak clearly and concisely on the telephone.

If you are responding to an advertisement:
First decide what question you are going to ask.
Write down the questions
Have the advertisement in front of you when you call.

When leaving a message on a voice-mail or answering machine:
Prepare a clear and concise message
State the date and time you are calling
Leave your name and clear contact details
State the purpose of your call
Say that you will call again.

Telephone interview checklist
for the applicant:

Greet them politely. Don’t say hello rather say, good morning or good afternoon “this is frank speaking. Be polite by asking whether it is a good time to call.

State clearly which position you are applying for.

Find out to whom you are speaking. Ask them to spell their name if necessary.

Have a pen and paper ready to write down names, possible question, dates and times, contact numbers, address, etc.

Address the interviewer by name.

Be ready to answer questions put by the interviewer. Respond to the interviewer’s comments by saying things such as, “yes ,I understand”.

Speak clearly , and do not speak too fast.

think carefully before responding to questions.

Finish the call with a summary of what has been decided and what is to be done next.

Allow the interviewer to hang up first.

More information is available at Career Centre. Please book an appointment on 046 603 7070 or email careercentre@ru.ac.za or just visit us and read our latest books on writing an effective CV or job interviews.