A Curriculum Vitae (CV) is the first critical step on the employment ladder. It is a seriously undervalued stage in the process. Essentially it is a selling tool that portrays who you are and what you have achieved. In Latin, it means ‘Life Story’ therefore it should outline your skills, attributes and experiences during your professional life. We will help you to extract and prioritise the information in order to demonstrate how this 'story' adds value to the prospect employer.
In a sense it is a written invitation to a potential employer as a pitch to obtain an interview; whereby you can verbally sell yourself to decision makers. The CV is used by Employers to determine your profile, plus establish if you can manage the duties that are outlined in the job description.
Writing an effective CV will increase your prospects of getting an interview. It must be maintained and updated on a regular basis. You should avoid either over or underselling yourself so get the right balance of accurate and concise information. Establish your strongest Unique Selling Points (USPs) and then package the remaining content around these USPs. Consider if you have completed the following tasks:
Developed an 'executive summary' as an introduction to you
- Formatted the document apppropriately
- Conducted a spell and grammar check
- Made the information concise
- Tailored it appropriately for the specific role.
This section of the website is designed to guide you through the elements of the CV. It oulines the importance of a Cover Letter and also provides advice on the style and content of your CV. Further support is available to all registered Jobseekers who can receive feedback from their individual consultant.
Cover Letter
Your cover letter is your first (and best) chance to make a good impression! It should be specific to the role and surmise your CV in a couple of lines. An effective cover letter should outline the reasons for your interest in the company and the role.
The cover letter gives you another chance to sell how you can contribute to the company. When scribing a Cover Letter, you should:
- Conduct a spelling and grammar check.
- Address it to the appropriate person. If it states correspondence must be addressed to the HR Manager, do not sent it to the CEO or Dear Sir/Madam!
- Try to impress so outline your familiarity with the company and the industry - briefly.
- Use terminology that is appropriate so relate facts that are relevant to the duties and highlight them in bold or underline.
- Thank the reader for the opportunity.
- Date the letter, sign it and type your name below.
Content
Outline your education, experience, skills and attributes. If you have earned / obtained any professional or academic achievements e.g. 1st in the Institute or MCIPD then include it along with any membership of professional bodies.
When outlining your current or previous employment, don't copy and paste what your job descriptions states. Consultants at Abacus always find during registration that Jobseekers tend to under sell themselves. It is only during discussions that Jobseekers actually feel that they go beyond the line in their role. So why not use it as a strong reflection now!
Dates are important. Write down the details of when you started and finished each job because this is always a common query from clients. If you have gaps between employment, describe what you did with your time e.g. travelling, unemployed, education or volunteering.
Although the CV is comprehensive you should always try to tailor it to a specific position wherever possible. Always be honest and accurate in your information because Employers will use your CV and interview performance in order to obtain references – and may take this as a chance to check your details or comments.
Try to keep it concise and approximately 2 or 3 pages long. Once drafted, ask a friend or family to read it because they may spot an inaccuracy or mistake that you may overlook even though you have read it 20 times!
