Applying for a Job
Curriculum Vitae
The CV is often the first contact a potential employer has with a
job seeker.
To be useful, it must make a good impression immediately.
The current practice by HR Departments is to give each resume
a quick glance (10-20 seconds), discard those that appear
disorganized or too wordy and file the rest.
On the average, only one or two out of 100 CV’s mailed will
result in an interview. But employers still ask for CV’s and a good
CV continues to provide a competitive edge in the majority of
professional, administrative and managerial occupations.
What Does a CV Accomplish?
A CV tells the prospective employer what you have accomplished in the past
and what you can do for their company now.
The CV's primary function is to sell your talents and skills to an employer-clearly, forcefully and quickly.
In a sense, you are selling yourself and the CV is your advertisement. It
serves as your advance contact to awaken an employer's interest and to
generate an interview.
Be prepared to spend some time and effort in writing an effective resume.
You will need two types of information:
About Yourself. You need a clear picture of your job talents, work history,
education and career goals.
About the Job. Gather as much specific information as possible about the
position for which you are applying.
Your resume should show that your skills, education, achievements, work
experience and past job achievements are related to the position
requirements.
Successful CV Writing
A good curriculum vitae - or CV - is vital
when looking for work, especially when
there are numerous candidates for the
same job, so what should it contain?
There is no perfect template, and each sector may require a
different emphasis on a different aspect of the content, such as
career history or qualifications.
However, experts suggest there are some basic rules on how a
CV should be written and the information that should be
included.
The basic format for a CV includes:
 Personal details, including name, address, phone number, email
address and possibly any professional social media presence. You no
longer need to include your date of birth, owing to age
discrimination rules
 Career history, starting with your most recent job first. Include dates
and temporary or voluntary jobs if appropriate
 A personal profile which sells yourself and your qualities, tailored
towards the job you are applying for
 Achievements from previous jobs that are relevant
 Qualifications and training from previous jobs, with the most recent
first
 Interests, if they are relevant and especially if the skills or teamwork
concerned are relevant for the job
 Any extra information, such as reasons for gaps in career history,
such as caring duties
 References, ideally two or more and including a recent employer or
educational provider.
• Overall, a CV should be neat and typed if possible. Most
libraries now have public computers, if you do not have your
own.
• It should also be short, usually no more than two sides of A4.
It should be positive, stressing achievements and strengths,
and make a good impression in a clear and positive way.
• A straightforward font and formatting is required - and the
spelling must be checked and checked again.
• Poor spelling is the quickest way of getting a rejection
• Check five or six adverts for a particular job and then use the
common requirements to mould your CV.
• "Many people think that one CV will fit all applications, but it
needs to be a very targeted document for the role they are
going for. Do some research so you understand what
employers are looking for."
Let’s Get Going
If you already have a CV then you
can start from looking at it more
carefully.
Does it have all the points we
have been discussing?
If you have not got a CV then
look at the templates in your
hand out and get some
information on paper.
WE are now going to create a
Successful CV / Resume
Sample Action Verbs
• Management
• Conducted, coordinated, developed, directed, established, evaluated, facilitated, formulated,
guided, improved, presided, scheduled, supervised, trained
• Communication
• Addressed, clarified, conferred, drafted, explained, formulated, motivated, negotiated,
persuaded, presented, promoted, translated, wrote
• Technical
• Analysed, assembled, built, consulted, designed, examined, identified, interpreted, operated,
overhauled, remodelled, repaired, researched, revised
• Helping
• Advised, arranged, coached, counselled, diagnosed, facilitated, instructed, oriented, represented
• Creative
• Conceptualized, created, designed, fashioned, illustrated, initiated, invented, originated,
performed
• Research
• Assessed, designed, evaluated, identified, inspected, researched, summarized
• Financial
• Administered, analysed, balanced, budgeted, calculated, contracted, forecast, marketed, planned,
projected, recommended
• Clerical
• Revised, collected, catalogued, classified, compiled clarified, indexed, organized, prepared,
processed, simplified, systemized
• Sales
• Consolidated, distributed, expedited, generated, increased, marketed, obtained, penetrated,
promoted, recruited, stimulated
Cover Letter
Each time you mail your CV always include a cover letter stating
your interest in the company.
The letter, however, should not duplicate your CV information. It
should briefly highlight the skills or positions you held previously
that are appropriate to the position you seek. It also can be used
to add additional information that you think is important to the
employer.
Your cover letter should:
• Describe how your skills and abilities will benefit the company.
• Provoke the employer to read your CV
• Request a job interview.
Elements of a Cover Letter
Opening. Explain why you are writing. State the position you
are seeking and the source of the job opening (e.g.,
newspaper ad, professional organisation, colleague).
Main body. Highlight your job qualifications and link them to
the company’s needs. Show that you know something about
the company and are interested in their products or services.
Explain why you chose this company. For example, you know
someone who works there, you use their products or you
heard about their good reputation.
Closing. Show your interest in an opportunity for an interview.
Be sure to include your name, address and telephone number.
Thank the employer for his or her time.
Cover Letter Openings
• While visiting ABC Company's web site, I noticed you are
seeking an Administrative Assistant.
• At a Careers event I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Smith,
and was informed that ABC Company is actively seeking an
ambitious sales representative.
• Through a recent advert in the Evening Post, I read with
interest that you are seeking an Apprentice in the Admin
department.
• I was recently speaking with Mr. Smith from ABC Company. He
recommended that I send you a copy of my CV. Knowing the
requirements for the accounting position, he felt that I would
make an ideal candidate.
Tips on Preparing a Cover Letter
• Write an individualized cover letter for each job employer. .
• Address the letter to the person you want to contact,
preferably the one doing the employing.
• Type letters on quality 8 1/2" x 11 " paper. .
• Use correct grammar, spelling and punctuation. .
• Convey personal warmth and enthusiasm. .
• Keep your letter short and to the point. .
• Follow-Up
• Keep a Reminder file of the CV’s you send out and follow up
with a phone call.
• Surveys have shown that only two percent of CV mailed to
employers result in an interview.
• If you follow up with a phone call, the success rate jumps to 20
percent.
“Hello I just rang to find out if you received my application”
Thank You for Your Attention