Writing the Killer CV

Discussion in 'Employment & Jobs' started by tripwire45, Aug 11, 2005.

  1. BosonMichael
    Honorary Member Highly Decorated Member Award 500 Likes Award

    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Sorry, Alex, I don't like either of them. An applicant has got approximately 15 seconds to catch the employer's eye, and neither of the CVs you listed does that. I don't need 23 bullet points showing what you specifically did at X company (and Y company and Z company); I need to know an overview of the skills and experience you can bring to my company - and general details about what you did at X company.

    If you can't summarize what you did at a company in two sentences or less, you're saying too much. Here's one of mine:

    That's all they need to know in my Work History section. If they want to know what server packages and OSes and network devices I can administer, they can look at my Experience section (listed first) where I provide my overall skillset. If they want more details, that's what the interview is for.
     
    Last edited: Nov 12, 2009
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!
  2. Alex399

    Alex399 Byte Poster

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    Yes I can see your point as one of the Job Decriptions does appear to be pretty long now that you mention it :rolleyes: but I would still enforce the point of not making a job description to short just to assume that the shorter your CV the more you stand out because the employer has time to scan your CV in 15 secs but at the same time don't over do it, an example being that rather long paragraph describing one of his jobs in the CV I marked down as good... now marked as half way to being good :biggrin... :oops:
     
    WIP: A+, N+, MCP, MCDST
  3. BosonMichael
    Honorary Member Highly Decorated Member Award 500 Likes Award

    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    It would be good to use more than one sentence in your posts as well. I hope you don't take that advice the wrong way, because seeing your other post, it doesn't seem like you take too well to advice, no matter how well intentioned. Here's to hoping we can get back on the same track, Alex.

    I never said "the shorter your CV, the more you stand out". I said, "the shorter your CV, the greater the chance that the IMPORTANT info will be seen by an employer"... thereby increasing the chances your CV will be kept. You don't quickly see the important info in your "good CV" - nothing stands out. I can quickly see that he worked for 3 years as a support engineer, but then I have to dig for stuff. I dunno about you, but I don't have time to do that, especially when receiving 150+ resumes for a job.
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!
  4. Alex399

    Alex399 Byte Poster

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    I can't see anywhere in that previous post where Ive stated that I'm not accepting your advice, If it came across that way I don't mean for it to!, I can be pretty sure you are an extremley knowledgeable person In these kind of subjects alot more than most on this forum.

    Not by any means am I pushing your advice to one side but taking it completley on board, I addressed the last half of my previous post mainly to the people reading the post and not you as I can safely assume that you know plenty about how CV's should be displayed to potential employers.

    Without having a specific/detailed Job Description to go by you can't really define the perfect CV from an employers persective... IMHO
    People have better success tailoring there CV's for each Job Description instead of having a General CV they Generically send/email out.
     
    WIP: A+, N+, MCP, MCDST
  5. nancywilliams

    nancywilliams New Member

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    Hi yorkie you took a good decision, Remember your CV should always highlight the skills you have and your achievements. Give less priority to personal details. I prepared my CV from a site where there are many CV Examples
     
    Last edited: Dec 14, 2009
  6. JonnyMX

    JonnyMX Petabyte Poster

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    Have you now...

    :rolleyes:
     
    Certifications: MCT, MCTS, i-Net+, CIW CI, Prince2, MSP, MCSD
  7. lifecoach

    lifecoach New Member

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    Whether you are looking for IT job or in any other domain, write a concise CV keeping in mind what the job profile demands. In earlier experience I found that the most of the people filled their CVs with irrelevant information which is not relevant to the job profile. Such as most of the time I found the applicants are showing some irrelevant job experiences. With these information their CV became a History book. :(
     
    Last edited: Feb 5, 2010
  8. coffeechaser311

    coffeechaser311 New Member

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    Great tips!

    You can also consider these tips on creating a resume that will surely help you land on any job you want;

    * Focus on Your Positive Achievements
    * Highlight your best points
    * Build up your image
    * Be specific with your job objective
    * Keep it short
    * Use the first page for your Job Objective, Skills, Accomplishments and Most Recent Job Experiences
    * Last but not the least, proofread your resume before submitting it to the company
     
  9. Absolute CV

    Absolute CV New Member

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    Tips for writing original job applications

    So how can you avoid making your application forms sound like they’ve been written by a contestant from the Apprentice? The following advice is based on an essay by no less an authority than George Orwell. It worked for him, so why not take his advice when writing your next job application?

    Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print. In particular, this goes for “thinking outside the box” and “proven track record”.

    Never use a long word where a short one will do. Keep your language simple and to the point. When Ernest Hemingway was criticised by William Faulkner for using short and simple words, he replied, “Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words? He thinks I don’t know the ten-dollar words. I know them all right. But there are older and simpler and better words, and those are the ones I use.”

    If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out. Like great literature, when it comes to job applications, less is more.

    Use active rather than passive sentences. For example, rather than writing, “I had a part-time job in my summer holidays” try “In my summer holidays I had a part-time job.” For the reader, it makes for a far more interesting and engaging read.

    Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent

    Break any of these rules sooner than writing anything which makes you sound like a contestant on the Apprentice.

    Dr Paul Redmond is head of careers and employability at the University of Liverpool and vice-president of the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services.

    Posted by Paul Redmond Monday 24 January 2011 10.46 GMT: The Guardian
     
    djjurky likes this.
  10. LilyRose

    LilyRose New Member

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    You can perfectly write a killer CV all by yourself. There are plenty of examples on the web
     
  11. HenryKnight

    HenryKnight New Member

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    The link looks dead to me. Anyone else struggling to find it?
    But I did want to say that in my humle...

    You should always write your CV to suit the job you're chasing.
    I mean start with your best CV, but tweak it to say the things you expect your potential new employer to be looking for in the successful client.

    Obviously not talking about fibbing here, but just bending the truth to fit the role.

    Bottom line, everyone's got a computer these days and if you want the job badly enough then spending 10 or 20 minutes editing your work experience to create a tailor-made CV for each job shouldn't be too much trouble.
    TIP: Keep a copy of each edit and you'll soon have a library of bespoke CVs or have landed your ideal gig ;)
     
  12. HenryKnight

    HenryKnight New Member

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    The original link in this post is dead, but wanted to add my thoughts anyway.

    A CV is never finished, you should work on it constantly. Everyone has a computer these days (or access to one) and you should always be looking at ways to improve or update your resume. Keep it tight, keep it short and give it a re-write for just about every job you apply for, tweaking it to suit the needs of each company you contact.
     
  13. linuxuser

    linuxuser Nibble Poster

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    Well said.

    I actively work on my CV whether I am looking for a new job or not.
     
    Certifications: ITIL v3, IS Foundation

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