Effective CVsAndrew Falconer

An effective CV

Recruitment contextPrinciples of effective CVs

Covering letters

What is a CV for ?

• Marketing document

• Career overview

• To show you have the relevant skills, qualities, experience & motivation for the post

• To present an accurate and positive picture of yourself

• To get an interview!

What do I need to know ?

• Who is going to read it?

• What are they looking for?

• Do I have what they need?

Think like a recruiter!

Sell me.....

Give the employer what they want!

• Read the job description

• Read the person specification

• Know the company and its market

• Identify what they need and where you can fit it.

What are they looking for ?  

Financial Affairs Writer

• Bachelors degree – preferably in English, Marketing, or Finance and/or experience of working in B2B marketing environment.

• Female preferred• Church going Christian essential..• Strong interest in and understanding of the financial industry • Creativity and the ability to communicate effectively • Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail • Ability to prioritise a high volume of projects • This is a sensitive environment. Only heterosexuals should apply.• Ability to work as a member of a team, as well as with all types and levels of

professional • Passion for writing • High level of self motivation; ability to work independently without constant

supervision. • Youth and desire to travel

And then Human Resources send you this…..

Vacancy 09/03 Financial Affairs Writer

Criteria King Saunders Chunge Fairs Psmith

Bachelors Degree          

Bachelors Degree - English          

Bachelors Degree - Marketing          

Bachelors Degree - Finance          

Relevent work experience          

Commercial / Sector Awareness          

Creativity          

Communication          

Organisational Skills          

Attention to Detail          

Prioritise workloads          

Teamwork          

Interpersonnel Skills          

Passion for writing          

Interest in travel          

           

Score          

The CV – True or False ?

• The CV must be at least 3 pages.• Employers like photographs.• You must include your address. • CVs should contain tables and grids.• Careers Advisers proof-read CVs.• Hobbies should only be in the covering letter.• Everyone lies on their CV!

CV basics

• CVs are full of facts

• Evidence = fact

• Fact = not an opinion• Determined, creative and dedicated individual with excellent

time management and organisation skills = opinion

• Current History student with experience of quantitative and qualitative research. Betty Holloway Award for Cleanliness 2011. Member of Staff / Student committee 2011 – present. = fact

How to make a recruiter like you

• 2 page maximum (UK)

• Use white space and make it look pretty

• Relevant information is easy to find.

• Give most space to most relevant experience

How to make a recruiter hate you

• Ramble on without tailoring the CV

• Misspell words

• Use inconsistent fonts

• Leave chronological gaps

• Generally, make them do the work

Basic CV structure• Personal details: name, address, professional email, local telephone;

nationality if international student (useful); no photo

• Profile: tailored to the job

• Education: chronologically backwards. Focus on skills with evidence, RELEVANT modules

• Work experience: consider RELEVANT section first; then ADDTIONAL. Include voluntary/unpaid too. Emphasise skills gained!

• Additional skills: hard ‘practical’ skills – IT, languages, driving license

• Interests: proving skills, personal qualities – give detail

• Referees: available on request acceptable

Profile

Profile/objective

Enthusiastic, committed and hard-working management student. Able to work alone and in teams. Committed to finding a challenging career in a growing industry.

(I’m boring. I don’t know what I want and can’t be bothered to find out. I want you to help me figure out my life.)

Profile

Profile/objective

Management student from Royal Holloway University of London with experience in marketing gained from internships with P&G and WPP. Social Media officer for Royal Holloway Bears sports societies.

Profile

Profile/objective

- Marketing and management student with strong academic prowess.

- Social media marketing expertise gained through formal internships and co-curricular activities.

- Increased twitter followers for sports society by 300% over five months.

Education

Education Royal Holloway University of London 2008-present

MSc International Management

Core courses: Foundations of Management, International Accounting, International Human Resource Management, Organisational Behaviour and Leadership, Operations Management, International Business Management, International Marketing, International Sustainability Management, International Strategy

(I slept through most of these modules and I don’t know whether they’re relevant to the job or not. You figure it out.)

Education

Education Royal Holloway University of London 2008-presentMSc International Management

Relevant modules include: Operational Strategy, Foundations of Management

Skills gained include:Leadership: as student representative, represented key issues affecting students on the staff/ student committee of 8 people. Achievements include the negotiation of a complete overhauling of class timetabling. Presentation: Delivered three 40-minute Powerpoint presentation of findings from research project to audiences of 30, including tutors and fellow students.Technical/ IT: developed advanced programming capability in BASIC, C++, Java, Macromedia Flash 4 and database applications within Fox Pro and Microsoft Access

Relevant Experience

Relevant

Experience

Goldman Sachs, London August 2005-Sept 2009

HR Intern• Helped with HR project that looked at developing better

training for staff. Given tasks that involved writing, research and presenting.

(Nice, but a bit bland.)

Relevant Experience

Work experience/

Employment history

Goldman Sachs, London June – August 2012

HR Intern• Contributed to company’s first HR training initiative. Conducted one

month solo qualitative research project among staff members. Wrote 10,000 word report, the highlights of which I presented to 4 board members.

Relevant Experience

Work experience/

Employment history

Goldman Sachs, London August 2005-Sept 2009

HR Analyst

• Persuaded…..• Researched…..• Negotiated….• Managed….• Presented….• Initiated….• Created….

Power Words Use these active verbs and adverbs to communicate positively.

• Achieve• Analyse• Build • Communicate• Collaborate• Compose • Coordinate • Establish• Experience

• Implement• Lead • Manage• Motivate• Negotiate• Participate • Research• Responsible • Strengthen

Additional Skills

Additional skills

• Languages: fluent in Hindi and Spanish. Speak conversational French.

• IT: Microsoft Office packages: Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Access. Additional skills in Dreamweaver and Java.

Interests

Interests

• Music: regularly attend the Royal Holloway college choir, and play in a local orchestra

• Dance: salsa, ballet and hip-hop• Financial news: regularly read the

Economist and the Financial Times• Sports: member of Egham cricket club

Creative CVs

Covering letters

• Formal letter! Use professional style

• Why I am writing (I am writing to apply for....)

• My interest in the company AND the role

• Why me

How we can help you

• Career direction• Workshops and employer presentations• Information resources and support• CV and application form checking• Skills development • Alumni contact database• Access to central London careers events• Mock assessment centres• Postgraduate study applications and advice• Facebook and other online resources

UK Style CVs and ResumesAndrew Falconer