CV & Interview Skills

Employers want people who have the required skills and experience, who are positive, take pride in their work, are well presented, have initiative and motivation – Your C.V. needs to demonstrate this so you get to the interview.

Curriculum Vitae Guidelines:

• Your C.V. is your marketing brochure for yourself
• It is an outline of your professional, educational and personal experience
• It should be short – No more than 2 pages, clear and well presented
• Ensure all details are up to date including correct – addresses, phone numbers
• Email addresses – When including your email address ensure that it is acceptable and corporate (ensure that you access and read your emails regularly)
• Create Headings such as Key Skills, Personal Profile, Employment History, Education / Training, Hobbies / Interests and References
• Highlight your skills after your personal details and develop your personal profile to ensure that the employer will want to interview you. This is your unique selling point!
• Tailor your C.V. for each application and keep it relevant to the vacancy by matching your profile and key skills to what the employer is looking for. Highlight those tasks in your former employment that match.
• Use positive words and good quality paper
• Ensure there are NO errors, avoid fancy fonts – Use Arial, Tahoma or Verdana, the layout is important so be consistent throughout
• Put in your most recent employer first and work your way back through your employment history. Put employer’s full name and address, accurate dates, your job title, and brief outline of the work and tasks completed
• Highlight the skills that you have used to get the job done
• Use positive descriptions to demonstrate experience e.g. Skilled, exceptional, excellent, competent, experienced, qualified, excelling at, expertise in…..See positive action words overleaf
• Education and Training – List the most recent programme first, put in the name and address of the Trainer/College, address, dates attended and qualification/standard achieved
• Hobbies and interests – be honest, show any team skills, list any membership of clubs and the dates, special awards or achievements
• List memberships of committees, your role, dates
• List two referees who will be provide a positive and honest account of your character – ideally previous employers, tutors, coaches – not relatives