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  • Making Your C.V. E-Friendly: 10 Steps It is important to provide a short, clear and concise electronic C.V.! Some scanning systems and databases stop reading C.V.s after a certain number of lines, often after about one and a half pages, so be sure that your most important information appears early in your C.V.
    You can easily take your existing C.V. and reformat it for electronic submission. Here are some quick guidelines to do so:

    1. Open your standard C.V. file on your computer and select the Save As command on your toolbar, usually located under the file menu. Select Text Only, Plain Text or ASCII as the type.

    2. Close the file and then reopen it to make sure you are working from the new text-only version. You'll see that most graphic elements such as lines, images and bullet point symbols have now been eliminated. But if they haven't, go ahead and delete them. You may use equal signs in place of lines or borders and replace bullet points with plus symbols(+), asterisks (*) or hyphens (-).

    3. Limit your margins to no more than 65 characters wide.

    4. Use an easy-to-scan sans-serif type font, such as Courier, Arial or Helvetica.

    5. Eliminate bold, italics and underlining if any remain after saving as text-only.

    6. Introduce major sections with all words in capital letters, rather than in bold, italics or underlining.

    7. Keep all text aligned to the left.

    8. Instead of using bullets, use a standard keyboard character, such as an asterisk.

    9. Instead of using the Tab key or paragraph indents, use the space key to indent.

    10. When done, click Save or OK. Then reopen the file to see how it looks. Make any additional format changes as needed.

    Now test your electronic C.V. by e-mailing it to a friend who uses a different Internet Service Provider. For example, if you use BT, send it to a friend who uses NTL or Hotmail. Also try sending it to someone who works in a large company to see how it transmits via their I.T. system as the body of the e-mail rather than sending it as an attachment. That way, they will be able to tell you how it looks when it shows up in their e-mail system and whether it is legible. After getting their feedback, make any adjustments necessary to fix it.

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  • Is Your CV Extinct? 7 Things to Update Job hunting is always hard work. You look through job ads, send out applications, go to interviews and improve your networking. And you're still not getting any offers? Take a closer look at your CV. It is your first chance for a great impression with your potential future employer. And especially in times of economic downturn this document has more power than ever to decide whether you're considered for a job or not. So you should do anything that it won't remain your last impression.


    For many career coaches, this piece of advice ranks high on their list of career commandments -- in good and bad times: Whether or not you're unemployed and looking for work, your CV should always be up to date. This way, you can put your CV to use immediately, rather than having to completely rework it for the job search.

    Pay close attention to these areas on your CV as it is not always obvious how to best update them:

    1. Personal details

    You want to be contacted, so always include your current contact details. Changes of phone numbers are easily forgotten. Include the complete dialing code (with the international code, if appropriate) for both landlines and mobile numbers.

    2. References

    Try not to let your references get too old. You should try to have the details of two people from your current workplace and a third from a previous job.

    3. Your current position

    Your current job and any changes within that are also worth noting. Therefore, always include your most recent job title, as well as outstanding accomplishments achieved in that role. Have you taken on more responsibility in your job? Write it down, again with dates.

    4. Further training and education

    Anytime you are completing or have finished a professional course make sure you add it to your CV. The more often you can prove you have continuously acquired additional knowledge, the better your chances.
    5. Transferable skills

    Any skill that you have acquired at some point in your life is transferable; you just need to recognise and evaluate the skills you develop in any working situation, be it a part-time job, casual work, voluntary work, vacation work or an internship. Show employers how it applies exactly to what they are looking for and that it is useful to them.

    6. Additional information

    Here you can list any skill that is relevant to the job you are applying for. Maybe you speak a foreign language or have acquired relevant IT skills over the years -- don't leave it out.

    7. Interests and hobbies

    Have you developed new interests in your free time? You can include anything that is relevant to the job: hobbies, interests or volunteer work. It's a good sign for potential employers when they see that you have a balanced life and that you spend your leisure time doing something meaningful.

    Tailor your CV

    Now that you've updated your CV once, don't think the work is done. It is just as important to customize your CV every time you apply to a job opening. Generic CVs don't impress anybody and surely won't land you a job. Include the position's job title and any reference code or number provided. Always take a close look at what the potential employer is looking for according to the job advert. If your CV does not already highlight a key skill area mentioned in the job description, change this and make sure it does. Tailoring your CV is a necessary step to landing an interview and ultimately a job.

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  • 25 Words That Can Hurt Your C.V.'s Chance of Success So, you're experienced? Before you advertise this in your C.V., be sure you can prove it.
    Often, when job seekers try to sell themselves to potential employers, they load their C.V.s with vague claims that are transparent to recruiting managers, according to Scott Bennett, author of "The Elements of Resume Style" (published by AMACOM). By contrast, the most successful job seekers avoid these vague phrases on their C.V.s in favour of accomplishments.
    Instead of making empty claims to demonstrate your work ethic, use brief, specific examples to demonstrate your skills. In other words, show, don't tell.

    Bennett offers these examples:
    Instead of... "Experience working in fast-paced environment"

    Try... "Registered 120+ third-shift accident and emergency patients per night"
    Instead of... "Excellent written communication skills"

    Try... "Wrote jargon-free User Guide for 11,000 users"
    Instead of... "Team player with cross-functional awareess"

    Try... "Collaborated with clients, the Accounts Receivable Department and Sales to increase speed of receivables and prevent interruption of service to clients."
    Instead of... "Demonstrated success in analysing client needs"

    Try... "Created and implemented comprehensive needs assessment mechanism to help forecast demand for services and staffing."

    The worst offenders

    It’s good to be hard-working and ambitious, right? The recruiting manager won't be convinced if you can't provide solid examples to back up your claims. Bennett suggests being extremely careful before using these nice-sounding but empty words in your C.V.

    Aggressive

    Ambitious
    Compete
    Creative
    Detail-oriented
    Determined
    Efficient

    Experienced
    Flexible
    Goal-oriented
    Hard-working
    Independent
    Innovative
    Knowledgeable
    Logical
    Motivated
    Meticulous
    People person
    Professional
    Reliable
    Resourceful
    Self-motivated
    Successful

    Team player

    Well-organised

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  • What Employers Want to See on Your CV Your CV is designed to do one thing and one thing only: to get you an interview. Yet the average recruiter will only spend between 20 to 30 seconds glancing at your CV which means that you need to make an impression quickly and sell yourself.

    But with some employers receiving literally hundreds of unimaginative and uninspiring identikit applications for each advertised vacancy, how do you know what they are really looking for and how can you make your CV stand out from the crowd?

    Acting as your own personal advertisement or shop window, your CV enables buyers (recruiters) to see what you have to offer - luckily most people actually get it wrong. If you get the key components of your CV right, you will have the advantage over your competition.

    Personal Statement
    This is your first opportunity to make an impression, get it wrong and your chances of being invited to interview are drastically reduced.
    Employers need to have a reason to continue reading the rest of your CV because it is their job to attract and retain the best employees for their businesses. They have little or no interest in what you want out of your career. They want to know what you will do for them, how will you benefit their business? But most CVs fall into the trap of being too self-orientated.

    For instance, phrases such as “Results-orientated professional seeking the opportunity to develop my career” or “Looking for a challenging opportunity…” should be avoided at all costs because they are focused on ‘me, me, me’.

    Instead, your statement must make the same assumption that all good adverts do: “If you buy this product you will get these specific benefits”.

    Employment History
    Employers spend more time looking at this section than any other part of your CV. Consequently, this section needs to quickly convince a potential employer of your suitability to the advertised role and effectively market you.

    This section needs to answer the following: Why should they hire you rather than another candidate? How can you provide added value to the company? What is unique about you? How can you fulfil their needs? Get the picture?

    Max Bygraves famously said, “I want to tell you a story”. That is exactly what you are going to do here – tell recruiters your career story without sounding like a machine. Start with your most recent position and list in reverse chronological order.

    Your most recent positions need the most attention because it is your skills and experiences gained in these roles that will determine your suitability for the role. Show your start and finish dates in years only – it looks better and helps hide any gaps when you may have been ‘in-between’ jobs.

    But whatever you do, do not bluff or tell white lies about your capabilities because they have the nasty habit of creeping up on you. You may get caught out which could cause some embarrassment at a later date. Indeed, a recent survey conducted by employee screening specialists The Risk Advisory Group found that 50% of all CVs in the UK contained at least one ‘falsehood’ or lie. The authors of the survey wrote that the findings "brought to our attention how unscrupulous candidates can be when applying for jobs, and highlight their apparent lack of conscience towards potential new employers".

    Education
    Job hunting is a buyers and sellers marketplace. You are the seller and employers are the buyers. To make yourself more attractive than your competition, you need to use all the tools in your armoury.

    If you graduated from a highly regarded university, obtained excellent academic results or are currently studying towards a professional qualification relating to your chosen career, then position this section near the top of your CV.

    However, if your career history is your strongest selling point then place the Education section towards the end of your CV.

    Skills
    This section highlights your unique selling points as a prospective employee.

    Make it easy for employers to spot your talents and be clear about what you are offering. Employers refer to this section to determine what they will get in return on their investment in you.

    Therefore, you need to sell yourself and demonstrate your skills and achievements. Show how you are going to be a positive addition to their workforce.

    And, because the National Resume Writer’s Association reports 80% of CVs are placed directly into keyword-searchable databases, be deliberate with your choice of skills.

    If you are unclear about what skills the job requires because the job advert gives little information, then search similar job titles on CareerBuilder and note what those positions are looking for. Once you have done that, create a list of your matching competencies in terms of transferable, job-related and adaptive skills such as communication, technical or problem-solving abilities.

    Always remember your audience
    Employers will quickly scan a number of CVs and they do not want to be reading a list of skills or an employment history that reads like the guest list to Elton Johns’ wedding.

    Keep your list short and tailored to the position that you are applying for – a targeted list will be more effective than one that’s overlong. And remember, your CV is designed to market YOU to a potential employer. Make it clear, uncluttered and appealing, and address the three key questions that employers want answered: What can you do for me? What have you done before? Can you do it for me again?

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