CV help please

Soldato
Joined
5 Jul 2007
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Hi there guys, I've just had a going over on my CV as its been a while and I'm actively seeking a new job at the moment.

I was just wondering if I could possibly email it to anyone who would be kind enough to have a look at it and offer a critique??
 
If you have hobbies and interests, just delete it.. nobody cares (family in recruitment job).

Not true. Jut keep it brief - it shows that you have a life outside work and prompts people recruiting you to ask you questions which don't necessarily need a work based example.

BB x (work in recruitment)

;)
 
Delete hobbies and interests, put your GNVQ above GCSE (it's slightly better right?).You can put Full UK driver's license underneath your email maybe.

I think you need to add a bit more to your profile, it's up to you but I would have all past employment on page 2 so your qualifications are on page 1. Your key skills and profile sound a bit robotic sorry (so did mine but I got help for my CV), You can include a couple of sentences or short paragraph about your hobbies in your profile maybe.

It's okay though, you definitely need to add more to your profile though imo.
 
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Include references, national insurance number, put the key roles in each job in sub-bullet points.
I'd also put education first, and then employment.
Depending on the job you're applying for, I'd include a typing speed.

The top of my CV is as follows:

Alex Peter Frew
Address.
Phone: 0.....
Mobile: 0....
Email: alex....

GENERAL

Date of Birth: 28th November 1988
Full, Clean, Driving Licence & Own Transport
NI Number - JR ...
Typing Speed: 85+wpm
Computer Skills: Word, Excel, Outlook, Powerpoint, Access, SPSS, Photoshop, AutoCAD, Email, Various NHS systems, The Internet.


From this, I then go into my education broken down into relevant years, then place of study and then bullet point subjects & grades.
Then work history sorted by, date, title, company and then key points re job.
Finally I have references.

I don't include a profile or anything like that, that's what the covering letter is for.
Qualifications - Worked in recruitment, and was the first point of contact for all CVs. I decided where the CVs went so know what to look for. Keep it short, snappy and easy to read. People don't want to read paragraphs and paragraphs. Takes too long.
 
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Yeh but you'll potentially be handing out your NI number to any number of agencies/employers that will *not* be employing you and don't need to know it.

If we had similar candidates for a job, and one had given us a lot of supplementary documents and information (either on their CV or when they came in) and the other hadn't for whatever reason then we would just go down the easier route of sending away the person who had given us the stuff instead of trying to chase the other guy.
Agencies will need NI number, proof of address, proof of entitlement to work in the UK so it's easier to include these where possible. Your NI number on your CV is such a time. Also, when going into an agency you should always take your passport and utility bills.
 
Thanks very much for the advice guys, I will take it on board and see what I can come up with!

I'm not really sure about putting my NI number on though, for the reasons jim bob says. I know it off by heart anyway, so not a problem.
 
The top of my CV is as follows:
...
Computer Skills: Word, Excel, Outlook, Powerpoint, Access, SPSS, Photoshop, AutoCAD, Email, Various NHS systems, The Internet.

You have "The Internet" on your CV as a computer skill? :-/

To the OP, some (picky) points in no particular order:

Your Profile paragraph is a looooong sentence, and reads like a list of buzzwords; not that good for someone who claims to be "highly articulate". Suggest re-writing into two sentences. Also you're using the American spelling of organisation.

How about:
Honest, confident, hard-working and highly articulate graduate, accustomed to working under pressure and using own initiative. A dependable personality, poised to launching a successful career with an organisation seeking a highly motivated team player.

"GCSEs" does not have an apostrophe

Does "Geography and Economics A-Level at grade C" mean that you have one A-Level or two? Suggest re-phrasing this.
 
CURRICULUM VITAE
Name
street, city, county, postcode
Phone number: 209321321
Email: [email protected]
Date of birth: 25th October 1900 (not really necessary if you don't want i guess)
Full, clean, U.K. driving license.

Availability: 1 month (negotiable).



Profile

Personal statement
What am I doing now, what kind of job am I looking for.

Work ethic, motivations blah blah, I enjoy to be kept busy and have a keen eye to actively seek out work to suit the needs of the business. Happy to be a slave and work like a ***** etc etc.

Your key skills stuff maybe, less robot like.

Hobby stuff, I like eating cake and being a car mechanic and keeping fit too.

I.T. skills
I can type fast, I can use ms paint like a pro and I'm good with computers because I play pac man all day.

Education and Qualifications

BA in Forums (year - University name, location) 2:1 - brief description.
Certificate in Something (year - college name, location) - brief desciption.
4 A levels (year - school name, location) including A - Economics, A -Astrology, A - Dossing and D - History.
10 GCSE passes (year - school name, location) including A*A* - Double Science, A - English Language, A - English Literature, A - Mathematics and AABCD in other subjects.

Employment History (page 2)

I WORKED AND STUFF I LEARNED THIS AND I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS AND THIS.
 
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Have you changed the spacing between google and mail in your email address or are my eyes deceiving me?
 
Hi there guys, I've just had a going over on my CV as its been a while and I'm actively seeking a new job at the moment.

I was just wondering if I could possibly email it to anyone who would be kind enough to have a look at it and offer a critique??

Dump the intro and put education first. (The intro is pointless because it will be repeated in the cover letter, which you will always write :) )

Much of what you have written in your employment section is superfluous. Such as, "I was employed on a casual basis for all term time breaks from university". No need to say that that. Dump it.

"Cleaning of the restaurant, and helping with the preparation for the next shift, and assisted in washing the dishes as necessary."

No one wants to know you can wash dishes, except maybe your wife. Dump it.

"As well as stock management and cleaning after the bar has closed. "

Again, only to your wife. Dump it.

"A large part of this job relied on good customer relations, requiring the ability to control situations whilst still being courteous."

More of this, but be more concise and much, much more positive. eg.

"The position required excellent customer relations and significantly improved my ability to control situations while remaining courteous at all times."

Now it reads like you have learned from your experiences. Always polish the truth.

And finally, please give it to someone to grammar check. I don't like the use of commas. Other than that, there is plenty on there to write one cracking CV. You just need to spin it the right way.
 
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