Need some CV help

homerio

homerio

homerio

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3 Apr 2003
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Uni - UCL | Home - Woking
I've been working on my CV the last couple of hours changing things around and tweaking it. I'd appreciate it if some of you could have a glance over it and give informed critique, and areas that appear weak and may need strengthening.
Would you take a second look at it, chuck it in the no pile?

http://homerio.afsmg.co.uk/cv.doc

Thanks a lot for any suggestions :)

First edit:

http://homerio.afsmg.co.uk/cvpretty.doc
 
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Ok, serious crit about to go on here. At a glance it doesn't jump out at me because it doesn't look slick. Try a font like Arial and make it smaller then you can fit a lot more in and play with the layout and format more easily. A photo of you in the corner can be a nice touch and a couple of employers have asked for that in the the past, it makes the CV look more like a person than an anonymous sheet of paper. Headers and footers can make a document look professional and save space.

You might want to personalise it a bit depending on which company you are sending it to and add some relevant experience and some key words like "team", "responsibility" etc. eg:

July 2002 - Feb 2003: Machine Shop SFX. Key responsibilities involved pyrotechnic design and the manufacture of rigs for special effects to the required industry standards, performance and effect. This involved working as a key member of a team of 5 engineers and technicians.
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Put on there everything you think they want to hear, look it up on their website and marketing stuff. If it's a design job tell them how you can design for THEM. Sell yourself!
 
There is a lot of wasted space and it is not structured / laid out appropriately. You are getting green lines because the statement you've said isn't a scentence and therefore doesn't require a full-stop. If you want, email me and I can help you out. :)
 
I done a quick draft of your CV as I was bored. Email me.

A few things about your updated CV :-

1. Remove Curriculum Vitae at the top. They know what it is.
2. Education - put the order in reverse. You want your recent studies at the top.
3. What's your expected degree grade? Mention it.
4. Too much space wasted on your GCSE section. Just list: 5 A*s and 5 As including Mathematics And English.
5. Font size - its too small.
6. Also include a space after a scentance within a table so it doesn't look cluttered.
 
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I'm currently about to write a cv my self since close to being made redundent from my current job :D, That 'pretty' layout is quite nice. Would you mind posting the one that Triggerthat has done for you or emailing it too me?
 
Much better this time H!

I disagree with a couple of things there Triggerthat. I think the font size is much better, it'll look bigger when it's printed out and I'd probably put Curriculum Vitae on there but as a header/footer and in grey.
 
The reason I've put the education in the order it is in is because it gets less impressive as I get older :p I've really hated the course I've been doing at uni and due to poor advice I kept at it instead of changing after the first year, so I'm looking at a 3rd :( I'm looking at getting a job at an advertising firm where I can show my credentials doing something I enjoy and work my way up.

Email on the way triggerthat :)
 
Ah well, while I'm here...

Try and get that all onto one page if you can McD, there's a lot of white space and a bit of fiddling with the format would squeeze that all up. "Vast knowledge of banking services and procedures" ought to read something like "Good working knowledge..." so as to not make you look bigheaded and an example would be useful to back up your claim. I'd probably switch the layout to most recent things first, reverse chronology I think is the technical term. Where you put "I feel I am a valued part of the team at Lloyds despite only being part time" could better read "Key member of team despite being part time" and give a reason. Don't forget to tailor it to suit the company/job you are applying for.
 
Interests and activities should not be before experience. I usually include a profile section as the first bit, with a paragraph or so selling myself & then bullet points of key skills, followed by bullet points on achievements.

Personally, I put my professional experience before education but that's probably because I've got a little more of that than you have & right now your education is probably more important than the experience you have gained thus far.

I personally don't like the red bits, especially the pictures, they look naff & for gods sake, get rid of 'Curriculum Vitae' at the top, they know what it is. :)
 
homerio said:
http://homerio.afsmg.co.uk/cvpretty.doc
Click to expand...

That's better, take out the graphics and use a broadsheet style font. Education comes first, 'work' and then activities

Expound on your universirty - what you are learning and studying
Put your education in heirarchy, university first, then a-level and then GCSE, its a slightly confusing read with the order its in presently.

Make more of your sporting achievements.

When describing your working activities, describe what you were responsible for and make it as 'broad sounding as possible', for example - if you had to phone up a brewery, put down that you were responsible for organising deliveries etc..

Dont be afraid to spread it to 2 pages but not beyond...

Stick a "references on request" at the bottom
 
Its not a crime to put some personal information on there about hobbies and interests etc just make sure its brief. Some potential employers use it as bit of an ice breaker to make you more relaxed.

The other thing is that you can list your jobs and do a commentary on how long you have worked there. The bulletpoint key responsibilites then any achievments outside that

I've just had mine looked at by some local agencies and our internal HR department as mine was some years out of date. They seemed to like it as it was brief, to the point and no more than two pages which is the golden rule really. Anything more than two pages and you risk it being discarded without it being reviewed.

Heres mine if you want some tips or anything. its being used to apply for an internal job overseas doc
 
Loki said:
How you mean ?
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Unfortunately I was unable to complete my degree for personal reasons. Although my qualifications
are retained from completed modules should I decide to complete my degree. Completed Modules
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Most people I know wouldn't admit to it. I've known people to claim they were travelling rather than admit to it
 
cleanbluesky said:
Most people I know wouldn't admit to it. I've known people to claim they were travelling rather than admit to it
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Ahh gotcha

I got extremely nervous about interviews I think I would kind of ending up going to pieces Homer Simpson Stylee

"So you went travelling then ?"

"Noooooooooooooooooooo Mr Burns its all a lie" ;)
 
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