Please have a look at my CV

[Ekim]

Under the 'Volunteer work' section you've started a sentence with 'Was'. Not entirely sure if this is grammatically correct or not, but it doesn't sound very formal or professional.

Changed that to 'I was elected president...'

Skills should be on the first page, and targeted to each application. If you don't list the right skills it'll go in the bin..

I would put it after overview.

Also maybe a short hobbies and intrest section.. (if you do something perculier even better, get them to remember your name is the key)

I agree with moving skills, makes more sense. I will be changing skills dependent on the job. Will probably have 3 or 4 different CV's dependent on job.

'Overview' well, bored me. Didn't catch my eye, nothing to make it special really. Just the same for each sentence:

"Michael is..."
"Michael is..."
"Michael is..."

That first paragraph would make me bin the CV in a flash..

Your work experience needs to come before education. Nobody cares about qualifications these days..

Yes and yes, that definately needs some spicing up, although I'm not quite sure what. I'm thinking its probably best just to bin it altogether.

 

[zenith10]

i think its a great c.v. there is little bits that need changing but everyone has mentioned them already

 

[rossyl]

What job are you applying for? Thats the main issue.


I'd re-arrange it.

Contact Deatils
Education.
Skills
Experience.
Referees

Contact details should always be at the top.

 

[Ekim]

I'm applying for a few bits and peices. Some designer jobs, some sales and marketing jobs. To be honest at the moment I'm not too fussy. I know that have to tailor the CV to each different application.

I've edited it again. Now work experience and education fit on first page together.

 

[k++]

Several things I noticed:

The layout is wasting far too much space, Mine fits almost the same maybe more in one page.

I like the fact you havn't got a personal statement, everyone is identical it never sets people apart. However, something along the lines of your career goals would be a nice touch and would allow the interviewer to see what you're really looking to do.

You must put referees, do not give the interviewer more work to do, they are far to busy to chase up referees and without it might discard the cv.

Here is mine, a CV is something which should evolve as you do. My CV hasn't quite done this, but I'm gonna redo the info.

http://www.cs.bris.ac.uk/home/ke3971/doc/cv/KarlEdmundsCV.pdf

also notice I left the goals section out, I'm going to remove the window cleaning work experience
The goals section also allows you to tailor the CV more easily, for different positions for example.

hope that helps

nice CV otherwise

Karl

edit:

The reason I put education after work experience, is because I think far too many people in my position have similar educational achievments. The work experience is where you can demonstrate what you can really do in a work environment.

 

[rossyl]

I'd still put contact details at the top mate.

As you said tailor the CV. So change the skills in order to what you think is needed to do the job.

You've got to think, what do they want, have I done that, if so what is the most comprehensive but yet concise way of telling them.

A friend who graduated at the same time as me had little work experience in his chosen career field. So he used things he'd done at uni as his experience. And didn't title it "work experience" but "experience".

His only actual "work experience" was working in a cafe. But his actual experience was vast. He helped in setting budgets for a multi-million pound business (our union), turning around areas that were losing money, re-branding parts of the union etc. Business management at a very decent level for a youngster.

So don't feel constrained to what you've purely been paid to do, think about all your experiences especially if they give you the right experience/demonstration of a skill and that you are likely to use in an interview.

I did law, and frequently used my law society committee experiences in interviews. They obviously liked it as I got quite a few interviews, and a few offers!

Many emplyers won't expect a graduate to have much actual "paid employment" experience, but show them that you weren't merely studying and getting drunk. Unless that is all u were doing!!

 

[rossyl]

http://www.cs.bris.ac.uk/home/ke3971/doc/cv/KarlEdmundsCV.pdf

Karl

Thought I'd just say...the layout of your CV is superb mate.

 

[k++]

Thought I'd just say...the layout of your CV is superb mate.

Thank you, it took me atleast 2 weeks, and like I said it will continue to evolve. I have some updating to do soon. especially the career goals before work experience.

Thanks again mate, that made me happy. not had any comments on it yet and it's a few months old.

Karl

 

[rossyl]

Karl, credit where credit is due!!
Good luck mate.

I've a few mates at Bristol. In fact i was at the Law Ball on Friday, which was in the middle of no-where like a 20min coach ride from the Union!! But nonetheless a very good laugh (there were dodgems). Living in Clifton you must have visited thje Coronation Tap?...those exhibitions are like Brain Eraser!

 

[k++]

Karl, credit where credit is due!!

Good luck mate. I've a few mates at Bristol. In fact i was at the Law Ball on Friday, which was in the middle of no-where like a 20min coach ride from the Union. Living in Clifton you must have visited thje Coronation Tap...those exhibitions are like Brain Eraser!

Exhibition Cider is one of my most memorable experiences in Bristol. I have ended up in odd places after a few drinks in there.

edit: Or not so memorable

 

[Brum Man]

Well I looked at for about 5 seconds and the 1st thing that came into my head was where are the contact details?

Put them at the start. And there's no need to write CV at the top, I'm sure the person reading it knnows what it is.

Also, try and make better use of the space and fill the two pages, either by adding more details or using more spacing between sections.

 

[manic_man]

Well I looked at for about 5 seconds and the 1st thing that came into my head was where are the contact details?

Put them at the start. And there's no need to write CV at the top, I'm sure the person reading it knnows what it is.

i've always been taught its good practice to head any formal documents, i have certainly always headed my CV's

 

[Ekim]

Ok, made those changes too now.

 

[sedm1000]

Ok, made those changes too now.

I didn`t realise that the theory of typography would take so long to learn...

On that note, shouldn`t your CV display some of that which you have been taught on the course? Wouldn`t hurt to spruce it up a bit like Karl ++. Maybe highlight or underline your headings - you should know how to make it more eye-catching...

If you are applying to an advert then colour isn`t an issue - nobody prints out bulk CVs in colour, but if it is a speculative approach, and will likely be opened on screen, then a bit of subtle colour doesn`t hurt (so long as it doesn`t look daft in B+W).

 

[Ekim]

I didn`t realise that the theory of typography would take so long to learn...

On that note, shouldn`t your CV display some of that which you have been taught on the course? Wouldn`t hurt to spruce it up a bit like Karl ++. Maybe highlight or underline your headings - you should know how to make it more eye-catching...

There's quite a bit to learn when it comes to typography.

In terms of sprucing it up I honestly don't think it needs it, I've sent it to a couple of my tutors to look over and hopefully they'll agree!

Underlining etc. often doesn't have the desired effect and will detract from how easy it is to use the document.

 

[sedm1000]

There's quite a bit to learn when it comes to typography.

In terms of sprucing it up I honestly don't think it needs it, I've sent it to a couple of my tutors to look over and hopefully they'll agree!

Underlining etc. often doesn't have the desired effect and will detract from how easy it is to use the document.

Block highlight? To be over-critical - its neat, but looks like a 15 minute Word effort... It has to grab the viewer with something in the first scan (10 seconds at most) else the reader moves on to the next one in the pile. You only get a reasonable read if it is one of a small number, so make it easy to pick out your best points. In this case I`d try to improve the spacing and use of indents to make sure that they pick out your designer work. Remember that it will probably be printed in B+W, and maybe half size.

 

[k++]

Ekim, I really love the content of your CV, even if I do believe a more condensed version would be better. You are obviously a very capable person and the content reflects this.
However, your CV feels very cramped despite using 2 pages. Your margins seem rather large and reducing these only slightly would give you a huge amount of page space.

Your overview is exactly the same, although not word for word, as every other personal statement/overview. It's more of a waste of space than the margins.

Be individual, that's the most important thing I can say to you right now.

If you dislike my idea of career goals or something similar in the place of the eprsonal statement, invent something else that should go there. But not something that makes you out to be a clone. There are too many similar people in this day and age.
More and more people go to university, therefore your education doesn't seperate you enough, regardless of how well you do.

Hope that helps

Karl

edit: Unfortunately your CV does look like 20 minutes or so with Word, from what your CV tells me about you you could easily produce a spectacular document. The problem is, to establish that, I had to read your CV from start to finish which I found slightly difficult.

 

[k++]

Would like to add though, before sounding too critical. The changes you have made have improved the CV greatly. Keep up the good work.
My CV went through two weeks of constant changes and unfortunately I didn't have as much critical feedback as you did. It's a long process, but the end result is the job you want.

regards

Karl

 

[Ekim]

ok, I'm going to go for a hard-core redesign.
should be ready in about an hour, i bet your all on the edges of your seats!

 

[k++]

That's what the design process is all about, sometimes you just gotta forget something and go in a completely new direction.

Good luck

Karl

p.s. I am in the process of redoing mine, although mine is more of a content refit. You have inspired me to update my own personal advert. That's basically what it is.