How to Write a CV

How to Write a CV: How to write an awards-winning professional CV and Market Yourself to Job You Want for maximal cost? (Part 3)

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 04:45:17 GMT

Part 3: What is an Achievements Information in the Curriculum Vitae and How to Write a Good CV using Achievements Highlighting?

When employers start to search for the applicant for a certain job position, they receive a large quantity of applications and offers. Tens, and may be also hundreds of resumes and cover letters. And for best allocation your resume (or CV) should underline and put in the forefront those words of your career which specify in your achievements and successes. Because all employers wish to find such employees which would add value of all organization. What means "to add values"? In each concrete case can be designated different things, but as a rule this increase of profit (for example at reduction of expenses or at productivity increase) or perhaps improvement of relations inside of the firm. You should show in the resume the last achievement in these directions. To accent the all resume on the your achievements.

Let's admit, you can list at least 4-5 essential achievements - and your resume will get at once essential advantage. Though your competitors also will be the same competent and formed candidates on a discussed jobs positions. But they may be don't know how to write a good CV. The most frequent error at resume writing is that people write about places and posts, but do not write about successes and achievements. When you know how to write a CV, you wiil use Achievements highlighting.

So, what is achievement from the point of view of a resume writing?

Achievements are those results which personally you have achieved, carrying out a certain role. It not duties, not duty regulations. It that you on a certain job position have received as a result of the activity and that has brought real advantage of your organization. Well, for example, instead of declaring, that you headed a command from 10 persons, it is possible to write a resume with declaration, that you have planned, have arranged and have spent such team-building day which has rallied a command and has improved mutual relations within office. That has led to the general increase of whole-command's working capacity and profit increase on x% in a month. May be only 1%. May be only 0.5%!

It is necessary to tell about the increasing of profit volume because employers are interested in improvement of relations of employees as a rule only from the point of view of real results. Any of your achievements (relations in collective, working capacity increase, reduction of expenses) as a result influences this factor - on profit increase.

Let's try to build definition of "Achievement"

Achievement means, that a certain specific problem has been solved. Create resume with achievements which is described approximately so:

write what exactly has been used for the problem decision (for purpose achievement)
write in CV about results

For example: new technology of processing of paper documents (OCR) had been introduced to reduce time of entering of one page. Good for resume! Result was 50% of acceleration (reduction in price) of procedure. About what will tell to the employer the words above? The following of your skills have been used: the initiative, creative abilities, knowledge of new technologies. Now for same time two employees can do work of 2+2*50%=3! And not requested salary of the third man became direct increase in profit. Perfect for resume! Your achievements should makes impression. The samples of increasing in goods turnover will not give you any advantages if you do not define of what methods you create to build such results. And also particularly results, with real digits. Build a resume without vague adjectives as they do not give a clear picture of your successes.

And here after perusal of certain concrete and real your achievements most likely the employer will wish to analyse them and discuss with you how it is possible to apply them in his business. So you will achieve an overall objective of any resume. No, resumes actually write not for the guaranteed employment - the resume only should help you have been invited on an interview! The increasing of the chance of inviting on interview - it is not easy business. You should give to the employer the strong reasons they have wanted to talk to you!

Usually employers search for achievements in certain areas. Therefore in the resume you should specify in successes in achievement of those purposes which are specific to this business. Of course, if you know this sector of the market then you know also what achievements will seem the considerable. And when you write about such achievements, you receive much more chance of to be invited on interview. List of skills can help too, but achievements - the proof, you can carry out the skills practically.

How to build a resume: The biggest list of 37 Frequently Asked Questions and Answers About a Resume Writing, which will help you to sell yourself most profitable - to get a job of your dream with salary you want.

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 07:18:08 GMT

Today I finished and published my FAQ with incredible numbers of questions and answers. It available by link "How to build a resume: FAQs"

Here are all questions from this FAQ (answers you can read by link above):

What is A Resume?
Does a resume always need to be only one page?
Should the education section always be near the top?
Is an objective always necessary?
What if I haven't done very much to fill up my resume?
Do hobbies and personal interests need to be shown?
Must references be included?
What should be on my resume?
What shouldn't I put on my resume?
Do I have to include all of my exam results?
In what order do I list information?
What sort of paper should I print it on?
In what text format should I save my resume so that it can be e-mailed?
How can I ensure that my resume will be read?
Do I need more than one resume?
How far back should I go with the information I put on my resume?
What are some common components of a resume?
How long is the standard resume?
What resume style is preferred by employers?
Are All Resumes Alike?
What is a Scannable Resume?
Why are the Employers Using Scannable Resumes?
What is an Online Resume?
Why do I need an Online Resume?
Can't I just send my resume as an email attachment?
What is a Functional Resume?
Who Should Use a Functional Resume?
What are the Benefits of Using a Functional Resume?
What is a reference?
How many references do I need?
Who do I ask to be my reference?
What Is A Cover Letter?
What Is The Purpose Of The Cover Letter?
How Should Cover Letters Be Organized?
Should cover letters be personalized to match each job opportunity?
Should a cover letter always be included with a resume or application?
Where Can I Learn More About Resume Writing?

How to Write a CV: How to write an awards-winning professional CV and Market Yourself to Job You Want for maximal cost? (Part 2)

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 08:02:33 GMT

Part 2: What is a Personal Information in the Curriculum Vitae?

I wrote in the previous post (look How to Write a CV: Part 1) that I will consider in detail in this blog all aspects and nuances of process of writing a CV (or resume). So, how to start your resume cv writing? To beginning of write good CV start from the Personal Information. What is it? Certainly, you must write a CV with your First Name and Last Name. But not only it! Write the age (better a date of birth) and the contact information in your CV it is necessary also.

To contact with you employer has a lot of ways.

Yes, many ways, remember it! And it is necessary to specify as much as possible quantity of these ways which you must write in a CV contacts. For example, the post address.

Now many of young people mean "the post address" as an "email" (certainly it is must be in CV too), but now I spoke about "usual" mail, about the address where you can receive the PAPER letter! If you are studing and live in other place (not at home) write a CV with both addresses - it is desirable with dates when you can be there or there. For the employer reading your curriculum vitae (or resume) it should not be puzzle - he will simply look at a calendar and will know where are you now. Certainly the professional write a CV mean there should be email too (spoke about it above). And phone, and mobile, and fax numbers if they are. Internet-phone Skype has an increasing popularity - he can be mentioned in your curriculum vitae too. But I don't recommend to write in CV your UIN of the ICQ. The employer will not want to waste time for a chat in ICQ but at the same time he can call through Skype and talk as by phone.

So, below I will write once again the list of all those data which are necessary if you know how to write a CV, sure... And now let's talk how this personal information should be issued.

I don't mean cv templates - the separate post will be devoted it. I speak about about strategy of writing CV. My advice is to write personal contacts given a smaller font, than all other CV part.

Thus attention of the employer don't stop to these data - let reading of all of the rest more likely. For he(she) it is simply important to know that these data are present in header of CV.

And now employer (if he or she will be interested of the main CV content) can return to the contact information. However, this council does not concern a name and surname - here it is necessary to write them by a larger font. Let the person who reads yours CV knows whose resume or Curriculum Vitae he or she reads ;-) It will not damage of your career...

Personal Information of Your Curriculum Vitae Must Include:

(hope this cv writing tips can help your )

Title: (e.g. Mr, Mrs, Miss)
First Name:
Last Name:
Contact Number:
Mobile:
Your Email: (to display on your CV only)
Address:
City or Town:
County or State:
Postcode or Zip:
Country:
Date of Birth:
Marital Status:
Dependents:
Nationality:
(optional) Eligible to work:
(optional) Driving Licence:

As I wrote I plan in near future to write also such articles:

how to write a curriculum vitae (as you can see, I start from it in the previous post and I continue to do this right now...)
professional curriculum vitae - may be this will be next post
cv formats
curriculum vitae template
cv sample
curriculum vitae examples (you think this like a previous? Not so absolutely... Read when this post will be written...
write a good CV
and more and more and more

In this time only themes are present above, but when messages will be written I will place here the full titles and links.