The killer cv
- 1. The Killer CV CS5001 Bath Spa University Celia Brayfield March 2012
- 2. The Self-Presentation Pack  In this module, your coursework includes a self-presentation pack which should comprise either or both CVs, covering letter for a target role or personal statement for PG study, and a plan to develop your career through the coming year and after graduation.  This carries 20% of your marks in this module
- 3. Your CV Choices  An employer-focused CV, responding to an advertisement, person or job specification or requirements of internship or graduate recruitment scheme  A writer’s CV to be read by an agent publisher or editor
- 4. CV –Curriculum Vitae The Employer’s CV will:  Present you at your best  Show a potential employer that you can do the job  Get you to the next stage – the interview
- 5. And the three interview questions that matter are:  Can you do the job?  Will you love the job?  Can we tolerate working with you? http://www.mediabistro.com/mediajobsdaily/there- are-only-three-interview-questions-that- matter_b10008
- 6. The Basics 1. White, cream or pastel paper 2. Good design! 3. 12pt or 10pt font 4. Sans serif fonts are easier to read 5. No wacky stuff 6. Photo if they ask for it
- 7. Section Headings 1. Name & Contact details 2. Profile or Key Skills 3. Employment 4. Education 5. Personal Interests 6. References
- 8. Important  Not more than two pages – edit!  Full page text  Bullet points, not written-through  Everyone hates : Calibri
- 9. The Easiest CV to Write  A CV sent in response to an advertisement or a role for which there is a job description
- 10. A person/role spec:  http://jobs.guardian.co.uk/job/4271249 /junior-web-editor/  Or  http://www.blt.org/OfficeAssistant.pdf
- 11. Graduate Trainee Scheme application  http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/careers /graduate_recruitment/Pages/Graduat e-Recruitment-Introduction.aspx
- 12. Use these documents to tailor your Profile  And the reason for HarperCollins’ enduring success? Simple. We have the best creative and commercial brains in the business. We get behind great ideas, we aren’t afraid to experiment and we always push those boundaries. We know it’s not only about books any more; people want their information, their entertainment and their content in all sorts of formats (including books) and we provide all that for them - and more.  Which is where you come in. We love our graduates. We fight over them inside the business. They are the ones who help us stay ahead, be creative, challenge how things are done, and think differently. And in return, they work in every part of the business over the course of the 18 months traineeship, including Editorial, Digital, Rights, Production, Marketing, PR and Sales. The scheme is well established and every single person who has been part of it has been offered a permanent job.
- 13. What’s the worst thing that can happen to a CV? it may be read by an evil robot
- 14. J J SMITH 27 Pavedwithgold Street, Bath BA99 7UP 07653 214 885 jjsmith@gmail.com PROFILE  Creative, innovative, self-motivated  Great team worker  Excellent communication skills across all platforms  Passionate about literature, physical and digital  Creator of award-winning interactive drama  25,262 people read my blog at http:www.mrsmithsstupidcat.com
- 15.  Previous experience in an office setting required  • Experienced administrative professional who is dependable and highly organized with business  maturity, discretion, enthusiasm, and a positive attitude  • Technologically literate with strong computer skills including familiarity with Microsoft Word  and Excel and other commonly used software. Access Database skills would be a plus.  • Good internet skills, including use of e-mail programs and group messaging  • Good organizational skills and record keeping (attention to detail is critical)  • Cheerful presence and people skills  • Good oral and written communication skills  • Self starter who can work independently  • Skill in establishing priorities and managing workload  • Ability to follow directions
- 16. J J SMITH 27 Pavedwithgold Street, Bath BA99 7UP 07653 214 885 jjsmith@gmail.com Profile  Committed to the voluntary sector  Experienced in donor development  Effective office administrator  Organised, methodical, meticulous  Proficient in Microsoft Office 2010, Aspasia, Allbooked and Sage Intermediate  Positive, enthusiastic, a great people person who enjoys client contact
- 17. Do…  Research the employer as fully as possible  Be positive  Keep it short 1 – 3 pages max  Use dynamic words - creative, organised, managed, leader/team worker  Use strong words indicating worth – proven, established, committed  Say “over three years” when you mean on and off in vacations  Sell yourself with dignity and confidence
- 18. Don’t…  Have ANY mistakes in spelling, grammar or punctuation  Use the same CV for every application  Cut and paste from the job spec or ad  Lie outright  Use jargon  Oversell yourself – never sound desperate
- 19. Why CVs fail  Spelling mistakes and typos  Ad copy duplicated  No covering letter  CV not customised for the role  CV too long – over three pages Survey by Careerbulder.co.uk
- 20. Under “Employment”  Include work experience but describe it accurately  “July – September 2009: Internship at In The Bath PR, winner of Best in the West award from the Institute of Public Relations  Use dynamic and positive language to describe what you did – “Managed diaries for two directors; Organised successful fund-raising event for 200 people at Bath & West Showground, raising £3,500 in two hours. Created avatar and devised digital marketing campaign for Devon Pasties.”  Date each role but don’t draw attention to gaps
- 21. Under “Education”  Latest first  Grade predictions are fine: “I expect to gain a 2.1/On my current grade profile I expect to achieve a first class degree.”  DON’T FORGET ANY PRIZES OR AWARDS  A level grades, if they were stellar  Give equivalents for less common awards “3 Scottish Highers, equivalent to A-C A Levels”  Just a number for GCSEs
- 22. Under Personal Interests  The Washing Penguins factor – the appealing personal detail shows you in a good light and gives your interviewer something to ask you  “Worked at the Capetown Marine Rescue Centre washing penguins caught in an oil slick, June 2009.”  BUT – no need to give your age or marital status
- 23. Beware  Indicating that you are involved in something liable to negate your value as an employee: “Passionate about extreme sports, Grade 5 Whitewater Raft Captain Award 2010.”  “Sports enthusiast, raised £200 for Children in Need in sponsored sky-dive March 2010” is better.
- 24. Don’t forget:  Driving licence?  First Aid course?  Module rep/prefect/netball captain?  TEFL course?  Any languages….Afrikaans, Russian, Farsi, Mandarin, French, Spanish, Welsh?
- 25. What to expect:  Your CV and its covering letter will be read – perhaps by an HR executive who doesn’t understand the role, perhaps even by a machine.  If your CV has gaps, for example, your gap year or times when you may have been ill, a potential employer will ask you about these  You may be asked further questions about any aspect of the CV, or the job you want – get good answers ready  “Why do you want to work here?” is pretty much guaranteed.
- 26. Remember – it’s like speed dating: they decide in 3 seconds
- 27. And the Writer’s CV  Will be read by an agent, editor or publisher  Should focus on your writing achievements  And give an idea of your promotional potential  As well as your commitment to your writing career
- 28. Focus on your writing  Name & Contact details  Awards, prizes, commissions  Publications  Education  Personal  References
- 29. J J SMITH poet, fiction writer, journalist 27 Pavedwithgold Street, Bath BA99 7UP 07653 214 885 jjsmith@gmail.com Awards & Commissions Short story, Leaving Reykjavik, shortlisted for the Bristol Short Story Competiton 2012 Runner-up in Best Blog Awards 2010, http://www.mrsmithsstupidcat.com Member of the Polperro Poets performance group 2009 – now http://www.polperropoets.org Winner of the WHS Essay Prize 2008 Publications Leaving Reykjavik And Other Stories, Acorn Books, 2011 On Sushi, Reasons Not to Travel, My Own River – three poems published in Figleaves Review, Autumn 2010 The Green Wedding – Planet Saver or Swindle, features in Brides West, May 2009
- 30. Education  As before – but don’t forget to namecheck your tutors  “Graduation Project supervised by Lucy English”  References’R’Us!
- 31. Personal This section should round out your profile and offer ideas for promoting you as a writer. Winning personal details for recent new writers include:  Funded my degree by working as a stand-up comedian  Funding my degree by selling retro jewellery on eBay  Taught English in Bolivia in gap year  Live in a houseboat  Founded Facebook campaign for Tolpuddle Library – 3400 members
- 32. Further reading  You’re Hired:How to Write a Brilliant CV by Corinne Mills  BSU Careers Advisers  “Mind Your Language” Evening Standard Business Recruitment Tuesday March 1 2011
Editor's Notes
- #6: Can you do the job” is another way of asking “What are your strengths?” And Bradt says that it’s OK to ask the interviewer what strengths s/he’s looking for. But likely they’re focusing on “soft” skills like interpersonal skills or the ability to navigate office politics.“Will you love the job” is a question of motivation. It’s the question you’ll be able to answer if you’ve thoroughly researched the company before coming in for the interview. If you really can’t find anything to love about the job, it’s best not to fake it, but as Bradtpoints out, motivation doesn’t have to come from loving the impact of the work. You might be motivated because of some benefit the job offers (extra travel?) or because you see it as a learning opportunity, even if the company itself sells the most boring widgets you can imagine.And of course the final question is about fit. Use the BRAVE framework, says Bradt. That’s:Behave: The way people act, make decisions, control the business, etc.Relate: The way people communicate with each other (including mode, manner and frequency), engage in intellectual debate, manage conflict, etc.Attitude: How people feel about the organization’s purpose, mission, vision, identify with the subgroup, group, organization as a whole, etc.Values: People’s underlying beliefs, approach to learning, risk, time horizons, etc.Environment: The way people approach the work environment in terms formality/informality of preferred office layout, etc.“This is one area where no one should play any games. There’s no upside for either the organization or the interviewee to try to be something different than what they are. They will get caught sooner or later,” he says.Now if only this meant you only had to answer three interview questions…RELATED:Jobs Of The Day: This Is The Sound Of Your New Career CallingJobs Of The Day: Visionary Sought In BaltimoreJobs Of The Day: Accounting Reporting In New York, Copy Editing in Chicago, And MoreDr. Wayne Dyer Speaks to the Laid Off, Unemployed and Just FrustratedComment Now!Share<< PREVIOUSEven The Army Has A PinterestNEXT >>Jobs Of The Day: Set Your Sights On A New Copyediting GigMEDIABISTRO EVENTSLeverage the Power of Facebook to Build Your BrandJoin AllFacebook, SocialTimes, and WebMediaBrands at the second AllFacebook Marketing Conference. Held in San Francisco on June 28-29, the event offers a how-to guide for marketing to Facebook’s 845 million users. This is a must-attend event for anyone interested in leveraging the power of Facebook to grow their business and take their brand’s social reach and influence to the next level.Special early pricing is available for only $299 through this Wednesday, February 29. Register today and save! DisqusLike Dislike 3 people liked this. LoginAdd New CommentImage Showing 0 comments M Subscribe by emailS RSSReactionsShow more reactions TwitterMobileRSSInterested in advertising on MediaJobsDaily?Find a JobPerformance Advertising Mobile/Web Account Executive www.pandora.com Oakland, CA Web Designer Interactive One New York, NY Reporter WAFB-TV Baton Rouge, LA See all jobsMediaJobsDaily StaffRachel KaufmanEditorNadine Cheung Editor, The Job PostMediaJobsDaily on TwitterRT @PencilsOfPromis: We are hiring! We're looking for a videographer, graphic designers, fellows, and more! http://t.co/SkABix8N 4 days agoRT @addventures: We're looking for a NICE strategy/marketing manager in #Providence. Know a good fit? Pls RT. http://t.co/zqQufrR9 #job 10 days agoFollow MediaJobsDaily on TwitterVideosmediabistroTV on YouTubeTopicsLinksArchivesPartners