Q: Does a CV always need to be only one page?
A: CV length should not exceed two sides of A4 paper. How
much of those two sides you fill depend on how much you
have done.
Q: Should the education section always be near the
top?
A: If you still are in or have recently completed formal
education your academic achievements will form a major part
of your qualifications, and it is recommended to place these
near the top of your CV. Also some industries, notably communications,
value related experience above degree work and therefore,
place your academic qualifications further down the page.
Q: Is an objective always necessary?
A: No, it is not crucial; however
an employer will be impressed if you have a focused idea
of where you want your career to be heading, especially
if it is in line with their planned development.
Q: What if I haven't done very much to fill up my
CV?
A: This does not matter, everyone has to start somewhere,
if sparse content is a problem use sensible formatting and
fonts so that you comfortably fill one side of A4.
Q: Do hobbies and personal interests need to be
shown?
A: It is not imperative to show your interests however it
can provide an employer with an insight into your personality.
This will undoubtedly be covered at interview so the more
you can prepare them the better.
Q: Must references be included?
A: It is advisable not to include references as part of
your CV. A small note stating that
'References available on request' will be sufficient.
Q: What should be on my CV?
A: Contact details, an introduction, previous employment
history, academic qualifications, hobbies and interests.
Q: What shouldn't I put on my CV?
A: Religion, references,Date of BIRTH , sexuality, why you
left your previous jobs, all your school grades, a photo,
lies.
Q: Do I have to include all of my exam results?
A: No, just the most recent and a summary of you're A-Level,
GCSE qualifications will be enough.
Q: In what order do I list information?
A: Contact details at the top, a brief introduction, employment
history, education, interests, and hobbies.
Q: What sort of paper should I print it on?
A: The best quality that you can get your hands on, but
use common sense, do not get paper that is too thick or
any colourful paper.
Q: In what text format should I save my CV so that
it can be e-mailed?
A: If you want to be sure that the recipient can read your
submission then sending a txt attachment is recommended.
However this format does not allow you to include attractive
formatting. Most offices have MS Office applications,
and so a Word document will probably be suitable. PDF
files take up more memory, but if you are applying for design
industry jobs and have a highly stylised CV then this could
be the best format. If you want to be certain you could
paste a txt version of your CV into the body of the e-mail
as well as attaching a Word or PDF version.
Q: How can I ensure that my CV will be read?
A: CVs usually aren't read at first, they are scanned. With
that in mind you should build your CV to be easily scanned
by sight:
· Present information in concise, compact statements.
Avoid large blocks of text.
· Organise your information so that the reader doesn't
have to hunt for your skills.
· Use fonts and text styles consistently to provide
visual structure to your document.
· Leave plenty of white space so it isn't cluttered.
· Sprinkle industry buzzwords and use fresh, positive
language.
· Leave irrelevant, unnecessary or inappropriate
information off your CV.
Q: How far back should I go with the information
I put on my CV?
A: 10 years is a maximum. Go back further and you run the
risk of rambling on with irrelevant information or, worse,
dating yourself. However, there are certain situations in
which experience from more than ten years ago may be advantageous
to show on your resume. In this case, it is usually a good
idea to taper the descriptions of your experience as you
work back (making entries less detailed). Another option
may be to find another way to show experience or qualification
from more than 10 years ago.
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