|
CV Tips from a Butternut Consultant.
Want a butternut consultant to give you some advice on your CV? Have a look at our top tips and if you still need some help send us a email to knockknock@butternutjobs.com
There’s no right or wrong way to do a CV.
You might have heard people say that you should keep your CV to one page or that you shouldn’t use bullet points on your CV. As long as you use your CV to sell yourself clearly there’s really no right or wrong way to create a CV. Have a read of our tips and see if you can improve your CV.
1) The layout of your CV is really important. Employers aren’t really bothered about fancy borders or coloured text they just want to find out what you can bring to their company and why they should employ you over anyone else. The consultants at butternutjobs.com really like the following layout:
Name
List you name in bold letters at the top of your CV
Profile
Your profile should be a small paragraph at the start of your CV giving your employer an insight into why your looking for work and what your aspirations are. Employers are likely to see a lot of CVs so use this section to really sell yourself. Tell your employer what sort of employee you are, why you are looking for work and what you want from your career. Make sure you double check this section for every position you apply for as it may need tweaking for different roles.
Example
“I am currently seeking a position within a HR department after completing a degree in Business Management. I consider myself to be an enthusiastic, hardworking individual who enjoys challenges and working both alone and in a team. I am currently immediately available for work and seeking a full time, permanent position.”
Employment History
State where you have been employed as well as the length of time you were with organisations. In this section we always advise walking yourself through a day in your role and making sure all relevant aspects are included. Bullet point text to make it easier to read and make sure you can confidently speak about each bullet point on your CV. Include your reasons or leaving each role and remember to keep these positive where possible.
Employers will have questions about any gaps in your CV make sure you address them.
Make sure you include any achievements you made whilst in your role
Example
Office Assistant
ABC Accounting
June 05-June 07
• Customer Service
• Opening Post
• Handling queries
• Logging invoices onto computer system
• Handing telephone enquiries
• Dealing with complaints
• Taking minutes
• Any general administration
Achievements: Achieved an NVQ Level 2 in Business Administration
Reason for Leaving: Relocated to west Norfolk
If you don’t have any employment history make sure you list any achievements you’ve made like courses you’ve attended, achievements at school, GCSE grades you are proud of….. remember your CV is a chance for you to sell yourself!
Professional Qualifications
If you have professional qualifications, ie qualifications that are specific to certain industries or roles, accountants can have CIMA qualifications for example, make sure these are listed on you CV. Keep them under a separate heading so they stand out to employers. If your employer has listed desirable qualifications that you would like t complete include these with an explanation as to why you would like to do them.
Education History
List the schools/colleagues/universities you have attended, the dates you were there and the grades you achieved.
Personal Details
This sections pretty simple, list all your personal details! Name, address, contact numbers, contact email address, best contact times if possible. You don’t have to put you date on birth or marital status its totally up to you!
2) Keep it positive! If didn’t like your last boss or your last job wasn’t what you thought it would be, focus on the positive parts of your role. This includes when you do an interview. It doesn’t look good if you’re talking about how bad your last manager was rather than selling yourself. Keep positive and you’ll be on the right track to success!
3) Keep it simple. The person screening your CV might no always have done the role your applying for. Try not to use too much jargon so is easy for people to read but still gets your message across.
4) Know you stuff. 9 times out of 10 your employer will ask you to talk through your employment history in a job interview. Make sure you know your stuff and can confidently talk about yourself.
5) Spell Check!! Spelling mistakes look awful on your CV. It tells your employer that your attention to detail is not what it should be. Make sure you spell check your work! And if you can get someone else to read your CV and see what they think!
| 
