CV Writing

A Curriculum Vitae or CV is quite simply an 'advert' to sell yourself to an employer, so its purpose is to make you attractive, interesting and worthy of considering for a job interview.

As the employer may have a large number of enquiries for a position he/she will only choose a few suitable people for an interview. So it is vital that your CV highlights all aspects of your life and career that is of interest.

Remember, the potential employer will probably only spend 30-60 seconds reading your treasured life history - which is not much time for you to market yourself - so be concise and clear.

Where to start

Sit down with a piece of paper and investigate the job that you are applying for. Consider how your skills, education, and experience compare with the those that the job requires. How much information do you have about the job description? Ask for more detail if you need it.

Spend time researching details about the job that interests you and information about the employer - their structure, products, successes, and approach - from their own publicity or the internet.

Review information about yourself

Previous positions, job duties, volunteer work, skills, accomplishments, education, and activities. These are the raw materials of your CV. This is also a good time to review your career goals and to think about which past jobs you have liked, and why.
Your CV will use your autobiographical information to show that you meet an occupation's requirements.

CV Content

Don't include
There is no point in putting any information that is irrelevant to the job. Here are a few tips on what NOT to put in your CV:

Age, height, weight, marital status,  are not relevant to the hiring process

Photos:
The only people who need to include these are models!

Any sort of failure:
Exams, Marriages, Businesses, etc.

Complicated graphics

Negative descriptions:
Problems or gaps in work history, reasons for leaving each job.

Do not use poor quality photocopies of your CV:
They make it look as though you are sending off your CV to lots of companies and that you may not be too bothered who you work for.  It is much better to email a ‘word’ version of your CV.

Don`t list more than 3 referees – and no relatives!

Do include

Name/Contact Details:
Your permanent address, telephone number and e-mail address. CV's may be kept on file with a company for up to 12 months and they may want to get in touch with you in the future.

Personal Details:
Personal details can be placed at the beginning or end of the document.

Education:
Give places of education where you have studied - most recent education first. Include subject options taken in each year of your course. Include grades, any higher education courses. If you are still at college/university or are doing any kind of course relevant to the job then state what you are doing, when you will be finished etc.

Work Experience:
Last position first, including your title/position and company name. Detail your responsibilities and achievements. Include any voluntary work and work placements.

Additional Skills:
If you have specific computer, foreign language or other technical skills, consider highlighting them by giving them their own category.

Personal Interests:
Limit this information but look at what it is saying about you (solitary individual or team player?).

Referees:
Only include - 3 maximum. Ensure at least one is an existing or a previous manager - provide details on company division, job title & telephone/e-mail

CV formats

Selecting a CV format
There are three main types of CV/resume each with a completely different audience

Chronological:
Work history in chronological date order (last position first). It shows no gaps or changes in career and is useful for a continuous work history which is related to your next job opportunity.

Functional:
Highlights certain skills, achievements and responsibilities rather than chronological listing work history. Good for career changing, periods of unemployment, redundancy or general gaps in work history such as illness. Also useful for repetitious job titles.

Targeted:
A one off CV targeted for a specific job or vacancy. It focuses on what you can do and your potential. Unlike chronological or targeted which focus on past work, it can be useful for a specific position

Styling and materials

If you post your CV, use good quality paper:
In this day and age most potential employers would prefer to receive an electronic version of your CV.  If you do have to post your CV, use a good quality printer and print on one side of the paper only.

Overall appearance:
A CV should be visually pleasing and easy to read - bold headings, use indentations and bullets where applicable. Avoid excessive use of capital letters, underlining, bold or italics. Avoid lots of white space - or very wide margins.

Writing a cover letter

Introducing yourself:
Every CV you send, fax, or e-mail needs its own cover letter. Sending a CV without a cover letter is like starting an interview without shaking hands. The best cover letters spark the employer’s interest and create an impression of competence.

Cover letters are an opportunity to convey your focus and energy. If you don’t have a lot of experience, use the cover letter to show you have enthusiasm. Writing a strong cover letter and then calling to follow up shows the employer you have drive and interest.

What to include:
Cover letters should be written in standard business format with your and the reviewer’s addresses at the top and your signature above your typed name at the bottom. (E-mailed cover letters do not include mailing addresses.) All letters should be single spaced, flush left, with each paragraph followed by a blank line.

Use professional, polite words. Revealing your personality is fine, as long as your style conforms to business protocol. Most cover letters are two or three paragraphs long.

Every cover letter should fit on one page and contain the following four parts:

Salutation
Whenever possible, send your letter to a specific person rather than to an office. Consider how differently you respond to a letter addressed to you, as opposed to one addressed to “Occupant”. If you do not know whom to write, call the company and ask who is hiring for the position.

Check that the name you use is spelled correctly and the title is accurate. Pay close attention to the Mr. or Ms. before gender- neutral names. Finally, use a colon after the name, not a comma.

Opening
The first few sentences of your cover letter should tell the reviewer which food job you are applying for and the connection you have to the company. If someone the reviewer knows suggested you apply, mention that recommendation. If you are responding to an advertisement, refer to it and the source that published it.

Your knowledge of the company might give you another opportunity to connect yourself to the food job. You could briefly describe your experience with its products, cite a recent company success, or refer to an article written about the company. But don’t go overboard; save specifics for the interview.

Body
The next portion of your cover letter is a brief explanation of your qualifications. Don’t simply repeat your CV; summarise your most relevant qualifications or provide additional details about a noteworthy accomplishment. Address the employer’s requirements directly, and don’t be afraid to use special formatting to your advantage.

You can also use the body of your cover letter to address gaps in your work history or other problems evident on your CV. But do not volunteer negative information unless you must. Always maintain a positive, confident tone.

Closing
In your final paragraph, thank the reviewer, request an interview, and repeat your home phone number. The closing is your chance to show commitment to the job. Do not leave the ball in the employer's court. Indicate what reaction you expect from your letter and how you will follow up. For example, don't end with “I look forward to hearing from you soon.” If you tell the reviewer you plan to call, make sure you do it.

A few tips

Use simple, uncomplicated language and sentence structure. Don't try to sound like someone else, particularly if that means using unnaturally formal language, convoluted sentences and words you've never used before (perhaps misusing them in the process). You may mean to impress, but you'll often sound awkward. Write as you would speak.

Be specific and get to the point. Your cover letter must be intriguing enough to get the reader to look at your CV, but should be only an introduction to the CV, not a repeat of it. Make sure you answer the question, “Why should I hire this person?”

Avoid using cliche’s, like “I've taken the liberty of enclosing my CV,” or “I'm a people person.” It's difficult to sell yourself as unique if your letter reads like every other one in the pile.

Be positive. Don't complain about your boss or describe your present or previous work experience as “boring.” Nobody wants to hire somebody with an attitude. Above all, don't sound like you're begging for a food job. A hiring manager may wonder why you're so desperate.

Be confident, but not arrogant. Don't be negative or too humble. Tell them you're qualified for the job, but don't demand it. Don't profess to know more about the company than you really do.

Type your letter, but beware of the dangers of word processing. If you send a similar letter to several companies, make sure that you change all customised statements accordingly; no company wants to read how much you'd like to work for their competitor. Carefully read each letter before you sign it.

Proofread. Check carefully for grammar and spelling mistakes, then check again.

Keep one for yourself. Make a copy of each letter sent, and keep it for future reference.