Thursday, July 23, 2009

Your CV Brochure- More Glossy Than Mercedes!

By Glenn Hughes

Your CV is a selling document. It's probably the best chance that you will ever have to show someone else just what you can do. It may help to think of it as a glossy brochure, rather like the one you might pick up in a Mercedes or a BMW showroom advertising their latest model car

English people are reserved and shy. Popular myth or is there some truth in the statement. If the soccer matches that I've attended are anything to go by, reserved is one adjective that does not apply. Your CV is not the place for reservedness, rather a place to show the world exactly how you can contribute. Do you have to boast? A little, but there are ways to show your achievements without being a pain in the derrire

Over the top boasts about how all businesses that you have worked for in the past would never have survived without you have no place on a CV. Live in the real world, be factual about the achievements that you genuinely succeeded in delivering and you will have people knocking down your door to interview you. Make sure that if those achievements were as a part of a wider team effort that you highlight your particular achievements

Being honest is what it is all about. There is a common myth flying around that it is alright to lie on your CV. Popularized by television programs like The Apprentice, lies on a CV seem to be worn like some badge of Honor. In the real world where most of us live, however, lying will get you fired, and certainly not hired which I assume is your goal

Simple, old fashioned attention to detail goes a long way on a CV. For example, taking time to get the exact dates that you were employed between shows honesty and attention to the smallest detail, particularly important in some job roles. Pay particular attention to grammar, spelling and punctuation. This will also pay great dividends as there are so many people who just don't

You worked hard for your qualifications so please make sure that they are included on your CV. Work back wards from the highest level of qualification through to the lowest, separating out the professional qualifications and the educational ones

Being able to drive a motorised vehicle is an advantage that you should not forget to exploit. Passing a driving test of any level shows that you are responsible, are able to take instructions and show a degree of independence. Show clearly on your CV the sort of vehicles that you can drive, you never know when that may be important to the employer

Never ever put your date of birth on to any document that may be passed on electronically. You never know who will read your CV and what they may use the information for. Identity theft is a very real issue, so please don't make it any easier than it already is for someone to steal yours

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