CV

[Greg]

I'm trying to write a CV
Christ, I am bad at this.
Any pearls of wisdom from those who have real jobs?

I think part of my problem is that I statements such as "I mucked around and enjoyed myself that whole summer because I didn't need the money and don't want to do work if I don't have to" are true :P

[Daniel]

It's the art of taking what you've got and making it sound sellable. CV spin if you like. Give us a few highlights of the things you did during your summer of mucking around and let's see if we can't turn them around and make them sound positive.

[Liz944]

Go to the library and look through the CV books they have there.... Find a job or activity which bst suits what you have done and swipe some of their good examples...

Also fit your CV to the job you are trying for....

[Daniel]

Good tips. Sample CVs and cover letters are also available online if you have a google. I'm doing app at the moment actually. I generally have a standard CV which I amend slightly to change the emphasis on skills depending on what the job requirements are. The cover letter of course is written individually for the job in question and highlights the skills which are particularly relevant to the job providing a little more information where there may not be space on the CV to do so.

[Lithium_joe]

A good tip I used was to abandon a chronological retelling of My Life Thus Far and organise my CV according to skills and provide examples I could elaborate on at interview in different area relevant to the job to which I was applying.

I have a small paragraph sayign essentially who I am and my ambitions and goals. It's short but a good opener. Can be used to squeeze in information that doesn't belong elsewhere. I then have one section for experience (and this is broken down into relevant skills like team work, communication, initiative etc) then a section for qualifications in reverse chronological order, most recent first) then references.

I can't say it's worked as yet. since I'm now employed via agencies and ritualistic submission of CV's is not required. but the single best advice I got was to target your audience. Remember the CV is just the foot in the door - you'll have an opportunity at the interview to really sell yourself so make sure the CV gets you the interview. Keep that as the objective when writing it - this is the bait to hook them and get them interested enough to say - 'we'll add him to the list.' and that is it's sole purpose. Its one of the reasons I prefer the skills based CV because I can edit it easily to emphasise different aspects of my experience relevant to the job specifics in the advert.

A lot of jobs these days however don't scan by CV and use standardised application forms - so be prepared to summarise your CV into a personal statement as well.

Good luck.

[Shadwell]

I know I haven't got a job, but what I did learn from a course I done last year, was not to make your CV too long, like a cover note, and a maximum of 2 pages long.

things more than a certain length of time forget about eg. 5 - 10 or more years, whether it be school, college or whatever, unless it is relevant to the job you are applying for.

like dan said, things you done during the summer eg. like volley ball on the beach, you could turn around to say great team player.
any recent volunteering, and stuff.

the main thing is not to leave a huge gap in your CV.