How to guide: Completing CVs

Applying for endless jobs can feel in many ways soul destroying. You may have to spend quite a while perfecting that CV and long winded application form, so below are a few tips regarding CVs (application forms and interview techniques to follow), which will help to ease your strife.

CVs come in many formats containing; skills profiles, personal statements, personal details including height and weight, references attached, colourful, different fonts, pretty boarders and even with the picture of the candidate attached. My suggestion is to always keep it simple, but professional. Apply your judgement to gauge what effect your CV and the contents will have upon the potential audience. Put yourself in the employers shoes; what would you think of your own CV if you were them.

1)Your CV is all about the quick sale: You have to draw the employer’s eye to your CV; to do this you must have your skills and experience where they will see it within a few seconds of scanning the document. Bear in mind that on this document you have to let an employer know everything which is relevant to the job you are applying for. Therefore your skills or experience profile should match what they want from a candidate. To do this reflect back on what you have done, and what skills were required; use Google if you’re unsure where to begin IE ‘the skills required for clerical officer’. This should either provide skills profiles or job descriptions, to help jog your memory.

2) One size does not fit all for a CV: Every time you apply for a new job, change the details of your skills and tailor them specifically to the role. Ideally you want to be listing your most relevant qualifications and work history, not everything you have ever done. The remainder can be referred to under a separate section such as ‘additional information’. When it comes to listing your education and work history always work from the most recent backwards, and keep details of certificates and duties to the point (don’t ramble). You can always elaborate upon your most recent job by adding that extra bit of detail in, so they can get a feel for what you have done most recently in a more robust fashion.

3) Omit the personal details: Other than your contact and home address, because of equal opportunities it should mean that your age and ethnicity are not important; unless specifically asked for by the employer directly. It also saves important space. So too does not adding in your references; ‘references can be supplied’ is sufficient. Also check your contact email address; anything odd or rude and employers see  it as unprofessional.

4) Check and double check for errors: One grammatical mistake or spelling error will automatically discount you from the running. This has been said before I am sure, but I have seen so many applications without this care and consideration it seems the point is worth making again. Also, don’t ramble (as above). I may ramble when I am producing a post for WordPress, but this is not a job application. Employers want pertinent and succinct info which isn’t repeated in one form or another. Also, check the meanings of words if you are unsure of; sounds obvious but these simple errors won’t show up on spell checkers. Ensure to you have the dates of your employment and education matching up, so employers cannot question a huge gap between X and Y. You can account for any gaps in the ‘additional information’ section.

5) Keep it short and sweet: The CV is best when it is the max of 2 sides of A4 and printed out on good quality paper. I know it sounds impossible, but if I can do it with the amount of jobs I have had, anyone can. It is the case of being succinct; cutting out repetition and waffle, but keeping in the quality.

6) Include a cover letter: Cover letters should be professional and drawn up as you would a business letter; employers address and your address, date and Dear…….you get the picture I am sure. Also remember if you are addressing the letter to IE Mr Black, sign off with ‘Yours sincerely’ otherwise it is ‘Yours faithfully’. Keep this letter to the point too and match your skills to their needs. Highlight your experience in the letter and break down sections into bullet points to be more eye catching. Don’t repeat yourself here either; anything you have included within the CV IE skills and experience wise, don’t add into this letter. Make it fresh and include different, but relevant info. Also, don’t use any slang such as ‘thanks’; ‘I thank you for your time and consideration’ sounds better and is professional.

7) Oh, and to return to the inclusion of a personal photo upon your CV; it maybe something done quite frequently in certain sectors and also in some countries. I know it was the norm in Spain and also a few other EU nations too, but in the UK, we tend not to do this. Do some online research first though if you’re not sure. A CV is supposed to be in many ways about a sort of anonymity and equal opps, so whether you are a Greek God or not it doesn’t really matter. Employers should always be reading your application with a view to interview you based upon your skill strength; not your bodily strength. Also a photo can be the cause of a good laugh in the office; I know because I have laughed. If you do include a photo make it a professional one, not your Facebook profile pic or lazing outside in the sun (I have seen these photos on CVs); hence the laughing. It isn’t professional and it won’t illicit a professional response, again, hence my laughing.

Hope this helps give you some ideas to improve your own CVs. Any questions regarding your CV, ask and I am willing to tell all.

 

Volunteering guide

Volunteering can often be a great way to get involved, boost your knowledge in a particular sector and gain more skills or training. It is also said to be a way to get your foot in the door. You will hear about any new vacancies first, and when you apply they already know who you are and what you can do.

However this being said, employers have begun using volunteers to fill the gap in their employee base; using volunteers more and more frequently to do the job of a paid member of staff. Also, it may be often the case that they are happy to take you as a volunteer as the love all your skills and what you bring to their organisation or company, but when you do apply for a job opening with them and undergo interview suddenly you’re not so good.

Below are my tips for volunteering, to safeguard you and ensure employers don’t take advantage; as they will if you let them.

• Be choosy. Look at an organisation or company that meets your requirements. Consider what role you want to do, what skills you have to offer and also don’t forget what it is you want to learn and the training you hope to receive.
• Consider their overall training, support and development package carefully. You would think that charitable organisations for example have invested in these things, however I have found this is not the case due to their funding restrictions. They may not even have meetings for you attend, information to provide to you or supervision meetings to check your progress; but then often they don’t have these for their staff either (so, go figure). In reality they may have very little to actually offer their volunteers in any of these areas, some might not even provide travel expenses and you may have to pay for your own DBS. Just decide what you are willing to give and concede upon before you jump in with both feet.
• DBS, on this I suggest if you are considering volunteering or a job working with vulnerable adults, children and young people arrange your own portable DBS, via the update service. It costs £13 a year to update and is usable in any place you go. I suggest an enhanced disclosure as this covers the above areas. I do know some charities are super finicky though. For example; you may actually be in the education sector working with a portable DBS, but if you decide to volunteer in another educational sector they may insist that you undergo another disclosure. This will cost money, and can take some time depending on how many occasions you have moved home in the previous 5 years and where you have moved to. I recently had a small disagreement over this myself, as I couldn’t quite fathom why my potable DBS was good in one educational sector but not to become a volunteer at a school.
• Many organisations now want a long term commitment from volunteers, and also guaranteed working hours per week. This is because the work often replaces what should be the role of a paid member of staff. This often goes against the flexibility of volunteering; most people cannot commit over long periods or to hours during the week, if they already work for example or have other commitments. I would always enquire whether they have short term project you can become engaged within, that way you won’t be tied down and feel bored in one role and area; you can also then do more volunteering elsewhere.
• Again, check that the volunteer role you are applying for is the one you want to do. This can change depending on what they want and when. It is no good if you wish to raise funds in the community and you are stuck doing administration behind a desk. Volunteer posts are often unclarified from the start though, and although actual paid employment isn’t recruited to the best standard, volunteer recruitment can be even more badly organised and thought through.
• In consideration to point 5, many places may not have a designated Volunteer Co-ordinator who is responsible for recruitment, or the one person in that role is part time and is expected to do quite a substantial role. It can be the case that as a result of having no Volunteer Co-ordinator or one who is stretched to their limit, recruitment isn’t up to the mark. The problem with many charities/organisations and business is that they don’t treat the recruitment of volunteers as central to their growth, and don’t really invest that much thought to how they usually recruit their staff; therefore you often have huge time delay in response from them regarding your request to volunteer, their processing of meeting with you to discuss, processing of your DBS and reference checks. Either be patient or chase them up, but of course you could go elsewhere. You are after all doing them the favour, and if they need someone ASAP they should be onto it ASAP. Harsh, no it is merely the truth.
• If all else fails get something verbally agreed and drafted as a contract regarding your role and your duties, and of course the time frame to cover the volunteering. This is especially the case if you are going somewhere and they promise you a volunteer role will become a paid role after a trial period. Ensure they stick to this promise. This type of volunteering should always be carried out under strict timeframes; 4 to 6 weeks. Any longer and they are using you as free labour, and you won’t get that promised job.
• Reflecting on point 7, watch out for this as often employers or organisations will use a vast amount of volunteers for short time frame; such as running up the Xmas period. They promise you the job at the end of that time period, but miraculously after the 6 weeks are up so too are you. They then move onto another free member of staff to take your place, with the same promise attached.

Hope this helps all would be volunteers out there; if you have questions please let me know and I am happy to help you.

The follow on topics from this post which I will be covering are:

How to guide – Applications and CVs

How to guide –  Interviews