Five easy steps to writing a successful CV
Published: 01/03/2013
A good curriculum vitae is vital when looking for work, so what should it contain? Ian Peate, professor of nursing and independent consultant, discusses the fundamentals of developing a successful CV
This article focuses on the completion of your curriculum vitae (CV). A well prepared and presented CV can have a huge impact on your chances of securing the position you are applying for. It is therefore important that you spend some time thinking about the content of the CV, taking care of it and how you are going to present it.
CV is Latin and stands for Curriculum Vitae and means ‘the course of one’s life’. Sometimes a CV is also called a résumé. A CV that stands out from others demonstrates that the person putting it together is aware of what the purposes of a CV are. The CV, along with the application form, may be the only things that a prospective employer sees of you, so you have to make sure you try to get it right.
Most employers require that you submit a CV when applying for a post, some only accept CVs, and there are some who want a CV and a completed application form, and others who may only require a completed application form. Many employers receive a large number of CVs from people who are applying for a position with them and a number of them reject a high proportion of those CVs which they receive. There may be a variety of reasons for this, for example, many CVs tell prospective employers little about prospective employees, and even less about why the applicant should be considered for the job.
Try to think of the CV as your marketing tool, a brochure that sells you. If you can think of it like this, think also of the number of brochures that you receive from companies trying to sell you their wares. How many do you put in the recycling bin?
What was it about these brochures that did not appeal you? Was it because:
? The purpose of the brochure was not explained
? There was nothing new in them
? They were too long
? They had a poor layout
? The type face used was boring
? The type face used was too fancy
? They were too complex—trying to convey too much information
? They were too simple—not enough information.
Most of the criticisms directed towards poor CVs are similar to those that have been listed above. Now take some time and think about those brochures that you actually read or spend some time over. Why was this? Why did they particularly appeal to you?
Curriculum vitae: Martha Jones
| Address and contact details | 36 Catherine Street, Chelmsford |
| Career aims | To develop knowledge, skills and attitudes around dental care when working as a member of the dental team. To become an dental nurse tutor |
| Education and qualifications | Woolfstone Grammar School, Birmingham GCSE ‘C’ English language GCSE ‘C’ English literature GCSE ‘D’ Chemistry |
| Career History | 1999-present Dental nurse Whitesmile Spa Chelmsford Essex, CM5 6JL |
| Qualifications | NEBDN Diploma in Dental Nursing |
| Achievements | Awarded best dental nurse West Midlands |
| Skills | Impression taking Oral health advice Intra-oral radiography Safeguarding children |
| Other interests | Non-Executive Director, Everywhere NHS Trust Member of the Coventry Souls Singers group |
| Referees | Mrs P Magnum, Dentist |
| Lady Davina De Marco |
What is a CV?
Before you begin to write the CV you need to know two important things:
? What is a CV?
? Who is the CV for?
A CV serves only as one way in which you can get a job. It can only open a door for you. Only you can get the job and you must be ahead of the queue, in front of the others. A CV is a form of communication that enables you to demonstrate, for example:
? A little about who you are (you expand on this at interview)
? What you have to sell
? An understanding of what the prospective employer needs and what you have to offer in this respect.
Preparation
Preparation is vital if the CV is going to be read and taken seriously by your prospective employer and not end up in the bin with other CVs and brochures. Your CV needs to stand out and impress—just as those brochures stood out and impressed.
It is vital that you know who the CV is for, what the key business of the company is, who the key stakeholders are and what the post is that you have applied for. Gather this information together and consider carefully the job description, essential criteria and person specification required for the post. Make some notes about the key issues that arise, you will need these later on when you write the CV.
Although there are various formats which can be used, the CV should always be concise, precise and well prepared. Prospective employers do not want to read irrelevant information about you, they want to read about you as quickly as possible; they may have little time to search through pages of a CV. Two pages is an ideal length. This should make it easier for a prospective employer to gain a concise understanding of who you are and what you are about. You should not aim to show off, nor should your CV be gimmicky; however, you must stand out. Stating you skills, strengths and achievements will help you produce a good CV. It might help if you think what it might be like if you had to read a large number of CVs—consider what you would want to see to help you make a decision about a prospective employee.
Gather together all of the other information and facts you will need (you may already have all of this data if you have had to fill in an application form). The data you require may include:
? Dates related to significant events
? Your school history
? Your qualifications gained
? Your work history
? Names of two referees
? Personal identification numbers (if applicable)
? Expiry dates of memberships of particular organizations (if applicable).
When you have all this information together, you can begin preparing the CV.
The CV
Ensure that you allow yourself sufficient time to prepare your CV and, if possible, that you are not disturbed when preparing it as this is an important task that requires your total attention. The CV should always be word-processed as this will make it easier to update and personalise. You need to have a clear goal and understand the reason why you are writing it and for whom. Your aim is to attract attention and get your foot in the door. You need to begin to think about the format and the words you will be using to get the message across. While your CV is indeed your CV and is about you, you must also bear in mind that you are writing it for a prospective employer.
Format
The format will vary depending on individual taste and the post applied for. A CV is usually arranged around the following:
? Name and contact details
? Personal profile
? Career aims/objectives/aspirations
? Education (if appropriate)
? Educational qualifications
? Career history
? Educational (work-based) qualifications
? Achievements
? Skills
? Interests (if appropriate)
? Referees.
It may be appropriate for you to include information in your CV that shows what clinical experiences you have had. This aspect of detail can demonstrate to the prospective employer what transferable skills you have gained—for example, communication skills, your ability to work as an individual and in a team and your time management skills.
The covering letter
A covering letter should always accompany a submitted CV. It must have a clear, logical structure and ideally should not exceed one side of A4. There should be an introduction, body and conclusion.
sec-type="intro">Introduction
This should outline the purpose of the letter and the post being applied for. Provide the reader with an understanding of why you are interested in this post and why you want to work for this particular employer. If you have already made an informal visit to the employer’s place of business, mention it (it is highly recommended that you do).
Body
In this section of the covering letter you need to sell yourself. Highlight your skills and the experience(s) that you have so far and how these skills relate to the post you are applying for. Try here to convince the reader why they should shortlist you.
Conclusion
It may be appropriate for you say when you are available for interview, if there are any dates you would be unavailable for and when you can take up employment. End by saying how you are looking forward to meeting the employers.
Some ‘do’s and don’ts’
? Always ensure you have your CV proof read prior to submission
? Edit your CV as often as you feel you need to until you are happy with the content
? Always ensure that you give yourself plenty of time to prepare for and write your CV
? Always provide a covering letter
? Don’t use pictures or clip art
? Don’t use coloured paper
? Don’t make the CV any longer than two sides of A4.
Conclusion
Unlike an application form, a CV provides you with the opportunity to share information about yourself in such a way that you are able to highlight your strengths and your particular experiences. There are several different ways to lay out a CV.
Your CV needs to be clear, concise (no more than two sides of A4) and well laid out. The layout should enable the reader to access relevant information about you quickly without having to trawl through unnecessary details.
Always include a covering letter with the CV. The covering letter should be logical and include an introduction, body and conclusion. Good luck!
Author: MA Healthcare
