Archive for the ‘CV Tips’ Category

Creating your own CV website

Posted by admin on March 1st, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

If  you are job hunting and have a portfolio of work you need prospective employers to see, then you should consider creating your own website.

You can use a website to demonstrate your talents much better than a plain CV. You can include examples of your work and testimonials from clients or previous employers.

This approach is ideal for the following creative professions and in many cases a website is expected from you:

  • Graphic designers
  • Website developers
  • Designers (Interior, Fashion etc)
  • Actors
  • Artists and photographers
  • Models
  • Anyone planning to go freelance in any field

One of the advantages of this approach is that you can circulate the link to your site on the internet – through jobs noticeboards, social networking and emails.

Other advantages include:

  • You can include all aspects of your work using photos, sound and video to demonstrate your creativity
  • You don’t have to carry a portfolio of your work around with you
  • You can include the website link on your business cards at networking events
  • You can drive traffic to your website to save you some footwork in approaching prospective employers
  • Other people may see your website and recommend you to a friend/colleague

There are some things you need to consider though:

  • To do a good job, and unless you are a web designer yourself, you will need to pay a professional to create the website for you. Prices can range enormously so make sure you have the budget!
  • Creating a website is not a five minute job and takes planning, testing and maintenance.  It can take many weeks to establish depending on the complexity of the site
  • You will need to ensure the content is up to date and fresh
  • You will need to include a link to your traditional format CV so will need to ensure that  too looks professional
  • Make sure that the website is clear and easy to read and has no errors, dud links or spelling mistakes
  • You will need to choose domain name that is available and will have to pay a fee to register it. You can find domain name checkers on the internet

Your site should include the following information:

  • Your name
  • Your credentials (qualifications and skills)
  • What it is you do – sell yourself! Don’t just expect your work to speak for itself.
  • Examples of your work and projects you have worked on
  • Testimonials from satisfield employers/clients
  • How to contact you (very important!)

As with your traditional CV, do NOT include any information that could potentially be used by criminals for fraudulent purposes!

Click here to see the Emerald Frog blog entry on what personal information NOT to include on your CV website.

Filed under CV Tips, Job Seeking Tips


Your CV – what your hobbies say about you

Posted by admin on February 1st, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

Extremeironing1

Should you put "Extreme ironing" on your CV?

So, you have written your CV and conveyed your skills, work experience and education to a prospective employer. Now you need to get your personality across.

Employers can assume a lot from reading this section and it will open up the interview discussion, so when you are writing your CV this section requires just as much thought as the rest.

It is best to pick hobbies and interests that demonstrate your traits/aptitude for the job you are applying for. Don’t LIE as you may find that you are being interviewed by someone who is an expert and you may become unstuck! If you do find that you have exaggerated or outright lied on your CV then you’d best make sure that you can talk about the subject if cross examined!

If you have listed hobbies such as reading, films or theatre make sure you can answer questions as to the last one you saw or read. Also, that you can answer questions about what kinds of plays/books/films you like. Answers such as “I love erotic novels” or, “My favourite film is Saw – I love blood and gore” might not give the best impression of you!

Here is a list of what could be inferred about your personality from your list of hobbies:

Playing team sports – team player, energetic and competitive
Solitary sports (such as chess) - strategic, quiet, possible loner
Extreme sports – risk taker, adventurous (sales CVs often are full of these)
Reading - intelligent, curious, quiet, solitary (choose examples of your recent reads carefully depending on the job you are going for!)
Socialising and pubs – sociable but may not turn up for work next day due to hangover
TV – has no life and lazy
Gardening and cooking – creative and relaxed
Art - intellectual, creative.
Computers – geeky, shy, lacking in social skills?
Animals – caring, gentle, responsible
Fitness and gym – motivated, energetic and driven
Charity work – (always a good one to include) team player, conscientious, honest, unselfish

Bear in mind that employers looking for an accountant will seek out different traits (e.g. ability to work quietly and on their own) than an employer looking for a sales manager (e.g. outgoing, motivated and sociable), so make sure your hobbies/interests reflect this. Check the job description for the “Person Specification” to give you an idea of how to tailor your interests to the role.

Don’t just list these hobbies as boring bullet points,  if you have something interesting to say about a couple of them, then put this on your CV. They may end up as a conversation point in the interview and help relax the formality of the meeting.

Filed under CV Tips, Interview Technique


Keeping your CV safe online

Posted by admin on October 29th, 2009 | 1 Comment »

With the recent news that the Guardian jobs website was hacked this week (see Emerald Frog blog post, Oct 26th), the theft of 4.5 million users’ personal details from the monster.co.uk website in January this year, and with identity fraud on the increase,  what can you do to safeguard your online CV?

According to the Metropolitan Police, 93% of CVs posted online contain enough information for criminals to steal your identity. This information could then be used to take out credit cards and loans in your name, acess your accounts, seriously affect your credit rating and even gain a passport in your name!

Here are some top tips:

  • Make sure the site you are posting to is genuine as some bogus ones have been set up purely to collect CV data.  Research online the site’s reputation.
  • Be wary of those emails you get out of the blue suggesting you for an interview (particularly in a field that is not your skill set), and that request further personal detail.
  • Check that anyone you respond to with further information has a company domain name in their email address and not a host server address.

On your CV:

DO NOT put the following information online. A prospective employer will be able to assess if you have the correct experience for the job without it.

  • Full address. Leave off your house number and road
  • Your middle name
  • Your marital status
  • Your National Insurance number
  • Your date of birth/ place of birth (the Age Discrimination Act means that you don’t have to include this information)
  • Driving licence number
  • Bank details (obviously!)
  • Make sure you have a separate email address for job hunting. Get one free from sites such as Yahoo or Hotmail
  • Do not put names and addresses of any references. They will not thank you if their ID gets stolen! Simply write “References available on request”

In addition:

  • Do not put similiarly sensitive info on Facebook or other networking sites.
  • Deactivate any online CVs when you are not job hunting or if you do not use that job site any more.
  • Make a notes of all those places that you have applied to with your personal information online, just in case.
  • If you are applying directly to a company or via an email received, then have a look on the Companies House website (www.companieshouse.gov.uk) to check they are legitimate.
  • Ensure that you regularly change your jobs’ website passwords and have up to date anti-virus/security software on your laptop or PC.

How comfortable are you posting your CV online with the recent security breaches? Please leave a comment and let me know.

Filed under CV Tips, Careers advice, Job news/trends


CV don’ts!!

Posted by admin on October 16th, 2009 | 1 Comment »

CV don'ts

Did you know that most employers take between 10-15 seconds to scan read CVs when sifting through a pile of job applications? That’s not long to grab their attention!

Here in brief are some of the CV “crimes” I have seen over the years. I impart this information to you because, as they say on the cop shows, knowledge is power…

1. Do not include a photo of yourself. It can work both ways. If you are attractive you may be seen as a bimbo (men included!);  if you are, let’s say, less than an oil painting your CV will be met with “Jeez…” and possibly put to the bottom of the pile. It’s sad but it’s true.  Let your skills and achievements speak for themselves.

2. Watch your spelling. Spelling mistakes will make you look like an illiterate fool.

3. Keep it brief. Don’t waffle on page after page. Try and stick to two sides. (The only exception :  If you have a very senior management/specialist job history)

4. Don’t use a silly font. Stick to Times New Roman or something similar. Nothing swirly or illegible that would not be easily scan read.

5.  Always put your contact details on your CV and make sure that you include your email address. However, make sure that your email address isn’t something like “Ivegot alovelypair@hotmail.com”, make sure it is sensible!

6. Don’t put, under the hobbies and interests section, “drinking and socialising”. This screams that you will be too hungover to turn up to work. I have seen numerous CVs that ONLY have this under hobbies and interests!

7. Don’t make stuff up. You will quickly get found out at interview!

8. Don’t criticise your last employer.  It doesn’t look professional and make you look like you have an attitude problem.

9. Don’t list your salary you earned for each job. This can mean that you may under price or over price yourself before even getting an interview.

10. Don’t attach your CV to an email to a prospective employer without a “covering letter” within the body of the email. “Hi, please find attached my CV, thanks, Dave” is not going to encourage an employer to open your CV. You need to whet their appetite with a brief outline of what you can offer them. And don’t, DEFINITELY DON’T end your email with xx. I’ve seen it many times! People really do!
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Filed under CV Tips



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