Draw attention to yourself!
CV Writing Tips: Just a few major points; you will know the rest….
No, we’re not going to tell you to check your spelling and your grammar – you know all that. Just a few key points that really will make a difference.
Keep it short and sharp: Employers will not pore over your CV, agonising over every detail. Research illustrates that employers will make an initial decision about whether you are worth interviewing within 60 seconds. However, you have had considerable experience so do not expect your résumé to fit on to one side of A4. Use two sheets and STOP.
Give it impact: But don’t use gimmicks such as fancy paper. After all, you do want to be taken seriously. Whatever your age, the layout and presentation, are very important indeed. Use headings and bullets to create clarity.
Structure
Your CV has to have a logic. A lot of fuss is made about whether CVs should be written in chronological order or whether the latest job should trendily be placed first. We honestly don’t think it matters. Call us old fashioned but we think that secretly many employers prefer chronological order. This is because it makes sense. However if your latest job is the most relevant, then place it first and work backwards.
Sub-divisions are as follows: Personal Details, Qualifications, Employment History, Skills, Results, References. References should be recent and relevant.
Qualifications
List these chronologically; Include dates and awarding body.
Experience
If you have worked for half a lifetime, then you probably have a lot of experience to draw on. This is a key benefit of being mature! However employers won’t want to plough through your student experiences in the local bar, the time you taught English in Japan or your short foray into telephone sales. If it’s not relevant to the particular job you are applying for, then don’t include it. If you have too much that is relevant, then prioritise. You can always add extra information when you get to the interview itself. Explain any gaps in your career which an employer may view as mysterious.
Roles and responsibilities
These are the framework for the job descriptions. So make it crystal clear how your previous roles have prepared you for this one. Include line management responsibilities, if applicable, and successful experience of working in teams.
Focus on skills
Rather than focussing purely on tasks, concentrate on the job related skills that enable you to prove that you carried out those tasks effectively. Then move on to generic skills such as, analytical, organisational, creative, communication skills and of course, transferable skills. Match your competencies to the job criteria. Employers rate soft skills highly, for example, interpersonal and negotiation skills, so stress these. Since you are older, your soft skills are likely to be honed to a high standard and you will be able to illustrate how you have used them successfully in the past. Emphasise your computer skills too so that employers know you are technologically competent.
Focus on results
Including your key achievements is of crucial importance. It is useful to stress your skills but employers are interested in the proof of those skills. Results are the bottom line. Examples could include a successful project, an award, a new product, sales figures.
Illustrate how you can be of use to the employer.
Ditch the hobbies and the family ‘snapshot.’ Nobody really cares. In keeping with the spirit of the age-related Equality legislation, do not include your date of birth. It is also against our principles!
Remember: The purpose of a CV is to get you an interview.
