GETTING THE JOB – Your Resume/CV

Your Resume or Curriculum Vitae will be the most important document you will prepare in your search for a job – it’s worth spending some time to get it right.

Here are some general guidelines – then some specific tips

Guidelines-

Write, or at least tailor it, for a specific job if possible

Do a draft then develop it. Show it to people and ask them what it says about you and how clearly it says it.

Start early – well before the time to make applications. (Your CV will not change very much during your program – excepting that you may wish to list any electives you decide to take in your program, and you will have lots of things that must be done later)

Make it a good looking document – check all spelling, grammar, syntax, layout etc. and do not use fancy designs, clipart or humour

Tell it ‘like it is’ – don’t exaggerate, lie or conceal anything, and don’t be vague

The more senior the position that you are applying for – the more details you will be expected to provide

Follow any specific instructions – don’t send standard CVs

Write it yourself- don’t get someone else to do it for you

Always send your Resume/CV with a covering letter – and be clear about the purpose of each ( see section on Covering Letters)

Give basic details of your last salary – only if recent and relevant

Tips-

1. In a CV for a specific job – use language that they will recognise (look at their Web page – look for key phrases – eg ‘adding value’ and use them sparingly in your Resume/CV)
2. Start with an Objectives section, ie what job or type of job you seek, then:
3. Put it in chronological order - most recent things first
4. Be concise and precise
5. Keep sections/paragraphs short
6. Focus on the company's needs - not yours. Say what you can contribute.
7. Identify your achievements - focus on results, not responsibilities
8. Give specific examples - eg managed project X over Y months to achieve Z
9. Don’t use ‘I’
10. If possible - put the key points at the beginning of a section
11. Send a top copy – not a photocopy
12. Differentiate yourself - don't fold and post your resume - send it in a bigger envelope
13. Don’t list referees unless you have been asked for them
14. Make it action oriented – ie what you ‘managed’, ‘developed’ etc
15. Keep biographical/personal details to a minimum

Electronic Resumes/CVs

Some organizations will allow you to send Resumes/CVs electronically. Always check before you do so.

Guidelines-

Send your Covering letter electronically also

Put both the Covering letter and the Resume as a single document

Don’t send either as attachments – they may never be opened

Send a hard copy of both as follow up

Tips-

1. Use a standard word processing application, and don’t use complex formatting
2. Make the maximum line length 65 characters, inclusive of spaces
3. Send your document to yourself or someone else first, to see that it arrives and looks OK
4. Save a copy
5. Try extra hard to put the strong points first – readers are less likely to scroll down than to flip pages
6. Run a spell check but don’t rely totally on it – it wont find correctly spelt but wrongly used words

Faxes

Never send your Resume/CV or letter by fax - unless you are specifically asked to do so.

 

For more information on these topics go to the FURTHER INFORMATION page in this Advice section

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