Curriculum Vitae, Rsum and Cover Letter

Your CV/resume and cover letter is your first chance to convince an employer that you are the right person for the job.

Curriculum Vitae
A CV (or curriculum vitae) is similar to a rsum, but tends to be longer and more detailed.

Rsum
A resume is a written record of your education, skills and experience. It offers a summary of your work history. A rsum [rez-oo-mey] according to the Webster Dictionary is defined as a brief written account of personal, educational, and professional qualifications and experience, as that prepared by an applicant for a job.

Cover Letter
A cover letter accompanies your application. It should be short and specific, highlighting your selling points in relation to the job you are applying for.

Writing the Rsum

Before you begin writing your rsum, think about your work history and note your achievements and skills. The layout of your resume should be neat, simple and easy to read. Aim for 35 pages, depending on how long you have been in the workforce. Use headings and dot points. Employers will be looking for: > contact details > career strengths > employment history > education and training levels > referees.

Parts of the Rsum

1- Header The header is the most critical part of the resume, because it holds your personal information.

Include this information in the following order: Full name, location (city /state), cell phone number, email address and portfolio URL (when required). This is not a place to put your personal mantra, three different numbers or your two email addresses. If you are looking for a job in a new city, here are a few other things to consider when creating your resume and searching for jobs.

 What order should I put the information in? You should place information that is most important to the employer at the beginning of the resume: contact details, your objectives and a summary of your experience. Organize the rest of the sections in order of importance to the employer and the circumstances. For example: If the position requires special qualifications, list how and where you obtained these at the beginning. If technical skills are the most important consideration for this job, list yours at the beginning.

 If youre changing career direction, put your transferable skills first. If youve just left school you may not have much work experience. Include skills, abilities and personal qualities you have been able to demonstrate in other areas of your life, such as school activities, hobbies or community involvement. Referees go last in the resume. Use headings that match the content of your resume and that suit the job advertisement. For each section described below, youll find a list of alternative section headings; choose one that best suits your resume.

 Contact information To start off your resume, quickly and effectively communicate who you are and how you can be contacted. When deciding which details to include, think about what would be most convenient way for the employer to contact you. Every resume must include: Your name Write your first and last name. If you have a preferred name, put it in brackets after your first name (e.g. Kathleen (Kathy) Porter), or simply use it without the full name (Kathy Porter). Place your name in a larger font size or in bold typeyou want it to be remembered. Your address If you are about to move house, include both your old and your new addresses, identifying the date from which you will be able to receive mail at the new address.

 Telephone number Most employers prefer to contact you by phone. Give them a number where you are certain they can reach you or leave a message. Check that youve typed all phone numbers correctly. Making a mistake with your phone number can cost you an interview. Include your home number, and your mobile number if you have one. Include your present work number if it wont be awkward for you to be contacted there. E-mail/fax (optional) Only include your e-mail address or fax number if you check your inbox and fax regularly. You might want to add a simple graphic element such as a horizontal line between your contact information and the rest of the resume.

 2- Overview/ Objective Statement Recruiters do appreciate a 2-3 sentence overview of what you bring to the job; however, it should be short and simple. Types of companies, industries, education, and skills should be included, but never start by saying how many years of experience you have. A recruiter is about to read the resume, they will figure it out. While there are no absolute rules for resumes, adding an "objective," which usually focuses on the job seeker's needs, will make you seem out-of-step with today's market. Instead, use headlines to highlight what you offer that is in line with what the employer wants in a candidate. For example, take a look at the "before" and "after" highlights for a candidate looking for a medical administrative assistant job:

 Objectives Alternative headings include: Professional objectives Professional goals Career goals Job objectives Position desired. This section tells an employer what position you are seeking, and the next step you want to take in your career path. It is an optional part of the resume. It can be useful if your current job goal doesnt exactly match your past experience, or if it would otherwise not be clear from your resume what kind of work you are seeking. If you do include objectives, dont use any that will lock you into a specific job role if you want to be considered for other openings. Dont go the other way and be vague. An objective like to utilize my skills in a challenging role in a company that offers professional development and advancement is too general. Almost every job seeker wants that. Employers prefer a carefully worded, specific job objective that conveys useful information about you.

 Before Objective: Innovative, highly motivated, dynamic team player with extensive experience, stellar writing skills and the ability to effectively manage concurrent projects seeks opportunity to contribute in hospital setting.
After headline: Medical Administrative Assistant / Unit Secretary / Clerical Expert Maintain Confidentiality -- Coordinate Effectively With All Stake Holders Strong Oral and Written Communication Skills - Organized Reliable Quick Thinking Notice how the "after" example includes job titles and specifics directly from the job description to describe relevant skills.

 3- Professional Experience First, only include the last 10-12 years of your work history. Anything over 12 years is out of date and irrelevant to what youre doing today. It is also critical that you explain exactly what it is you do on a daily basis, as well as the accomplishments youve had at that company over the years. Not just one or the other.
There should be about 8-10 bullets for your current position (a little less for previous roles) and it should be 50/50 on responsibilities and accomplishments. Dont leave the person guessing what you do explain each responsibility. For example, dont just say, Vendor Management: explain who the vendor was, how they impacted the job and how you actually managed them.

 Summary of experience Alternative headings include: Summary Profile Career summary. This is a big-picture or general statement that describes what work you do, and what strengths and abilities you can offer. It should be a brief description of your experience, skills and personal attributes that shows the employer how they all fit together. Summarize your experience in one short paragraph or in bullet format. Make one to three points for a one-page resume, two to five points for a longer one.

 For example: Self-motivated food and beverage attendant with eight years experience in fine dining and resort restaurants. Extensive wine and cocktail knowledge, with an energetic and cheerful approach to customer service. Experienced vineyard maintenance manager with a focus on providing an effective, safe and proactive maintenance service. More than 12 years experience in project, employee and contractor management, waste water management, repairs and maintenance. Strong leadership qualities and communication skills.

 Remember !
You might find it easier to write the summary after youve written the rest of your resume, when youre clearer about everything youve included in it. Think about your whole career, and about your life in general (paid and unpaid work, life experience, learning, interests etc.). Try to stand back and get the big picture. Keep in mind the needs of the employer and the key skills necessary to meet them and be successful in the rolesearch through your career history and pull out those relevant strengths, those selling points. Dont get too detailed in the summary. The rest of your resume will show who youve worked for and the specifics of your experience.

 Work history Alternative headings include:

Employment history Employment background Professional experience Work experience Related experience Employment Work background Positions held Experience Volunteer work.

The heading Employment implies paid work. If you want to include unpaid work such as work experience and volunteer work in the same list, use a heading like Work history. If you are a school leaver and have not worked before, use the heading Work experience. The best predictor of your future performance is your past performance, so you should emphasize the positive in your work history. Past work achievements will indicate to your prospective employer what you might achieve in your next job. Include any part-time, casual, contract, temporary, volunteer or student jobs, as well as any periods of self-employment.

 Where should you put the work history? In a chronological resume, work history usually comes first after the objective. In a functional resume, work history comes after the Skills section and is presented as a list. In a combination resume, work history is usually listed after the Skills section.
How should you set out your work history? You may need sub-headings. For example, you might want to separate your Field placements or your Voluntary work from your work history, or your Technical experience from your Supervisory experience. You might want sub-categories for Sales, Counselling and Management experience. List your work history in reverse chronological orderyour most recent position listed first, followed by the previous job, and so on. Each separate job listing will include the following components.

 Job title Use a more common title if the company title of your job is unusual or is likely to be unfamiliar to your prospective employer. Add explanatory notes in brackets if you need to. If your job title doesnt reflect the level and extent of responsibility you actually held (or hold), emphasise this in your description of your work in the role. In some industries, job titles change over time. Use the current job title when listing previous jobs. For example the bartender of ten years ago, is now referred to as a bar attendant, or a beverage attendant in the hospitality industry. Company name and location Refer to previous employers by their complete business name. If you have worked interstate, overseas or in a different region, include the city and state in which the business was located.

 Dates of employment or involvement Use years and months (days are not necessary). If you have consistently worked for periods of years for each employer, you dont even need to include months. Dates are usually listed on the left side of the resume, where an employer can glance down the list and note any gaps in employment. If you want to de-emphasize dates, put them on the right. For example: Journalist, The Magazine, May 2000Jan 2001 Editor, Counter Calendar, Jan 1999Mar 2000 Responsibilities and duties Use one or two sentences to describe generally what you did in each job. Include any information that will help an employer understand the extent of your responsibilities at work. Be specific. For example: if you supervised others, indicate how many people you were responsible for. if you looked after a budget, include the approximate size. if you were responsible for certain projects, indicate which ones, and give some sense of their scope and importance.

 Achievements Describe any achievements, accomplishments, results and awards that demonstrate how well you did your job. Think about the measurable results you achieved, such as: dollars saved or earned time saved customer satisfaction increased production increased. Also, think about which achievements relate best to the job you are applying for. List the various key achievements in bullet points. Dont be concerned about writing complete sentences; use brief phrases that begin with verbs (action words) to indicate that you were active in the achievement. Ask yourself Who? What? Why? Where? When? How? to expand your descriptions to include enough detail.

 For example, you might have operated a switchboard in a previous job. You might ask yourself: What kind of switchboard was it? How many lines was I responsible for? For whom did I operate itwhich department, which level of executives? Your expanded description might look more like this: Operated 4-line Commander Telephone System for 80 employees. Use the same tense and sentence structure in all your descriptions, so that readers can pick up information more quickly.

Should you put the job title or the employers name first? The job title usually comes first, but you can put the employer name first if you think highlighting the employers name will help sell you.
How far back should you go? List the jobs you have held over the last ten years. Employers are most interested in current and recent experience because of its relevance to todays workplace. For jobs you held more than ten years ago, mention them only briefly, emphasizing what you learned, or listing them without further description.

What if there are gaps in your work history? Many people have gaps in their work history. If you have a reason for a noticeable gap, such as: travel study retraining having a child caring for a sick parent voluntary or community work, include this in the work history list, with dates, in place of a job title and description. You dont have to explain everything. Brief gaps, such as being out of work for several months, can be covered by excluding any mention of months and referring only to the years you were employed: '1998-2001.

What if you worked long-term for only one employer? List each different position you held there, to clearly show how you progressed through the company and gained a variety of work experience.
What if you worked a lot of short-term jobs? Avoid giving the impression of a job-hopper by putting several similar jobs into one group. For example: 19982000, Kitchen handVista Hotel, Maylands Nursing Home, Clayton Caf 19971998, CleanerFinlay Cleaning, Westwood Inn, Somewhere TAFE 19951996, TrainerWorktrain, Institute of Management Studies, Overthere TAFE You can leave out some of the less important, shorter-term jobs.

 Should you include unpaid employment? Most employers are more concerned about how much responsibility you had and what you did than about what you were paid. Include all substantial unpaid work experience. Should you include military experience? Include your military experience, especially if it supports your job goal. It is really important to put your military experience in civilian terms, so that employers can easily understand how your skills match their needs.

 4- Education Only degrees that have been completed, or will be completed soon should be included. If you started a degree, and have 20 credits, but you dont intend to finish it dont include it! In this section, all that should be stated is the school name, location, major/minor and GPA, if over 3.5. Its not necessary include course work, or school activities.
Also, dont include the graduation date if you graduated before 1985. The hard truth? Companies have a mental block for people who have graduated before 1985, and you dont want to date yourself out of the job.

 Education and qualifications Alternative headings include: Education Tertiary qualifications Educational achievements Academic success Educational background Short courses Educational history Courses completed Educational and vocational skills In-service training Education and training Qualifications Training Trade qualifications Training and development Licenses/Certificates Professional development Accreditation Tertiary study
This section shows an employer that you have the necessary educational requirements and certification to do the job. It can also show that you are committed to ongoing learning and staying up to date in your field.

 If you are changing careers, this section is important, as it shows that you have completed the necessary training. You can include: formal degrees certificates short training courses workshops, seminars, conferences other professional training licenses forms of accreditation. Dont list every training course youve ever attended. Include only the most relevant.

 Depending on your goals and the employers needs, you might include or leave out information. For example, if your degree is self-explanatory, dont list all the subjects you completed. But list them if you completed a specialized degree that employers might be unfamiliar with, or if your study focus is not obvious from the degrees name. To decide what to include, ask yourself, What will this employer know about this degree, coursework or training? What might I need to clarify? If you have considerable skills in one particular area, you might want to group them in their own section. For example, if you have done training in several relevant computer packages, present them separately as 'Computer competencies' rather than listing them with more general qualifications education.

 Remember Avoid jargon and abbreviations that an employer might not be familiar with. In what order should you list the training? The most common order is reverse chronological order, putting the most recent training first. You might also consider putting your most relevant educational experiences first. How should you list each item of your training? For each item, list the qualification or program, then the school or institute, then the dates you undertook or completed the course, or the date a degree was conferred. You can vary this order if, for example, one or more of the institutions/training providers has an excellent reputation in the fieldhighlight the institutions by putting them first. Whichever you decide to list first, do so consistently for each educational achievement in this section. Should you include high school details? If you have completed tertiary studies, or have some work history behind you, you dont need to include information about your high school education and results.

 5- Skills This is a critical part of the resume, and surprisingly, half of all people leave it off. In todays technical age, you must include your computer abilities. Companies want to know every piece of software that you know how to use, including the basics like Microsoft office. Dont assume its implied.
Functional resumes focus on the job seeker's skills without emphasizing when and where he or she used those skills. Sounds great for someone who wants to de-emphasize age and years of experience, right? The problem is, hiring managers like to know when and where you used the skills you say you have. Many will assume someone using this format is trying to hide something. Since you don't want to arouse suspicion, stick to a "reverse chronological" format, where you describe your most recent experience first and include dates.

 Remember!
If you cant think of how to present your strengths, try the following: Go through the entire action words list and tick all those that apply to you. Go through the list again and tick those you think are most wanted by employers hiring in your field. In your resume, highlight the skills that you ticked twice. If a lot of your skills are related to each other, group them under sub-headings: Computer, Programming, Interpersonal, Management, Counseling, Mechanical, Training etc. List any forms of accreditation and licenses that you hold.

 6-Competencies Alternative headings include: Key skills Skills summary Capabilities Work skills Skills. Many peoples work history does not necessarily show that they can do the job. You can overcome this by having a skills section, describing your overall ability as it relates to the job or industry youre applying for. Think about how best to present your skills and strengths. List all the marketable ones you have, not just those youve used in a paid work setting; people gain many important skills in other areas of their lives.

 7-Activities and interests

Alternative headings include: Community activities Community involvement Voluntary work Interests and hobbies Special interests Recreational activities Leisure activities Other information. This is an optional section. Interests and hobbies help an employer form a picture of you. For example, playing sport suggests that youre physically fit, repairing cars suggests that you have a good head for problem solving. Sometimes employers can use your interests, particularly unusual ones, as a conversation starter at interviews. Mention any hobbies or community activities that demonstrate your initiative, creativity, communication skills or organisational ability, financial or other responsibilities or skills, particularly if these are relevant to the jobs for which you are applying.

 Activities are structured pursuits, such as participating in clubs, professional associations and voluntary organizations (e.g. Amnesty International member, Meals on Wheels volunteer, Zonta member, Fundraising Committee member for a sporting club, Army reservist). When listing activities, list the organization, your role (member, volunteer, secretary etc.) and your years of participationfor example, Volunteer counselor, Lifeline, 19941999. Interests are unstructured, individual pursuits. Examples would be football, netball, sewing, fishing, golf, jewellery making, playing guitar, home computers, restoring cars and gardening. When listing interests, clarify your role if necessary (collecting model cars differs from making model cars). You dont have to say how long youve had an interest, and you dont have to include interests that dont project the image you want to.

 As you write this section, keep asking yourself: What am I trying to convey to an employer? What does my involvement in activities/hobbies reveal about me and my values? Be aware which interests or activities employers might react strongly to, either for or against them. A religious or political affiliation might be one of these. If you want to list such aspects of yourself, write about them in a neutral way, to counteract any possible employer bias.

 8-Referees
A referee is a former supervisor or colleague who is willing to be contacted by potential employers to talk about your work experience and to comment on your personal qualities. In Australia you are commonly expected to include at least two referees in your resumethree if the job involves a lot of responsibility. One of your referees should be your last employer, if this is possible. For each referee, include: the referees name their title the company they work for their work phone number and/or mobile their e-mail address a brief statement explaining how the referee knows you. If you want to leave the names off your resume, you might include the words Contact details for referees are available on request in this section, and provide a list at the interview if it is requested.

 Remember Referees should know your work habits from having worked with you or supervised you. It helps if you give your referee a copy of the job description or advertisement youre answering, so that they know what to emphasise when the employer contacts them. A copy of your resume will help them remember your achievements this is particularly useful if you are using a contact from a few jobs/years in the past. 9-Associations Only include this section if you are actively involved in the association. If its something you did 10 years ago, its not relevant

What not to include In a resume, you should never: make statements you cannot prove. Be truthful. include anything, other than contact details, that relates to your personal life. Do not mention your age, height, weight, marital status, number of children, condition of health, or religious, cultural or political affiliation (unless you are applying for a job where your religion, cultural background or political affinity is critical to the organization). include a picture of yourself, unless your occupational field requires it. mention the salary or pay you want. Dont be the first to bring up the subject of money. include negative reasons for leaving previous jobs (e.g. if you were fired, if you left because of a personality clash with someone, if you were sick of travelling).

 Spell and Grammar Check Most MS Word programs do this for you, so pay attention to the green and red squiggly lines!

Margins Make sure your margins are set properly. Sometimes people, in an attempt at formatting, create huge margins on the sides, top and bottom. You really only need about one-half of an inch on all sides.

 Font Format and Size Your resume doesn't need to be in Arial or Times New Roman all the time. To create a more modern look, consider expanding your font choices to include: Georgia, Calibri, Tahoma, or Geneva. These are the most common fonts, and all Human Resources tracking systems recognize them. Also, fonts should be size 10 or 12 only. No smaller, no larger.
PDF or .doc? Always save your resume in .doc format when using it to apply online. The HR applicant tracking systems accept word .doc formatted files the best. When using a PDF or word perfect file, the systems often jumble the resumes and make them unreadable.

How to write a successful cover letter?

Why do you need a covering letter? The covering letter is vital to your CV. This is why it is the first page and not an addition. "Please find enclosed my CV" won't get you very far. Your covering letter demonstrates your writing style better than your CV (which is usually more brief and factual). The covering letter puts flesh on the bare bones of the CV. It points out to the employer the information showing that you have the qualities the job calls for, and makes a statement about yourself and your suitability for the job. It should give the personal touch that your CV will intrinsically lack.

 A survey in the US of employers found that 42.9% wanted candidates to submit a cover letter for each position. 29.8% felt that they were not important ("I don't have the time to read them anyway") 27.4% had no preference
How long should your covering letter be? In the same survey above 19% of employers preferred a full page 46% preferred half a page 11% had no preference 24% felt the shorter the better! The key point here is that it should never be longer than one page long.

 Plain white photocopier paper is fine. It's OK to print your letter on expensive cream or pale blue paper, but content and layout are far more important! Use the same colour for your CV. Don't use lined paper or paper with punched holes! If emailed put your covering letter in the body of the email. If you attach it with nothing in the email body it may be misidentified as spam. Don't make the employer work to read your letter! Keep it clear, concise and to the point. Try not to go over one side of A4: if it does, you are writing an essay instead! Use your own words not formal long-winded clichs. Action verbs can help to make it sound better.

 Spell-check and then double-check your spelling and grammar. Spell checkers won't pick up form instead of from or sex instead of six! Answer the question "Why should I see you?" Make the person who reads it feel special: that it is addressed to them personally and not one of fifty identical letters you are sending out without thought or care, You might include your understanding of the work/knowledge of the company, and how you fit the criteria required. "I have a real interest in working as a ...." will not do: you must say why you decided to pursue this career, what first brought it to your attention, why you as a History student should be interested in a career in finance. Relate your skills to the job. Show the employer that you have obtained the communicating, team working, problem solving and leadership or other skills that are appropriate for the job.

 Who should you address your letter to? Try to find the name of the person to write to. Research by Forum3 found that those who included a letter with their CV were 10% more likely to receive a reply and those who addressed the covering letter and envelope to the correct named person were 15% more likely to receive a letter of acknowledgement and 5% more likely to gain an interview. They also found that 60% of CVs are mailed to the wrong person, with the managing director being the main beneficiary of the unsolicited mail.

 A recent survey by Saddleback College in the USA found that the preferred salutations of HR managers were: Dear Hiring Manager, 38.1% (I'm not so sure that this is right for the UK!) Dear Sir/Madam, 17.9% Dear Human Resource Director, 9.5% To whom it may concern, 26.2% Leave it blank if you don't know the name. 8.3%

 "We would recommend to students that they think carefully about how to re-write at least their covering letter, and possibly also their CV specifically for the post they are applying for. The best applications were succinct and clear, with unfussy covering letters and CVs. It is also always worth checking over a covering letter before sending it, as there were silly errors such as spelling mistakes or the covering letter written for a different placement. A good idea that we saw surprisingly little of is to list the competencies that the job advert says are being looked for, and outline how and why you fulfil those competencies. Civil Service

 What do employers look for in covering letters? One survey of employers found the following (From the brilliant 2010 Orange County Resume Survey by Eric Hilden) 33% Tailored skills from the job description 26% Clarity (well-written, formatted, specifying job applied to) 20% Details from your CV (additional accomplishments, explanation of any gaps, etc.) 19% Your value, not the basics, why we should hire you 18% Spelling & grammar 17% Personal vision & uniqueness 12% Brevity 10% I never read them!

Suggested structure for your covering letter: First Paragraph State the job youre applying for. Where you found out about it (advert in The Guardian newspaper etc. - organisations like to know which of their advertising sources are being successful) When you're available to start work (and end if it's a placement)

Second Paragraph Why you're interested in that type of work Why the company attracts you (if it's a small company say you prefer to work for a small friendly organisation!)
Third Paragraph Summarise your strengths and how they might be an advantage to the organisation. Relate your skills to the competencies required in the job. Last Paragraph Mention any dates that you won't be available for interview Thank the employer and say you look forward to hearing from them soon.

If you start with a name (e.g. "Dear Mr Bloggs") you should end with "Yours sincerely". If you start with "Dear Sir or Madam" you should end with "Yours faithfully".