WRITING YOUR CV OR RESUME

I have written this advice whilst polishing up my own resume or CV writing skills. The information is put together from my own personal experience and talking to people who work within human resources departments.

Being a keen fisherman I can draw parallels between fishing and writing your resume - to catch the fish you must present the right bait and cast into the right area. Similarly with writing your resume you will need to present yourself in an attractive way to the right potential employers to be successful.

RESUMES ARE ONLY PART OF THE PICTURE

Most jobs require that you complete an application form in addition to sending a copy of your resume. In fact many companies are not even interested in seeing a copy of your resume.

For tips and information on filling in job applications please see this tutorial.

WRITE YOUR OWN RESUME:  DON'T PLAGURISE AND BE HONEST

Writing your resume is a useful skill and allows you to reflect on your current skills and levels of experience. If you can't be bothered to write your own resume make sure you don't take the same attitude to interview!

You should always be honest - being honest and having integrity are highly sought after attributes.

KEEP IT SHORT AND CONCISE

Most people recommend that your resume is short and no more than two pages. Having said that my own resume is three pages long. Some people will only look at the first page of your resume unless there is something that really grabs their attention.

TAILOR YOU RESUME TO THE POSITION

When applying for a position it is best to tailor your resume to the position. If you are applying for a variety of different kinds of jobs it may be a good idea to prepare a couple of different resumes, which can then quickly be modified.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT

Your resume should look good. The layout should be clean and clear. Sections should be clearly defined.

I use the following layout:

• Contact Details (Name, Address, Phone, Mobile, Email Address)
• Intentions Statement
• Education History
• Employment History
• Key Skills and Attributes
• Other Skills
• Health, Visa and Driving Statement
• References

In some countries adding a photograph is seen as normal. In the UK and Australia this is not common. Adding a photograph may distract from your skills and experience and so therefore should probably be best avoided.

MY RESUME LAYOUT

UPLOADING YOUR RESUME ONLINE

Many job sites now have a facility where you can upload your resume online, allowing potential employers to view your resume and possibly contact you. Unless your profession is highly sort after (E.g. accountants, doctors, nurses, teachers), you are unlikely to get much of a response.

Often all you will receive is spam with various firms offering resume/CV assistance or dubious business offers. As is always the rule: If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

If sending a prospective employer an electronic copy of your resume, save it in either MS Word or PDF format. Make sure the file size is not too large.

ALWAYS PROOF READ YOUR RESUME

After you have finished writing your resume, always make sure you check the spelling and grammar. You should always get a couple of other people to check it over to ensure it makes good use of English and makes sense. Always double check your contact details including email address and phone numbers. Print out your resume on normal white computer paper. Keep your resume clean, preferably in a presentation folder.

GOOD LUCK

Just like fishing, there is an element of luck in getting a response from your resume. Don't be disheartened if you don't succeed in the first instance. If at first you don't succeed, you just have to keep trying. And just remember that the resume is only a small part of the picture.

Click here to view my advice on filling out job applications

Click here to view my advice on attending job interviews

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

This page was written by Jonathan Tolhurst whilst job hunting in the summer of 2008. The page was last updated in September 2008.

If you would like to comment on this page please contact me.

ENGLAND 2008 PHOTOGRAPHS

Quick links to all my recent photographs: Shave Cross Inn | Lyme Regis | Week Ending 30 June 2008 | Tolhurst Family Photographs | Week Ending 06 July 2008 | Week Ending 13 July 2008 | Bristol | Cinderford and Kingsland | Week Ending 20 July 2008 | Week Ending 27 July 2008 | Loughborough | Week Ending 03 August 2008 | Weymouth | Week Ending 10 August 2008 | Basingstoke | Week Ending 17 August 2008 | Exeter | Week Ending 24 August 2008 | Candles on the Cobb | Week Ending 31 August 2008 | Tolhurst Family Portraits 1 | Tolhurst Family Portraits 2 | Week Ending 07 September 2008 | Fishpond | Week Ending 14 September 2008 | Clifton | Churches in Bristol | SS Great Britain and Bristol Waterfront | Week Ending 21 September 2008 | West Bay and Charmouth | Colmer's Hill and Bridport | Week Ending 28 September 2008 | Portland Bill | Church Ope Cove | Week Ending 05 October 2008 | Marrakesh (1) | Marrakesh (2) | Week Ending 12 October 2008 | Random Objects | Week Ending 19 October 2008 | Stonehenge | Week Ending 26 October 2008 | Avebury | Week Ending 2 November 2008 | Week Ending 9 November 2008 | Week Ending 16 November 2008 | Holly's 5th Birthday | Week Ending 23 November 2008 | Week Ending 21 December 2008 | Week Ending 28 December 2008 | London Portraits