How I CV? - Curriculum Vitae Advice needed

LewieP

So I have pretty much never had to write a CV, every job I have got so far I have filled in a basic application form, and then got the job based on an interview.

I am a student, and I am applying for these jobs -

DATA ENTRY CLERK -
TEMPORARY ONLY
Must have good IT skills and have some experience using Microsoft Office. Must be organised, punctual and have excellent communication skills. Duties will include data entry and general administration duties as required. Hours are Monday and Friday 11am to 3pm plus Saturday 10am to 2pm. Temporary ongoing vacancy.

SHORTHAND TYPIST -
TEMPORARY ONLY
Required for temporary contract for client in Stockton - Teesdale area. This role requires a high level of discretion for the successful candidate, and a good working knowledge of MS Office. Client states that a preferable speed would be 80-100wpm.

So far this is my CV

Name: Lewis Procter
Phone: 077********
Email: ****@gmail.com


I am currently a first year student at the Stockton campus of the University of Durham, studying Business. Next year I will be taking modules on Information systems, Practice of Marketing and Microeconomics for Business I am staying in Thornaby over summer, and am looking for some temporary employment. I took my A-levels at Urmston Grammar School in Manchester, where I also took part in the young enterprise scheme, where I was a managing director in my organization.

I current running a successful blog on the topic of “Video game bargains” (can be viewed at www.savygamer.blogspot.com) It gets around 300 unique hits a day, I have affiliation contracts with Amazon, play.com and Asda, and sponsored advertising with Google.

A-levels:
Business studies - B
Maths - D
Geography - C
General Studies - C

Employment History:
October 2005 – March 2006
I was a volunteer on the Global Xchange program, with VSO. I spent 3 months doing volunteer work as a team in Hounslow, London. I worked in an Age concern Day centre setting up computers and doing a wide range of IT related Tasks, using all the applications in MS office. I created and maintained databases in Access, produced documents and publications in Word and Publisher. I also created some accounts in Excess. (All 2003 versions)

Then I spent 3 months in Sri Lanka, working in a library with school children, teaching English, as well as working in "Elders' homes" and Orphanages. Here I learnt about how to relate to a wide range of people, and I experienced lots of different ways of life, as well as how to work under pressure in a team environment.

April 2006 – October 2006
During the 6 months between getting home from Sri Lanka and starting university, I played at home to help care for my mother while she was ill.

November 2006 – July 2007
I worked as a Wine Steward for a Catering Agency, Just Recruit (Phone number goes here). I mostly worked at private functions held at Tall Trees. Here my responsibilities were serving guests, taking drinks orders and helping catering staff. Here I gained a lot of team skills and communications skills. I also got a lot of experience with time management in a high pressure environment. I decided to finish working here to concentrate on my revision in the run up to my exams.

I'm still pretty early on in the CV making procedure, but before I carry on, I need help with these aspects of it -

1. Is there anything specific that I am missing so far, and it is essential to put in.
2. Is anything I said there stupid/potentially better worded (I am pretty sure some of it is badly worded, but no idea how to make it better)
3. Since they are asking me to email them the CV, should I send potential employers the email as a .doc attachment, or in the body of the email. Or indeed both?

thanx a bunch.

Edit: CV updated.

BenMCOB

Ok, here's my thoughts on how you could improve it.

First of all it seems fairly short. I know everyone say quality over quantity, and in most cases that's true. But when you have to sort through say, a hundred or so CVs the first thing you do is to remove any which are either too brief, or too long, which in the case of CVs tend to be any that aren't 2 pages long (although you can probably get by with 1 1/2 pages).

Personally I'd expand on your education and qualifications. Maybe list a few of the more impressive sounding modules you're studying at university (if you know that is) or saying which school/college you went to when you studied for your A-Levels.

I would say that you should include your date of birth, but I believe recent changes to the equal opportunities act prevents it from being a requirement. The same applies to your gender, first name, religion, etc. But unless there's any reason you don't want to I'd say throw it anyway for completions sake and a couple of extra lines to fill it out.

Not so sure about "I ended this employment because I did not want to work during exam period, but this was unacceptable for my employer.". It might be interpreted as something like "We disagreed so I quit". Maybe just say that you needed to leave due to no longer having the time during the run up to exams?

One big thing you seem to have missed is telling them about yourself. A CV's not just about selling yourself as someone who's qualified, but someone who also has good people skills, can work in a team, etc. A section on your personal interests and hobbies is always a good thing too. In fact I'd probably suggest moving the part about running a blog to there rather than your employment history, as it would seem better suited there.

Lastly, if you're emailing them the CV, keep it in a separate .doc file, but remember to include a covering letter, which will in this case be whatever you include in the email.

Mackenzier

Alright, my day today is going pretty slowly so I thought I'd have a look-see and offer any advice from my experience in the Wonderful World of Human Resources. Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am located across the pond in Canadia, so please take my advice with a dose of local knowledge.

Regarding inclusion of any personal information aside from name, address and methods of contact(i.e. birthdate, gender, religion and/or marital status)? Don't. Unless there is legislation requiring that you do so, supplying this info can colour a decision made about your application(Sad to say). You also don't always want to have such information included on something that may be lost, tossed or mis-mailed(via snail mail), or passed around multiple times(via e-mail).

This does not include hobbies, interests and any associations you may be a part of; those can help round out your resume and add a bit of personality.

HERE THERE BE CV CRITIQUE:

Employment History:
October 2005 – March 2006
I was a volunteer on the Global Xchange program, with VSO. I spent 3 months doing volunteer work as a team in Hounslow, London. I worked in an Age concern Day centre setting up computers and doing a wide range of IT related Tasks, creating publications, databases and spreadsheets. Then I spent 3 months in Sri Lanka, working in a library with school children, teaching English, as well as working in "Elders' homes" and Orphanages. Here I learnt about how to relate to a wide range of people, and I experienced lots of different ways of life, as well as how to work under pressure in a team environment.

This is great, volunteer work is always a plus. However, can you flesh this out in any way? You say that you spent some time setting up computers 'and doing a wide range of IT related tasks'. You could probably be a touch more specific here. Which programs did you make use of? Many programs are quite similar, but each has their own nuances. You'll notice that both of the job postings you listed make mention of previous experience with MS Office products. If you have said experience, definitely make note of it where applicable.

Also, creating databases? Have you experience in building databases from scratch via C++ or Perl coding, or is your experience more related to input and maintaining records via a commercial database program like Delphi? Or is it possible that you maintained database tables in Excel? Vagueness may return to trip you up during an interview.

April 2006 – October 2006
During the 6 months between getting home from Sri Lanka and starting university, I decided not to work. My mum was incapacitated with M.E. and my dad was working full time, so I spent those 6 months doing running the

Unaccounted for time periods tend to make screeners wary, so it's good that you've included this, but I'm not sure what you did? Trail off sentence there. Making a quick assumption that you were going to say, let's say.... help to care for your mother, I would reword this to 'During this 6 month period between returning home from Sri Lanka and starting university, I stayed at home to help care for my mother while she was ill/incapacitated/etc. Exchange for 'run the family business', 'Pursue X hobby/interest', etc. as needed. I would not recommend including 'I decided not to work'.

November 2006 – July 2007
I worked as a Wine Steward for a Catering Agency, Just Recruit. I mostly worked at functions held at Tall Trees. This was a great opportunity for me to gain experience working as part of a team. I ended this employment because I did not want to work during exam period, but this was unacceptable for my employer.

Again, if you can include some specific duties and/or skills learned. As BenMCOB mentioned, it would be best to rephrase your reason for leaving that employ. Unless things are very different across the Atlantic, you are not required to include a reason as to why you are no longer working there on the CV, but if not listed, definitely be prepared with a positively spun answer during an interview.

May 07 – Today
I am currently running a successful blog on the topic of “Video game bargains” (can be viewed at www.savygamer.blogspot.com) It gets around 300 unique hits a day, I have affiliation contracts with Amazon, play.com and Asda, and sponsored advertising with Google. This is mostly a hobby, although it takes very little of my spare time.

Great! Productive self initiative! I'd note if you built the website from scratch, and if so, via what method. I'd change the last sentence to something more akin to 'This is a personal project that I maintain and update during my spare time.'

I'll second the previously advised attachment of the CV as a seperate .doc file, and the body of your e-mail being the cover letter. S'good advice.

LewieP

Great stuff guys, I'll get onto those things tonight. Any further advice is very appreciated.

LewieP

I've updated the CV in the OP, at size 11 tahoma, it fills a page of A4. Anything I missed?

Seydlitz

Thats a cracking CV mate, but there's a couple of things that you may want to fix with it.

You're not actually giving them any of the skills they ask for in it - recuiters are only slightly more intelligent than pond scum, and you really need to spell shit out; they're asking for excellent communication skills, which the Sri Lanka stint should have provided, so put something like "... and I experienced lots of different ways of life, as well as how to work under pressure in a team environment and developing a variety of communication skills." (something like that anything, really work in what they want to hear). I've heard that recuiters just parse CV's, looking for keywords; if a keyword isn't matched, it's ditched.

Secondly, you assume that people have prior knowledge- what the hell is the "Global Xchange program"? Sure, I could find out with thirty seconds of googling, but I'm pond scum, remember? Spell it out for them - "I was a volunteer on the Global Xchange program, which sends Mancunians to the moon in order to help the marsians develop a potato-like life form"... related, what's VSO?

I guess there's some minor grammer issues- rather than putting "(All 2003 versions)", instead something like databases like Access 2003, Word 2003 and Publisher 2003. Or you could specify the versions you're familiar with at the end of the document.

I'm in a fairly similar suituation, just graduating this year - I used a template from my University to write mine, and it's worked quite well. It's at http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/carsv/resources/CV.pdf , and is pretty good. Templates start at page 12 or so.

One thing is I've always written mine in the third person - I'm not sure what the accepted standard is though?

Hope this helps, it's pretty good already, just needs a bit of polishing up!