Welcome to.... The Krine! (http://thekrine.blogspot.com)
Well, I have many interests and have been stuck wondering how to cover everything in one place without sounding out of topic. The title (My CV Clinic) certainly restricted me to posts about CVs only.
So, problem resolved. For my most recent posts, Visit The Krine
email: info@thekrine.com
twitter: @TheKrine
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Writing a CV (When You Have ZERO Work Experience)
Yes, it is very simple to write a CV when you have never had a job.
In my post Creating a CV: An Additional Guide I explained that the purpose of a CV is "simply to show your abilities, skills and aspirations to a recruiter or potential employer". This is achieved by detailing your academic qualifications, work experiences, extracurricular activities etc which are avenues for you to acquire and develop skills.
Hence, the fact that you have never worked before doesn't mean that your CV has to be empty or that you cannot write a CV. From my description of a CV above, I have simply tried to explain that a CV is not a document to show where you have worked. A CV is a document that shows your skills and abilities.
If you have not been opportune to have a job before, don't fret; you simply have to demonstrate your skills and abilities by detailing academic qualifications, extracurricular activities etc that have been avenue for you to develop your skills.
How can you do this?
Perhaps you've just finished secondary school or you are a university student and you need a CV to submit an application - you need to show a potential employer that you have something to offer if they employ you. Your CV needs to show that you have potential and that you have something that can be built on.
After my first year in University, I needed a job for the summer period to gain some work experience (and of course to earn some cash). Given that I had never had a job, I used a Skill Based CV which I created with the help of a Career Adviser at my University.
What is a Skill Based CV?
As the name suggests, a skill based CV simply captures your skills (ability to do something; expertise). In my write up about Employable Skills I stated that there are certain skills which aid your ability to gain and maintain an employment. These skills can be developed during the course of various activities and are not only developed in an office environment.
Thus;
- A player for a basketball team will have demonstrable 'Team Work' Skill
- A football team captain will have demonstrable 'Leadership' Skill
- A debate club member will have demonstrable 'Communication' Skill.
How do you create a Skill Based CV?
Step 1 - Identify the core skills for the role you are applying for
When creating a Skill Based CV, it is important that you HIGHLIGHT the core skills for the role you wish to apply for. So, if you were applying for an accounting function your skill based CV must include a section on 'Numeracy Skill' as this is a key skill for an accounting role. Likewise, if you are applying for a Customer Service function, your skill based CV must include a section on 'Communication Skill' as this is a key skill for a customer service role.
Step 2 - List your activities which relate to the identified core skills
Having identified the core skills you need to portray to a recruiter, write down activities you have done that reflect these skills.
This is illustrated as follows;
There you have it. Go get started on yours now!
RELATED POSTS
Illustration: Creating a More Effective CV (Part 1)
Illustration: Crating a More Effective CV (Part 2)
Illustration: Crating a More Effective CV (Part 3)
Creating A CV: An Additional Guide
In my post Creating a CV: An Additional Guide I explained that the purpose of a CV is "simply to show your abilities, skills and aspirations to a recruiter or potential employer". This is achieved by detailing your academic qualifications, work experiences, extracurricular activities etc which are avenues for you to acquire and develop skills.
Hence, the fact that you have never worked before doesn't mean that your CV has to be empty or that you cannot write a CV. From my description of a CV above, I have simply tried to explain that a CV is not a document to show where you have worked. A CV is a document that shows your skills and abilities.
If you have not been opportune to have a job before, don't fret; you simply have to demonstrate your skills and abilities by detailing academic qualifications, extracurricular activities etc that have been avenue for you to develop your skills.
How can you do this?
Perhaps you've just finished secondary school or you are a university student and you need a CV to submit an application - you need to show a potential employer that you have something to offer if they employ you. Your CV needs to show that you have potential and that you have something that can be built on.
After my first year in University, I needed a job for the summer period to gain some work experience (and of course to earn some cash). Given that I had never had a job, I used a Skill Based CV which I created with the help of a Career Adviser at my University.
What is a Skill Based CV?
As the name suggests, a skill based CV simply captures your skills (ability to do something; expertise). In my write up about Employable Skills I stated that there are certain skills which aid your ability to gain and maintain an employment. These skills can be developed during the course of various activities and are not only developed in an office environment.
Thus;
- A player for a basketball team will have demonstrable 'Team Work' Skill
- A football team captain will have demonstrable 'Leadership' Skill
- A debate club member will have demonstrable 'Communication' Skill.
How do you create a Skill Based CV?
Step 1 - Identify the core skills for the role you are applying for
When creating a Skill Based CV, it is important that you HIGHLIGHT the core skills for the role you wish to apply for. So, if you were applying for an accounting function your skill based CV must include a section on 'Numeracy Skill' as this is a key skill for an accounting role. Likewise, if you are applying for a Customer Service function, your skill based CV must include a section on 'Communication Skill' as this is a key skill for a customer service role.
Step 2 - List your activities which relate to the identified core skills
Having identified the core skills you need to portray to a recruiter, write down activities you have done that reflect these skills.
This is illustrated as follows;
 |
| PHOTO: A Skill Based CV |
There you have it. Go get started on yours now!
RELATED POSTS
Illustration: Creating a More Effective CV (Part 1)
Illustration: Crating a More Effective CV (Part 2)
Illustration: Crating a More Effective CV (Part 3)
Creating A CV: An Additional Guide
Friday, June 8, 2012
Illustration - Creating a More Effective CV (Part 3)
Saturday is here again. How was your week?
As it's yet another weekend, I thought to do one more illustration to show how to create a more effective CV.
Effective CV=Effective Job Hunting
The CV used today aims to illustrate that it is possible to have an Effective 1 Page CV (as long as it can CLEARLY convey relevant information to recruiters). Changes have been made to personal information on this CV for privacy reasons.
The following is an image of the Original CV that was sent in for Review.
I chose to use this particular CV for 2 main reasons:
1. To deal with the issue of number of pages of a CV
2. To highlight the importance of planning your career.
If you look at the CV in this illustration. you will notice that the original CV sent to me was a 2-page document. However look closely at the content of this CV.
The owner of this CV appears to have a Career Path in finance. The most important items of this CV are:
1. Degree in Management and Accounting (finance related)
2. Industrial Training (IT) Work experience in an Accounting firm (relevant work experience)
3. Ability to work with an accounting software (Peachtree) plus knowledge of data analysis tools like Excel etc (very key for the finance field)
And now on to the Reviewed CV...
If you look through a job advert to fill an entry level accounting/finance related position, you can tell the the owner of this CV has met the typical requirements as stated in 1 - 3 above.
It is very clear from this illustration that a single page CV is achievable. However, focus on the content of your CV.
I deleted every other bit of the CV which just seemed to fall into the category of unnecessary information (junk). I may have considered leaving the skills section if the Industrial Training work experience was not directly related to the career path of this individual. That said, always ensure that you write your activities (duties/responsibilities) in stated work experience to incorporate the core skills for a role in your chosen career path.
(I highlighted the Career Objective in red because there is a lot of room for improvement there. Again, I am not a fan of this section of CVs but it seems to be popular. If you must include it, please ensure it is sending a message)
Finally, I advise you plan your career properly. Do not give the excuse that you are still at University. I believe that the Industrial Training Scheme was created for the purpose of giving you the opportunity to learn more about your chosen career. Don't have the single focus of getting into the big firms and companies that will pay you a lot during your Industrial Training period. At the early stage of your career, what really counts is that you have the necessary skills that make you employable.
The owner of this CV gained vital work experience while at university. I have come across a few CVs from individuals that have taken the steps to plan their careers appropriately (this appears to be more common with those in the Information Technology field).
Please make the effort to learn and acquire skills; it gives you an edge over others and also is an avenue to explore your Career choices.
Cheers
RELATED POST:
Creating a CV: An Additional Guide
Illustration - Creating a More Effective CV (Part 2)
Illustration - Creating a More Effective CV (Part 1)
As it's yet another weekend, I thought to do one more illustration to show how to create a more effective CV.
Effective CV=Effective Job Hunting
The CV used today aims to illustrate that it is possible to have an Effective 1 Page CV (as long as it can CLEARLY convey relevant information to recruiters). Changes have been made to personal information on this CV for privacy reasons.
The following is an image of the Original CV that was sent in for Review.
 |
| PHOTO: Original CV (Before Review) |
I chose to use this particular CV for 2 main reasons:
1. To deal with the issue of number of pages of a CV
2. To highlight the importance of planning your career.
If you look at the CV in this illustration. you will notice that the original CV sent to me was a 2-page document. However look closely at the content of this CV.
The owner of this CV appears to have a Career Path in finance. The most important items of this CV are:
1. Degree in Management and Accounting (finance related)
2. Industrial Training (IT) Work experience in an Accounting firm (relevant work experience)
3. Ability to work with an accounting software (Peachtree) plus knowledge of data analysis tools like Excel etc (very key for the finance field)
And now on to the Reviewed CV...
 |
| PHOTO: Reviewed CV, by My CV Clinic |
It is very clear from this illustration that a single page CV is achievable. However, focus on the content of your CV.
I deleted every other bit of the CV which just seemed to fall into the category of unnecessary information (junk). I may have considered leaving the skills section if the Industrial Training work experience was not directly related to the career path of this individual. That said, always ensure that you write your activities (duties/responsibilities) in stated work experience to incorporate the core skills for a role in your chosen career path.
(I highlighted the Career Objective in red because there is a lot of room for improvement there. Again, I am not a fan of this section of CVs but it seems to be popular. If you must include it, please ensure it is sending a message)
Finally, I advise you plan your career properly. Do not give the excuse that you are still at University. I believe that the Industrial Training Scheme was created for the purpose of giving you the opportunity to learn more about your chosen career. Don't have the single focus of getting into the big firms and companies that will pay you a lot during your Industrial Training period. At the early stage of your career, what really counts is that you have the necessary skills that make you employable.
The owner of this CV gained vital work experience while at university. I have come across a few CVs from individuals that have taken the steps to plan their careers appropriately (this appears to be more common with those in the Information Technology field).
Please make the effort to learn and acquire skills; it gives you an edge over others and also is an avenue to explore your Career choices.
Cheers
RELATED POST:
Creating a CV: An Additional Guide
Illustration - Creating a More Effective CV (Part 2)
Illustration - Creating a More Effective CV (Part 1)
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Scorecard: Over 500 CVs Reviewed!!
About 5 months ago, I started doing Free CV Reviews and (YAY!) I've reached the 500 mark.
Thanks to those that have trusted me with their CVs and I hope you return the favour to someone else who needs a CV check. Cheers
 |
| PHOTO: Mailbox for mycvclinic@gmail.com Showing Reviewed CVs |
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Creating a CV: An Additional Guide
Hello Everyone,
Yesterday I replied several emails directing them to the illustrations I did ( Illustration: Creating a More Effective CV (Part 1) and Illustration: Creating a More Effective CV (Part 2) ) and advised to do some initial work on CVs then resend to me for review. I must commend those that have already gotten back to me.
Today I've decided to do an additional guide on creating a CV.
Why do you need a CV?
Simply to show you abilities, skills and aspirations to a recruiter or potential employer. I have highlighted "aspiration" because it is also important to create your CV in a manner that shows a recruiter the direction of your career. It helps answer the question - "Why do you want this job?" and it says to a recruiter "I am suitable for this job".
Also, we all know a common interview question is "Where do you see your self in 5 years time?". I believe your CV is effective if it can answer this question; let your CV speak to recruiters. The easiest way to achieve this is to include your most recent and current trainings and professional qualifications. This is another reason why you should list items on your CV starting with the most recent/current.
You may need to adjust your CV from time to time before making certain applications. For instance, as I'm in the accounting profession, the CV I will submit for a position as an Internal Auditor will differ from what I will submit for a role as a Management Accountant. The aim is to ensure you portray the right/core skill and abilities for that particular application/position.
What should you include on your CV?
Luckily, there are NO fixed set of rules for CV content (my opinion). It is not science. You need to simply ensure that you effectively reveal, portray or "show off" your skills.
While doing this ensure your CV complies with the CLARITY characteristic. Having a CV that lacks clarity is equivalent to the act of pouring your drink into a leaking cup. It amounts to waste, little or no impact.
As I said earlier, the purpose of creating you CV is to show off your skills, interests and aspirations to a recruiter. You can achieve this by including the following information on your CV;
- - Your Name
- - Career Objective/Personal Profile (I'm not a fan of this section but it's popular)
- - Personal Information
- - Education and Qualifications (I personally don't like terms like "Education History" or "Educational Qualifications" - there is something odd about that word "Educational". Also I don't like to see Education as a Historical thing hence my dislike for "Education History")
- - Professional Memberships and Certifications (can also be Professional Qualifications)
- - Work Experience (again, I am not a fan of "Work History" I prefer to see what I've done in the past as an "Experience" and not just "History")
- - Computer/IT Skills (I wish I could find a better phrase for the section listing IT competence. I don't like the phrase "Computer Skill"
- - Publications
- - Reference
Please don't get stuck on terminology for these sections. Simply, ensure that you use terms that are understandable.
I highlighted the word 'information' above for a reason which I will explain now. When you are creating a CV, it is important you do not get so attached to templates. When you focus on the use of templates, you'll end up including sections/information that are not relevant to your OWN CV.
I advise you focus on the information / content of your CV. Create your CV with an aim of portraying your OWN skills and abilities in the best possible manner.
Your CV must NOT contain all the sections I have listed above. Select the ones that are relevant to the information you wish to convey to a recruiter.
Don't restrict yourself to rules and templates.
Are there certain things that you should avoid while creating your CV?
Yes. Not exactly rules but they help with presentation of your CV.
1. Avoid the use of several contact numbers.
Yesterday I reviewed a CV with 4 (FOUR) contact numbers and 2 email addresses. There was an Airtel, MTN, Glo and Visaphone line AND 2 yahoo email addresses! It wasn't a good look.
I advise you simply list 1 (one) number and 1 (email address). It looks more professional, neater and helps when you track your applications.
2. Avoid including your passport photo on your CV (unless a recruiter asks) I don't see what exactly it adds to your CV. I usually get put off by recruitment ads that request for pictures. I'm not applying for a model gig. This point also goes with point 3 below.
3. Use your TRUE age or exclude listing your age on your CV altogether. Now, I was reviewing another CV yesterday and the owner had included a passport photograph and listed date of birth 1988 - perhaps it was a typo or I'm just not good at guessing ages, BUT the owner of this CV looked like he/she was born in 1975. I just couldn't get this out of my head and somehow I haven't finished that review. I'll assume he/she had changed date of birth for confidentiality, perhaps that will give me the patience to review it.
Please try not to appear dishonest in your applications. It may cause you to be disqualified. It is quite simple to spot irregularities on a CV.
I know the false age "official age" thing is quite common here and honestly I'm not prepared to go into that now. However, I encourage you to be honest.
4. You really don't need to list your "first school leaving certificate" on your CV. In my opinion, it doesn't add much (infact anything). Free up that space on your CV for more important things like your professional qualifications. I am yet to see a recruiter that has specifically asked for it.
5. If you can, please avoid listing the full addresses of the places of work listed under the "Work Experience" section. It actually clusters everything up on your CV. You can simply put the town and/or state.
Do: ABC Plc, Utako, Abuja
Don't: ABC Plc, Head office, No 12 market road, opposite MFN, Utako, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria
6. Avoid using SEVERAL BOLD AND CAPITAL CHARACTERS ON YOUR CV. IT IS REALLY DISTRACTING AND NOT EASY ON THE EYE
7. Finally, for confidentiality purposes, please please please don't put the full contact details of your referees. I have seen all sorts of contacts during these 3 months of doing CV review. Please respect the confidentiality of your referee. Most of you use very "important people" as your referees; I don't think it is the best idea to send their contacts all over the place. Referencing commences much later during a recruitment exercise. I advise you to only state it when a recruiter requests.
Do: Reference
Available on Request
That said, I encourage you to do the following. . . .
1. Ensure your CV has a pattern
- Even margins
- Single font style through out the document
- Even spacing between sections
2. List your duties under stated work experiences. Only use summaries when you have worked for several organisations and perhaps some of the experiences are now irrelevant to your current application.
3. List items starting with the most recent ones (however, you may do otherwise if work experience that is relevant to position applied for isn't most recent; you may choose to bring that work experience to the top) For instance, I had an accounting job while at university but worked as a customer service officer at a bank during NYSC. After service, I still maintained my accounting work experience at the top because I was applying for accounting job and not a customer service job after NYSC.
4. When you list your duties/responsibilities. Use short phrases and avoid blabbing. Keep it simple
Do: Monthly stock record update
Don't: Carrying out the stock record update of the organisation every month. This is to ensure that the company has enough stock to meet customer requirements. Also blah blah blah etc
Just to state that if I have used your CV for an illustration or used the content of your CV to explain an example, the intention is not to insult you. It is just to make an explanation clearer
I advise you to do some work on your CV before sending it in for review (Henceforth, if it is obvious that you have not done any work to improve the content of you CV, I will nicely reply you with a link to the illustration).
Happy weekend
RELATED POST:
Illustration - Creating a More Effective CV (Part 3)
Illustration - Creating a More Effective CV (Part 2)
Illustration - Creating a More Effective CV (Part 1)
Yesterday I replied several emails directing them to the illustrations I did ( Illustration: Creating a More Effective CV (Part 1) and Illustration: Creating a More Effective CV (Part 2) ) and advised to do some initial work on CVs then resend to me for review. I must commend those that have already gotten back to me.
Today I've decided to do an additional guide on creating a CV.
Why do you need a CV?
Simply to show you abilities, skills and aspirations to a recruiter or potential employer. I have highlighted "aspiration" because it is also important to create your CV in a manner that shows a recruiter the direction of your career. It helps answer the question - "Why do you want this job?" and it says to a recruiter "I am suitable for this job".
Also, we all know a common interview question is "Where do you see your self in 5 years time?". I believe your CV is effective if it can answer this question; let your CV speak to recruiters. The easiest way to achieve this is to include your most recent and current trainings and professional qualifications. This is another reason why you should list items on your CV starting with the most recent/current.
You may need to adjust your CV from time to time before making certain applications. For instance, as I'm in the accounting profession, the CV I will submit for a position as an Internal Auditor will differ from what I will submit for a role as a Management Accountant. The aim is to ensure you portray the right/core skill and abilities for that particular application/position.
What should you include on your CV?
Luckily, there are NO fixed set of rules for CV content (my opinion). It is not science. You need to simply ensure that you effectively reveal, portray or "show off" your skills.
While doing this ensure your CV complies with the CLARITY characteristic. Having a CV that lacks clarity is equivalent to the act of pouring your drink into a leaking cup. It amounts to waste, little or no impact.
As I said earlier, the purpose of creating you CV is to show off your skills, interests and aspirations to a recruiter. You can achieve this by including the following information on your CV;
- - Your Name
- - Career Objective/Personal Profile (I'm not a fan of this section but it's popular)
- - Personal Information
- - Education and Qualifications (I personally don't like terms like "Education History" or "Educational Qualifications" - there is something odd about that word "Educational". Also I don't like to see Education as a Historical thing hence my dislike for "Education History")
- - Professional Memberships and Certifications (can also be Professional Qualifications)
- - Work Experience (again, I am not a fan of "Work History" I prefer to see what I've done in the past as an "Experience" and not just "History")
- - Computer/IT Skills (I wish I could find a better phrase for the section listing IT competence. I don't like the phrase "Computer Skill"
- - Publications
- - Reference
Please don't get stuck on terminology for these sections. Simply, ensure that you use terms that are understandable.
I highlighted the word 'information' above for a reason which I will explain now. When you are creating a CV, it is important you do not get so attached to templates. When you focus on the use of templates, you'll end up including sections/information that are not relevant to your OWN CV.
I advise you focus on the information / content of your CV. Create your CV with an aim of portraying your OWN skills and abilities in the best possible manner.
Your CV must NOT contain all the sections I have listed above. Select the ones that are relevant to the information you wish to convey to a recruiter.
Don't restrict yourself to rules and templates.
Are there certain things that you should avoid while creating your CV?
Yes. Not exactly rules but they help with presentation of your CV.
1. Avoid the use of several contact numbers.
Yesterday I reviewed a CV with 4 (FOUR) contact numbers and 2 email addresses. There was an Airtel, MTN, Glo and Visaphone line AND 2 yahoo email addresses! It wasn't a good look.
I advise you simply list 1 (one) number and 1 (email address). It looks more professional, neater and helps when you track your applications.
2. Avoid including your passport photo on your CV (unless a recruiter asks) I don't see what exactly it adds to your CV. I usually get put off by recruitment ads that request for pictures. I'm not applying for a model gig. This point also goes with point 3 below.
3. Use your TRUE age or exclude listing your age on your CV altogether. Now, I was reviewing another CV yesterday and the owner had included a passport photograph and listed date of birth 1988 - perhaps it was a typo or I'm just not good at guessing ages, BUT the owner of this CV looked like he/she was born in 1975. I just couldn't get this out of my head and somehow I haven't finished that review. I'll assume he/she had changed date of birth for confidentiality, perhaps that will give me the patience to review it.
Please try not to appear dishonest in your applications. It may cause you to be disqualified. It is quite simple to spot irregularities on a CV.
I know the false age "official age" thing is quite common here and honestly I'm not prepared to go into that now. However, I encourage you to be honest.
4. You really don't need to list your "first school leaving certificate" on your CV. In my opinion, it doesn't add much (infact anything). Free up that space on your CV for more important things like your professional qualifications. I am yet to see a recruiter that has specifically asked for it.
5. If you can, please avoid listing the full addresses of the places of work listed under the "Work Experience" section. It actually clusters everything up on your CV. You can simply put the town and/or state.
Do: ABC Plc, Utako, Abuja
Don't: ABC Plc, Head office, No 12 market road, opposite MFN, Utako, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria
6. Avoid using SEVERAL BOLD AND CAPITAL CHARACTERS ON YOUR CV. IT IS REALLY DISTRACTING AND NOT EASY ON THE EYE
7. Finally, for confidentiality purposes, please please please don't put the full contact details of your referees. I have seen all sorts of contacts during these 3 months of doing CV review. Please respect the confidentiality of your referee. Most of you use very "important people" as your referees; I don't think it is the best idea to send their contacts all over the place. Referencing commences much later during a recruitment exercise. I advise you to only state it when a recruiter requests.
Do: Reference
Available on Request
That said, I encourage you to do the following. . . .
1. Ensure your CV has a pattern
- Even margins
- Single font style through out the document
- Even spacing between sections
2. List your duties under stated work experiences. Only use summaries when you have worked for several organisations and perhaps some of the experiences are now irrelevant to your current application.
3. List items starting with the most recent ones (however, you may do otherwise if work experience that is relevant to position applied for isn't most recent; you may choose to bring that work experience to the top) For instance, I had an accounting job while at university but worked as a customer service officer at a bank during NYSC. After service, I still maintained my accounting work experience at the top because I was applying for accounting job and not a customer service job after NYSC.
4. When you list your duties/responsibilities. Use short phrases and avoid blabbing. Keep it simple
Do: Monthly stock record update
Don't: Carrying out the stock record update of the organisation every month. This is to ensure that the company has enough stock to meet customer requirements. Also blah blah blah etc
Just to state that if I have used your CV for an illustration or used the content of your CV to explain an example, the intention is not to insult you. It is just to make an explanation clearer
I advise you to do some work on your CV before sending it in for review (Henceforth, if it is obvious that you have not done any work to improve the content of you CV, I will nicely reply you with a link to the illustration).
Happy weekend
RELATED POST:
Illustration - Creating a More Effective CV (Part 3)
Illustration - Creating a More Effective CV (Part 2)
Illustration - Creating a More Effective CV (Part 1)
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
CV Review Note (Part 3)
In the past couple of weeks, Career Objective and Clarity have been covered as part of CV review notes.
In this part of the CV Review Note, I'll be writting on NYSC and Industrial Training work experience.
NYSC AND INDUSTRIAL TRAINING WORK EXPERIENCE
Are you a recent graduate? If yes, then your NYSC and Industrial Training work experience are of great importance. Work experience is not about how much you were paid on the job, it is about what you did. I noticed some CVs just listed the year, name of their employer and job title. No information was given on what they did on the job - activities (duties or responsibilities).
Please don’t give the excuse that you were just a subject teacher or admin assistant during your NYSC service year. It is still work experience. These jobs require allot of skills and I suggest you take the time and draw out the activities you performed while on the job. Bring out at least 5 activities you did on these jobs and structure them to highlight the core skill required for a job in your ideal profession.
When you’ve had more years / activities of work experience, you may decide to give just brief summaries of the less relevant employment.
The same also applies if you worked part time while undertaking your studies at university.
I have highlighted work experiences gained from NYSC and IT because I've come to notice that a great majority of recent graduates in Nigeria gain their work experiences through these schemes only.
How do you list activities on your CV?
The following image is a cut out of a CV I received recently. This is a CV of a recent graduate and the only work experiences listed were those gained during his NYSC year and IT.
Moving on to his reviewed CV. Changes were made.
He added the activities he performed on these jobs and even though he was interested in a career in HR, he structured these work experiences to highlight the core Employability Skills for a career in HR.
The following image is a cut out of the reviewed CV:
I'm sure you can notice there is a huge difference between both images. It is still the same CV and the only thing that has been changed is the manner with which these skills have been captured.
Need I say more?
*NYSC - National Youth Service Corps
* IT - Industrial Training
In this part of the CV Review Note, I'll be writting on NYSC and Industrial Training work experience.
NYSC AND INDUSTRIAL TRAINING WORK EXPERIENCE
Are you a recent graduate? If yes, then your NYSC and Industrial Training work experience are of great importance. Work experience is not about how much you were paid on the job, it is about what you did. I noticed some CVs just listed the year, name of their employer and job title. No information was given on what they did on the job - activities (duties or responsibilities).
Please don’t give the excuse that you were just a subject teacher or admin assistant during your NYSC service year. It is still work experience. These jobs require allot of skills and I suggest you take the time and draw out the activities you performed while on the job. Bring out at least 5 activities you did on these jobs and structure them to highlight the core skill required for a job in your ideal profession.
When you’ve had more years / activities of work experience, you may decide to give just brief summaries of the less relevant employment.
The same also applies if you worked part time while undertaking your studies at university.
I have highlighted work experiences gained from NYSC and IT because I've come to notice that a great majority of recent graduates in Nigeria gain their work experiences through these schemes only.
Please find the words to describe your activities (duties or responsibilities) and include them on your CV. This is the best way to portray your skills to a recruiter.
How do you list activities on your CV?
The following image is a cut out of a CV I received recently. This is a CV of a recent graduate and the only work experiences listed were those gained during his NYSC year and IT.
Moving on to his reviewed CV. Changes were made.
He added the activities he performed on these jobs and even though he was interested in a career in HR, he structured these work experiences to highlight the core Employability Skills for a career in HR.
The following image is a cut out of the reviewed CV:
I'm sure you can notice there is a huge difference between both images. It is still the same CV and the only thing that has been changed is the manner with which these skills have been captured.
Need I say more?
*NYSC - National Youth Service Corps
* IT - Industrial Training
Saturday, January 21, 2012
ILLUSTRATION: Creating a More Effective CV (Part 2)
Saturday is here again. How was your week?
As it's yet another weekend, I thought to do one more illustration to show how to create a more effective CV.
I know for most job seekers, it's the best of days to do the job hunt. Hence, I've decided to give yet another picture illustrations to show how to achieve an effective CV.
I have used a CV I reviewed recently, blocking out personal information for privacy reasons.
And I'll start with my usual slogan Effective CV=Effective Job Hunting
The CV I'll be using for today's illustration contrasts that of last week in the aspect of the quantity of the information on the CV. Please click here to read last weeks illustration.
As it's yet another weekend, I thought to do one more illustration to show how to create a more effective CV.
I know for most job seekers, it's the best of days to do the job hunt. Hence, I've decided to give yet another picture illustrations to show how to achieve an effective CV.
I have used a CV I reviewed recently, blocking out personal information for privacy reasons.
And I'll start with my usual slogan Effective CV=Effective Job Hunting
The CV I'll be using for today's illustration contrasts that of last week in the aspect of the quantity of the information on the CV. Please click here to read last weeks illustration.
The following is an image of the Original CV that was sent in for Review. I advise you go through it and point out flaws.
- Poor clarity
- Poor visibility of qualifications
- Very poor portrayal of skills
Poor Clarity
The main flaw of this CV had to do with clarity. Please read CV Review Note (Part 2) where I wrote about the importance of clarity and how to achieve it.
The main flaw of this CV had to do with clarity. Please read CV Review Note (Part 2) where I wrote about the importance of clarity and how to achieve it.
- Texts are not aligned properly. For example, at the section 'Personal Information' notice how items seem to jump around. There is an obvious lack of order in that section.
- Email, Mobile number and Address have been squeezed into the header of the CV. Please always ensure your contact information is written clearly and visibly.
Avoid squeezing allot of information at the header of your CV; it works against clarity most times. You will be acting unkind to yourself if a recruiter is unable to contact you because you have not made your contact information visible enough. I usually prefer listing my contact address in the 'Personal Information' section too.
- Email, Mobile number and Address have been squeezed into the header of the CV. Please always ensure your contact information is written clearly and visibly.
Avoid squeezing allot of information at the header of your CV; it works against clarity most times. You will be acting unkind to yourself if a recruiter is unable to contact you because you have not made your contact information visible enough. I usually prefer listing my contact address in the 'Personal Information' section too.
Poor visibility of qualifications
Instead of lumping the CIPM membership into the 'Education and Qualification' section, I have given this qualification more visibility by creating a separate section for Professional Qualification'. You may also name this section 'Professional Membership and Qualification'.
Instead of lumping the CIPM membership into the 'Education and Qualification' section, I have given this qualification more visibility by creating a separate section for Professional Qualification'. You may also name this section 'Professional Membership and Qualification'.
Very poor portrayal of skills
Moving on to the 'Work Experience' section - notice that the only information contained on the original CV is the employment duration, jobtitle and name of employer.
This is the most important section of your CV because it provides the best opportunity for you to portray the use of your skills to a recruiter.
Do you know that possession of a good mix of skills is likely to convince a recruiter to overlook the fact that you may not have met some other requirements of a job advert (eg age or degree classification)?
Please portray your skills in an effective manner - list your duties and responsibilities.
Moving on to the 'Work Experience' section - notice that the only information contained on the original CV is the employment duration, jobtitle and name of employer.
This is the most important section of your CV because it provides the best opportunity for you to portray the use of your skills to a recruiter.
Do you know that possession of a good mix of skills is likely to convince a recruiter to overlook the fact that you may not have met some other requirements of a job advert (eg age or degree classification)?
Please portray your skills in an effective manner - list your duties and responsibilities.
Now lets look at the reviewed CV....
Notice that a proper order and alignment of texts has been achieved. As I said in a previous post, clarity boosts understandability and this CV has really shown that that.
Also, I have removed the item 'Certificate of National Youth Service' from the 'Education and Qualification' section. This item isnt an academic qualification and thus cannot be listed s such. If however you really must include information stating that you have completed your NYSC, you can do so by including a line under 'Personal Information' section as follows;
NYSC Certificate: Yes (although I really do not see the need)
NYSC Certificate: Yes (although I really do not see the need)
The reviewed CV has a new section - 'Skills'. After I sent the CV back to the owner, he/she went a step further and added that section to the CV. He/she was interested in a career in HR and included core skills required for a career in HR, drawing from his experience gained from extracurricular activities. Impressive.
Also, going back to the work experience section, notice that although the positions were not HR roles, he/she managed to list responsibilities in a manner that highlighted the core skills required for a career in the HR.
Please do a research on the core skills for your chosen career and ensure that your CV highlights these skills.
Notice that he/she did not do the usual listing of skills but he backed it up with those activities (evidence)...
As I stated in a previous post, anyone can list skills as follows:
Excellent Communicator
Effective customer relationship and service quality.
Ability to integrate quickly into a new team.
Willingness to learn new skills and to adopt new progressive ideas.
Good negotiation and interpersonal relationship skills.
This is a VERY ineffective method of portraying your skills and should be avoided. Always portray your skills with activities on your work history section, that is, responsibilities/duties.
Finally, notice that I relocated the section 'Computer Education' from the first page of the CV. Now, I may have considered leaving that section on the front page if he/she had a career path in IT. I moved this section away to page 2 under the heading courses and training. Looking at this CV again, it really should have been named Computer/IT skills instead.
I usually use the heading 'Courses and Training' only for trainings that are relevant to a career path.
I advise you use the changes highlighted on this CV and see if you can make improvements to your CV.
Also, going back to the work experience section, notice that although the positions were not HR roles, he/she managed to list responsibilities in a manner that highlighted the core skills required for a career in the HR.
Please do a research on the core skills for your chosen career and ensure that your CV highlights these skills.
Notice that he/she did not do the usual listing of skills but he backed it up with those activities (evidence)...
As I stated in a previous post, anyone can list skills as follows:
Excellent Communicator
Effective customer relationship and service quality.
Ability to integrate quickly into a new team.
Willingness to learn new skills and to adopt new progressive ideas.
Good negotiation and interpersonal relationship skills.
This is a VERY ineffective method of portraying your skills and should be avoided. Always portray your skills with activities on your work history section, that is, responsibilities/duties.
Finally, notice that I relocated the section 'Computer Education' from the first page of the CV. Now, I may have considered leaving that section on the front page if he/she had a career path in IT. I moved this section away to page 2 under the heading courses and training. Looking at this CV again, it really should have been named Computer/IT skills instead.
I usually use the heading 'Courses and Training' only for trainings that are relevant to a career path.
I advise you use the changes highlighted on this CV and see if you can make improvements to your CV.
| Have a great weekend! | |||||||||
RELATED POSTS: Creating a CV: An Additional Guide Illustration - Creating a More Effective CV (Part 3) Illustration - Creating a More Effective CV (Part 1) | |||||||||
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