-- CV & Job Application --

CVs & job applications
whether you're submitting a CV for the first or two-hundredth time, there's always room for improvement. Find out how to make your application stand out from the crowd, and check out our CV templates for more in-depth guidance.

Writing a CV is a bit like writing an essay: starting it is the hardest part. But rest assured it's very simple. Basically there are only three types of CVs; the CV that is right for you depends on your career stage and on what you want to do next. AHEJOS has explained the three CV types below; where you can also download CV templates and create your own CV.

Which CV?
Post graduates, return to workers and specialist career changers

If you have recently completed a course to update your skills or learn a 'new role', or if you have just graduated from university you will need to write a qualifications based CV. This CV type suits post graduates, jobseekers that want to return to work after a long period of unemployment (12 months or more), and some career changers. A qualifications CV is only suitable for career changers that must have specific qualifications in order to be able to work in their new career. Examples might include Accountants, Doctors, IT programmers, and Social Workers. For career changers where the need is for skills or market knowledge a skills based CV is more relevant please see below.

If you want to change careers, return to work in the same industry after a short break (under 12 months), or work in a new industry or on a specific project (ie a new product launch); then you need a skills based CV. This CV type show cases your skills and knowledge which are transferable for your next job or career move. So unlike the qualifications based CV there is no requirement for 'specific' qualifications to fulfil a role. An example of this is New Media, about 10 years ago no one had experience in new media and typically print or other traditional media candidates moved into this new industry transferring their 'traditional' skills.

Career ladder climbers
If you want to remain in the same industry but are looking for new opportunities, perhaps promotion, better company perks or more pay you will need a chronological CV. This CV show cases your work history, plotting how you have continued to gain knowledge, skills and possibly qualifications in the same industry.
Good luck creating your CV!

Use this template if you're a post graduate, returning to work after a long break (12 months or more), or if you're changing to a career where specific qualifications are required (e.g. accountancy). If this isn't you, please see the AHEJOS 'skills based CV template.'
Download a copy of this CV template in Microsoft word format for an editable version. If you don't have Microsoft word, you can download a PDF version or print this page and use it as a guide.

Your full name
Your home address
Your home phone number
Your mobile phone number
Your personal email address
Profile
I am a hard working team player and I enjoy exceeding targets. I look for ways to do things better because I am motivated by being successful and achieving.
Profile explained: your profile should be about 30 words long and describe what you are like to work with, focusing on how you can help an employer to prosper. Remember, you don't need to have had a job to be able to describe yourself as a colleague.
Education

BA Marketing

Edinburgh University

2006-Summer 2007

Expectant grade: 2:1 Hons
Areas of study
For example: Conducting research into financial sector companies and how they attract and convert local businesses. Findings to be published in 'Marketing' magazine and the 'Scottish Herald'.
Tip: You could also list here any relevant modules that have specific relevance to the job that you're applying for.
Skills acquired
List up to five core skills, see example below:

· Advanced market research and analytical skills developed through interviewing marketing professionals in the Finance sector.

Skills acquired explained: you should not only list the skill you acquired, you should also explain briefly how or what you did to acquire it.
Key skills and achievements
List up to five achievements - remember, you want to show how you would add value to a company. Explain what you did, how you did it and what was achieved.

· Conducted desk research to identify decision makers in core market; called and emailed them and arranged interviews with 12 individuals. Designed questionnaire to benchmark marketing activity. Obtained 12 in-depth interviews giving insight into marketing activity and success metrics.

Employment history
If your employment history is relevant to the job that you are applying for, list up to 3 work histories starting with your most recent job first. If you have no employment history, list any voluntary work or team based hobbies that you have been involved in. Histories should be listed in the following way:

Job title	From-to dates	Company name
		(or team name)

Tip: If you do not want to name your current employer, describe the company instead e.g. leading PK software house
Training and awards
List any recent relevant courses that you have completed. If you have a work history, list work-related awards here. If you do not have a work history, see 'interests' below.
Interests
Keep this short - about one line. If you don't have a work history, list awards and personal achievements here

If you're changing your career, or returning to work after a short break (under 12 months), or going for a 'new' role on a new product or service or in a new industry; this CV template is for you. If you have recently completed a course or retrained so that you can change jobs our 'qualifications based CV' may be more suitable for you.
Download a copy of this CV template in Microsoft word format for an editable version. If you don't have Microsoft word, you can download a PDF version or print this page and use it as a guide.

Your full name
Your home address
Your home phone number
Your mobile phone number
Your personal email address
Profile
I am a hard working team player and I enjoy exceeding targets. I look for ways to do things better because I am motivated by being successful and achieving.
Profile explained: your profile should be about 30 words long and describe what you are like to work with, focusing on how you can help an employer to prosper. Remember, you don't need to have had a job to be able to describe yourself as a colleague.
Key skills and achievements
List up to five achievements - remember, you want to show how you would add value to a company. Define and explain the skills like this:

Customer Service

· Developed Service Level Agreements to enhance customer experience for new and existing customers, which led to a 3% increase in renewals and a 2.5% increase in value of units sold.

Systems used
List all of the systems that you have used that are relevant to the job that you are applying for, stating your competence level. For example:

Career summary
Focus on the skills and experience that you have from previous employment that supports your key skills list above. List your employment history in reverse order, starting with your most recent job first. List you employment history like this:

Job title

From-to dates

Company name

Tip: If you do not want to name your current employer, describe the company instead e.g. Leading PK software house
Training and qualifications
List any recent courses that you have completed where the course or skills acquired are relevant to the job that you are applying for. State the grade or mark that you achieved where relevant.

Course/skill name

From-to dates

Educational institution

Grade/mark

Awards and membership of professional bodies
List all relevant awards, membership of professional bodies and also membership of 'news' groups etc. For example:

Interests (optional)
Keep this short, about one line. If you don't have a work history, list awards and personal achievements here.

Your CV is a vital tool in the job seeking process. It’s your first chance to impress a prospective employer, providing details that underline your suitability for the role. On average, recruiters take just eight seconds to decide whether or not to keep a CV, so you need to be on the ball.
Our top five tips will give your CV maximum impact:

1. Keep it concise
Recruiters are often faced with mountains of CVs and don’t have the time or patience to trawl through a rambling document. Remember that your CV is only the first step, a way of getting your foot in the door, so keep it punchy. Make it no more than two sides of A4 paper and save the real detail for your interview.

2. Tailor your CV
Take time to adapt your CV for each individual role you apply for. Research the company and use the job ad to gauge what it is looking for in an employee. Link your skills and experience to the requirements of the role. Similarly, if you are logging your CV with a job site database, look at the sort of jobs on the site and the employers who are advertising, and rework your CV accordingly.

3. Don't leave gaps
Gaps invite the recruiter to guess what you were up to, so instead of allowing them to make their own assumptions give them the details. Even in time out of employment you can develop soft skills such as communication, teamwork or project management. You should update your CV regularly, regardless of whether you are actively job seeking, to avoid having to recall distant points in your career.

4. Ensure it’s free of errors
One of the easiest ways for recruiters to weed out weaker CVs is to scan them for errors. If you fail to check your CV for basic spelling and grammatical mistakes, you are setting yourself up for a fall at the first hurdle. Most errors can be rooted out using your PC’s spell-checker, but you should also ask someone else to read your CV and give you their opinion.

5. Tell the truth
It’s one thing to highlight the positives on your CV, but telling blatant lies is a bad idea. You are highly likely to be caught out and your application rejected. Many companies check the facts – such as qualifications – that candidates supply. And a good interviewer will soon spot any inconsistency in your story, even if it concerns your leisure activities. It would be hugely embarrassing to be caught out by an interviewer who’s an expert in your half-baked hobby.

Some employers still insist on using forms for job applications as it enables them to compare candidates more easily. Application forms are increasingly being made available online meaning candidates can save the form and sharpen up their application until they are ready to send it off.
Taking the time to fill out a lengthy form in detail shows commitment and interest, and allows the employer to extract more specific information from the applicant than is included in a CV. It makes it easier, for example, to spot gaps in employment history or to note that a box asking about a criminal record has not been ticked.
Employers may also hold your application on file for the purpose of matching you up with any suitable vacancies that may crop up in future. If the company seeks your permission to do this, it makes sense to agree. Under the Data Protection Act organizations are required to keep the information held in your application confidential, using it only for the purpose of recruitment and for no longer than necessary.
There are a number of things you should do to give your completed form maximum impact:

· If you are filling in a paper copy, photocopy the form first to allow for a practice run.

· Read the instructions carefully and make sure you fully understand each question. Careless mistakes will severely dent your chances as the employer will simply put you at the bottom of the list.

· Take your time on the section about what you would bring to the job. This is your chance to shine, but usually in a limited number of words so be succinct!

· Concentrate on selling achievements that will be most relevant to the job in question.

· Write legibly if you cannot type the information into the form. It should be easy to read, so keep your handwriting to a decent size and don't be afraid to leave some empty space.

· Read your completed form carefully, checking for grammar and spelling errors and, if possible, get a second opinion.

· Keep a copy of your completed form for your own records – you don’t want to forget what you’ve written if you get to the interview stage.

· Answer all the questions. If a question is not relevant to you, you need to explain why.

· Only attach a copy of your CV if the recruiter has specifically requested it. If you are asked to include a CV or covering letter.

· Be honest. If you are caught lying, an employer is unlikely to accept any future applications from you. Many employers use information service companies to check the information provided in application forms.