Posts Tagged ‘CV Writing’
27
Aug/10
It’s not enough to just write a good CV. Your curriculum vitae and cover letter need to be targeted, relevant and attention grabbing, and appropriate to the industry or sector you are applying to.
AccendoCV’s key strength is to recognise how to utilise our clients’ experiences and skills to create a unique and powerful CV. We use only experienced career professionals with specific sector experience and a broad understanding of the market. We can offer focused CV writing assistance in several specialist areas, for example: Engineering & Manufacturing, IT, Financial Services and Insurance.
Your CV is far more likely to be shortlisted and responded to if you show the recruiter that you are actively targeting their relevant industry. We can help you tailor your CV, your cover letter or your resume to assure a higher rate of success when job hunting.
See the list below for examples of industry sectors that we can provide support for:
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- IT
- Legal
- Manufacturing
- Marketing & PR
- Media/ New Media
- Pharmaceutical
- Property Maintenance
- Public Sector
- Recruitment
- Retail
- Sales & Business
- Scientific
- Secretarial
- Security
- Social Services
- Surveying
- Travel & Leisure
- Warehouse
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We offer CV writing services, help with cover letters, applications, career management and the creating and secure hosting of Video CVs and Personal Career Websites. Visit AccendoCV for more information.
Tags: career management, cover letter writing, CV Writing, CV writing assistance, CV writing services, industry specific CV, targeted CVs
Posted in CV Writing | No Comments »
9
Aug/10
Since the job market has become more demanding and competitive than ever, careful and strategic career management is required to ensure you make the most of your skills and experiences.
Planning your career
The most successful career paths have good planning, a sense of direction, and clear milestones along the way. A career path needs to be flexible but it should always be structured. If you have a “map” of your intended route, you can make sure that all the activities in your working life help further your aims and give you a sense of purpose. Managing your career does not mean closing your mind to luck and chance, but involves talking and thinking about your career in a methodical way. This will help you gain further insights and recognise any opportunities as they arise, so that you can make the most of them.
Make the most of all the career choices that face you during your working life, be clear about your goals, alert to opportunities, and quick to make key decisions when necessary. Effective planning will help you be prepared and focused, so that when you need to, you can make the right choices. Nobody wants to look back on their career at retirement and wish they had taken a different path or done things another way.
So take action and give yourself the best chance possible:
- View managing your career as an exciting new project.
- Give planning your career the time and effort it deserves.
- Concentrate on career opportunities.
- Be prepared to look back as well as ahead.
- Ensure you have the best marketing tools at your disposal, starting with your CV or resume
Marketing yourself
CVs or resumes are critical and to be noticed a CV has to be powerful. It is your primary marketing tool. The easy answer is that you need as many versions of your CV as it takes. There are different types of Curriculum Vitae for different job-hunting methods — and if you are using multiple strategies and approaches to search for a job, you’ll probably need multiple versions of your CV:
- Traditional paper Curriculum Vitae
- Electronic CV for attaching to email applications
- Personal Career Website for hosting your CV, professional information and experience
- Video Enhanced CV to use as an attachment on electronic CVs or on your Career Website
Maximise your opportunities for success and ensure that you are approaching your career with a practical and realistic plan, a well-written CV and a range of marketing tools to help you stand out from the crowd.
Tags: career management, career planning, curriculum vitae, CV Tips, CV Writing, CVs, jobhunting tips, marketing tools, personal career website, Video CV, Video Enhanced CV, website cv
Posted in CV Writing, Personal Career Websites, Video CVs, career counselling | No Comments »
27
Jul/10
With reports claiming there are now 70 graduates for every available position, a focus on how your CV and life experiences can single you out from the crowd is essential. Gap year applications have shot up this year, and employers appreciate that gap year students can add knowledge and skills to their repertoire that can be valuable in the workplace.
Gap Year Skills
Individuals who choose to take a gap year - for travel, work or a charity, should make use of this time to think about how their experiences can translate to essential skills and abilities to benefit their career. Here are just some of the gap year attributes you can showcase to potential employers:
- Fundraising – Showing that you were able to raise a percentage (or all) of the cost of your gap year by working, fundraising or applying for a grant shows determination.
- Staying Power – The ability to see a project through from start to finish.
- Enthusiasm – A can-do attitude and the spirit to take on the unknown.
- Making a Difference – Working and assisting charity and fundraising projects across the world is a fantastic personal accomplishment.
- Actively Volunteering – Choosing to help others, putting yourself forward and signing up for a beneficial project shows great character.
- Working as a Team – Gap years are often organised in groups, and especially if you are working on a project, you will have to use group skills to achieve your goals and get on with others from all walks of life.
- Overcoming Challenges – Whether you are travelling, working or volunteering, you will undoubtedly face obstacles, difficulties and hard times during your gap year. Showing how you overcame these (and what you learned) can be a great subject to bring up in interviews.
- Communication – Succeeding with interpersonal skills and problems of language shows problem solving and adaptability.
Employers wish to see proof that you have made the most of a gap year – even if you spent it working in your hometown, rather than volunteering in a third-world country – you should be able to show that you have grown as a person and expanded your life experiences. This can be on your CV, in a cover letter, a Video CV, your Personal Career Website or face to face in an interview.
A gap year can show responsibility, drive, ambition and commitment, and if you managed to fit in some related work experience along the way then all the better. By recognising the areas in which you have learned and articulate them in your CV or interview, then you will stand out from the crowd.
Interviews and applications often ask for examples of challenges you’ve faced, difficulties you’ve overcome and times when you’ve had to use your initiative. Gap year experiences can be great examples of teamwork, organisation, ingenuity, enthusiasm and passion. They can also help answer those tricky “what are your strengths/weaknesses?” questions, as your personality is sure to have been tested at least once while on a gap year.
Most importantly, a gap year should not just be a year off – for graduates particularly, a gap year should be considered to help improve employability, and for seizing opportunities. Any and every work and life experience is valuable, so long as you translate it into a tangible skill that is beneficial in your career. Accendo can help you word your experiences in a cover letter or CV to best show these attributes and gain the most from your gap year.
Tags: cover letters, CV Services, CV Writing, gap years, graduate gap years, Job hunting
Posted in CV Tips, career counselling, cover letters | 1 Comment »
21
Jul/10
Your cover letter is usually the first thing a recruiter will see, and therefore needs to be carefully created to give you the best introduction possible. A cover letter is a short, sharp summary of why you are the ideal candidate for the advertised role. It should be tailored to each company you apply to, and give employers a brief idea of who you are and your suitability for the position.
Here are AccendoCV’s guidelines on how to write the perfect cover letter:
- Find out who the letter should be addressed to and personalise the letter accordingly.
- Format professionally, proofread and double-check spelling and grammar, names and addresses.
- Keep it to a single page, made up of 3 or 4 paragraphs (or bullet points) describing your relevant skills and experience relating to the job.
- If sending by email, don’t forget to attach your CV! (It’s also a good idea to ask for acknowledgement of receipt, in case it ends up in a spam folder.)
- Highlight what the employer is seeking by listing your skills, experience and characteristics.
- Provide exactly what is specified in the advertisement, eg: your CV and a 3 page outline of a successful project you’ve managed – no more, no less.
A helpful tool to write an effective cover letter is the acronym AIDA:
Gain the reader’s Attention by introducing yourself effectively.
Keep their Interest by showing you have the skills and experience to fulfil the role.
Ensure that the content is relevant to the advertised position and the recruiter will Desire to meet you.
Make sure that your contact details are clear in order for the recruiter to Action a response to your application.
No matter how good your CV is, your cover letter is your first point of contact, and should represent you positively. You can find more tips and advice on writing cover letters here and here, or perhaps you’d prefer to consider a more modern form of introduction, via a Video Enhanced CV.
Video CVs are the future of job hunting, providing a personalised, succinct introduction to your abilities and strengths using a short hosted video presentation. Visit AccendoCV for more details on how you can create the best first impression possible, and optimise your chance for success in your chosen career.
Tags: cover letter, CV Help, CV Tips, CV Writing, how to write a cover letter, Job hunting, Video CVs, Video Enhanced CV
Posted in CV Tips, Video CVs, cover letters | No Comments »
12
Jul/10
It’s the responsibility of a recruiter or interviewer to thoroughly assess whether you’re the right candidate for the job, so whether we like it or not, they’re going to ask those difficult questions when interviewing. There’s no need to be nervous or anxious when going into an interview situation, so long as you are confident in your abilities and have prepared properly for how you want to put yourself forward.
They’re not looking for perfect, textbook answers; they’re looking for a genuine person who can show intelligence and the ability to think on their feet. If you follow our guidelines on dealing with difficult interview questions, you should no longer have to worry about the dreaded… “So what’s your biggest weakness?”
- Do your research. Before you even step into that interview room, make sure you have researched the company, the job description and what the work will entail, key members of management (if appropriate) and what will be expected of you. It sounds obvious, but going into an interview ‘blind’ is an easy way to go home with nothing.
- Stay positive. Answer awkward, seemingly negative questions like “What didn’t you like about your last job?” or “What are your weaknesses?” in a positive way, showing that you can see the benefits of personal growth and development. Don’t badmouth your previous employers, or be self-deprecating – answer by identifying minor faults, but backing them up with an aim to improve and extend your abilities in this new job.
- Be genuine. No one likes a suck up… Don’t practice your answers so they sound like you’ve learned them by rote, show a little personality and individuality. Putting on a ‘perfect’ front will only give the impression that you are possibly deceitful and manipulative. An important aspect of any workplace is the staff dynamic – they want to see if you will fit in as well as your ability to do your job.
- Tell the truth. You should never lie during an interview, even when you find yourself having to talk about something potentially damaging to your chances. Instead, find a way to be diplomatic and objective when asked questions about long periods of unemployment or leaving a previous job under bad circumstances. Explanations which take into account difficulties, but also display your future intentions can help you out of an awkward spot.
- It’s not about the money! Better earnings/hours are not the answers they’re looking for when they ask what drew you to this job… You should also not describe the position as a “stepping stone” to help you on your way, even if it’s true. Explaining your aims in terms of “new challenges”, “better opportunities”, “an interest in the company and an eagerness to learn and develop” etc are more tactful ways to put it.
- Plan for the future. When asked where you see yourself in 5-10 years, or what your career goals are, show your intention to better yourself and your career (ideally within the company). Even if your plans are not solid or clear, you want to put across that you are ambitious and diligent and you will work towards improving your position.
- Ask questions. If you’re really stuck for an answer, asking the interviewer their opinion can help, for example – “How do you deal with criticism?” could be answered by saying you think it’s important to be challenged and given the opportunity to improve your skills, and follow it up by asking about the company’s audit system. Showing an interest in the workings of the business is a good attribute to show in an interview.
Interviews can be nerve-wracking, but if you have confidence in yourself and your skills, a great CV to show, and do your research and preparation beforehand, there’s no reason why you can’t succeed. If you struggle with the stress of face-to-face interviews, it might be a good idea to create a Video Enhanced CV to be your first impression for you. A short introductory video CV can broadcast your personality, your assets and your goals to a prospective employer, before they’ve even met you, taking the heat off the initial moments of the real interview. Similarly, a Career Website can showcase much more than a traditional CV, detailing your work history, ethics, ambitions and individuality – available online for recruiters to peruse along with your CV and potentially giving you an extra leg up towards getting that job.
Browse AccendoCV’s services to help you make the most out of every interview, and secure the job you are after.
Tags: career website, CV Writing, difficult interview questions, interview preparation, interview questions, interview skills, interviews, Job hunting, Video CV, website cv
Posted in News | No Comments »
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