CV Write

Professional, high impact CV writing that generates interviews.

Category Archives: CV Writing

Tailoring a CV

We often get asked about tailoring CVs for specific applications and whether this is a good idea?

Absolutely.

When you reply to a job advert you should always tweak your CV to highlight the skills that are being looked for. This can mean adding in new skills to your CV that you previously left out for space considerations (or because you didn’t feel they were directly relevant), or it can mean changing the sequence of your Key Skills to appeal more to the reader.

The CVs that we write are specifically written to be easily tailored to suit different job applications. We do this by creating a unique profile and key skills section based on your experience and the type of job you are looking for, that you can then amend as needed.

We’ll also talk you through the reasoning behind all of this so that you understand how to make these changes yourself and create a CV that is targeted at a specific application.

CV File Format

The vast majority of CVs we see are in Microsoft Word and with good reason – it’s the #1 word processing package in the world.

As a consequence most recruitment agencies and employers use it as standard and all of their systems are geared around it, and if you use another file format then you may run into problems.

There are 2 main reasons for this:

Firstly, they may not be able to open the file. This applies to Microsoft Works files that are used on many home PCs and have the file extension “.wps” and to OpenOffice files with the file extension “.odt”. Most companies just don’t have this software and will not be able to see your CV.

Secondly, many agencies use what is called parsing software which automatically reads your CV and puts the information into a database. Generally speaking this software is only set up for Word documents and will not read other formats – even Adobe PDF. file – so your CV won’t get onto the database.

Solution:-

Use Microsoft Word!

If you only have MS Works or Open Office you can get around this issue by saving the file using the “Save As” option and selecting the option to save as a Word Document.

Tailoring your CV

We were asked today (and it’s a common question) if CVs should be tailored for specific applications – of course they should!!!

Do you have only 1 skill? Of course you don’t. Like most people you will have at least 3 marketable skills that will appeal to a prospective employer and you need to highlight the one they are actually looking for.

It’s a bit like exam instructions : “Read the Questions”, but in this case you should “Read the Advert”. If the advert says they want a Programmer with c++ experience then rewrite your Profile to open with “I am a highly experienced c++ programmer…”

When we rewrite your CV we make sure that you have a Profile that you can easily tailor to a specific role.

Spelling Mistakes

We’re suddenly seeing a rash of spelling errors in CVs, perhaps because people are updating their CV and rushing through it when they really need to take their time and get someone else to proof read it.

This morning we have seen “mouths” instead of “months” and “collage” instead of “college”.

Neither of these will be picked up by spell checkers, but anyone from a potential employer or recruitment agency will spot them straight away. This type of error will immediately push your application down the pecking order or even into the dreaded “round file”.

Get someone else to read your CV before you send it anywhere.

Free Covering Letters Pack

We are now giving away our covering letter pack!

All you need to do is go to our covering letters page, click on the Google “Buy It Now” button* and on the checkout page use the coupon code “covletfree” – without the quotation marks!

Simple as that for a free Covering Letter Pack and a guide on how to write your covering letter for a specific job advert.

Once we receive your order the pack will be emailed direct to your inbox.

*Make sure you use Google Checkout and not PayPal!

Gaps on a CV

If a gap is only a month or so, don’t worry about it. If it’s longer then you need to have some kind of explanation.

When recruiters see a gap on your CV they’re generally not too concerned up to about 3 months, but once you go over this level you do need to add an explanatory note. Having said that it also depends on how long ago the gap was! If you had  a period of unemployment 15 years ago then it may be safe to ignore it but if it’s been in the last 5 years it definitely needs addressing.

Where you have been travelling for 12 months this should be included as a one-liner in your CV but avoid over elaborating on where you went and how you “found yourself”…

For women who have gaps due to raising a family this can also be explained with a simple one-liner. Where this is your first job application or attempt to find work after raising a family then this can (and should) be addressed in your profile.

Why is all this so important?

Gaps in employment make people suspicious, whether consciously or unconsciously, and once a seed of doubt has been sown you face an uphill struggle to overcome it – so it’s best avoided.

CV Templates

We get asked about templates on a fairly regular basis and why should I use you when I can just use a template?

It’s a fair question and deserves an answer.

Templates are generally quite good for a basic CV but where they fall down is that you still have to write the content and that’s the bit that really matters.

Does a template make sure your CV is the right length? No.

Does a template make sure that you have a well written and targeted profile? No

Does a template ensure that their are specific achievements in your CV? No.

I could go on but it gets a bit repetitive!

A professional CV needs a professional CV writer who can produce a tailored document that genuinely reflects your experience and skills.

By all means use a template but don’t be too surprised if you don’t get interviews…