The Perfect CV

So, you’re applying for jobs. One hurdle you will need to jump is writing ye olde ‘Curriculum Vitae’. This can be your best friend, if done well, or your worst enemy (we prefer the first!). To help you to have a clean and pristine CV that will dazzle anyone – we asked top local employer Becky Simkiss on some top tips for a winner of a CV:

 

The Layout

“You want your CV to look clean, sharp and professional. Ideally you are looking for a document that is two pages long. A classic layout of white page with black text is essential; choose a nicely presented font that is clear and easy to read. Have your name, address and contact details at the top and centre of the page. Do not include your date of birth. Proof read several times and cast a critical eye. Give to a trusted friend with a great eye for detail to check too. Look at your CV as though seeing it for the first time.”

 

General Content

“Avoid long paragraphs and large chunks of text, you will lose the interest of the reader. Make sure you avoid any slang words and unnecessary acronyms.

 

Tailor your CV to the opportunity that you are applying for. Read through the job description and highlight qualities that the role requires. Use positive language throughout and don’t be afraid to let your achievements shine through.”

 

Personal Statement 

“Use personal statements to give an overview of you. It should be a short, succinct paragraph and needs to grab the attention of the reader. Try to avoid using “power phrases” that are very generic and lack meaning such as, “A motivated, hardworking team player with the ability to also work on own initiative”. Use words that demonstrate your individual qualities that are then backed up by your experience.”

 

Key Skills, Education and Career History

These sections go after your personal statement. There is no hard and fast rule about the order, so feel free to chop and change. However, always add dates (not of the food variety) clearly next to the relevant information:

 

“Key Skills – List any individual qualities you have that demonstrate your suitability for the role. These can be IT skills, training or professional qualifications and any additional language skills.

 

For Education – Give a general overview of your achievements. Dates and place of study, GCSE’s, A-Levels, and Degree etc. should be listed.

 

Career History – start with your most recent employer first and then work back. Have strong headings and ensure the company name is clear, along with your job title and dates of employment. Adding reasons for leaving each of your roles is also very helpful, especially if you have worked in a number of contract roles. If you have been temping then include this information. Cover any gaps in employment with a brief description of how that time was utilised. I.e. “Travelling throughout Australasia” or “Actively seeking employment”. Under each job heading, write a line or two to set the context of the business you worked in. What do they do and how your role was positioned within that. Then use bullet points to highlight your key responsibilities and use evidence of your achievements to demonstrate your skills. List any significant achievements and detail how that benefitted your business.”

 

References

“These should be at the end of the CV. References can be detailed or you can use “References can be supplied upon request” if you are struggling to keep to the two page rule.”

 

Personal Interest

“Use the personal interests section wisely. Avoid the old adage of “Reading, going to the gym and socialising with friends”. Keep it short and simple. Two lines highlighting your interests and what really motivates you in your spare time, it can be an interesting conversation point in an interview!”

 

So there you have it – a brief intro. You can find more information on CV dos-and-don’ts, whilst having a laugh at the bloopers here. Or for any more help pop into  Careers Network and have a chat wth an advisor.

Careers bloopers

Caroline, one of our Careers Consultants, shares the most common  and funny mistakes that hold you back when applying for a job, make sure you don’t make the same ones

Finding a job, especially a graduate level job is tough, and letting yourself down with mistakes you shouldn’t make is even worse.  The following are some of the outstanding bloopers made by graduates in applications and interviews:

CV/Application Forms

  • I am someone who knows my own destiny, but I have no definite long term plans
  • On an application for an accountancy position – I was closely involved in every aspect of my former company, right up to its bankruptcy
  • Excellent memory skills, good analytical skills, memory skills
  • On an application for a position requiring considerable people skills – My hobbies include watching television, computer chess, philately (especially first day covers) and walking my 2 spaniels
  • I have a desire to work with commuters
  • I do not have any major achievements that I would consider to be of interest to this application
  • When applying for a role at United Biscuits – my life-long love of chocolate biscuits, is the main reason for my interest in the company
  • I have a criminal record but I am not in jail at the moment

Spelling & Grammar

Employers claim that elementary spelling and grammar mistakes account for many initial rejections, as to them it demonstrates a lack of attention to detail, and no real interest in making a good first impression, so get your application checked by somebody else before you send it

  • ‘I have good writen comunication skills’
  • ‘Proven ability to track down and correct erors’
  • ‘I want experience in a big sex practice’
  • ‘Received a plague for salesman of the year’
  • ‘I am a conscious individual….’
  • ‘I hope hear from you shorty’
  • ‘I have extensive experience of working with leading randy importers’
  • ‘Work: Chinese Restaurant     Skills: Severing customers’
  • ‘My hobbits include… – instead of ‘hobbies’
Don't let your CV end up in the rubbish bin

Don’t let your CV end up in the rubbish bin

 

Text speak

There is no reason at all to use text speak in a job application – keep text speak for messages to your friends, even if you do have text contact with the employer

Interviews

  • Failing to take into account Monday morning rush hour traffic, when checking out route from hotel to employer on a quiet Sunday afternoon in Swindon…a 20 minute journey took nearly 2 hours
  • Asking for a minute to think after every question, then taking well over a minute with eyes tightly shut every time…and finally answering with a single sentence
  • Missing the train because you overslept after a night out with your mates
  • Not telling the employer that you are running late – they may be able to reschedule other interviews, and see you when you arrive
  • Doing the ‘rabbit in the headlights’ act when asked why you want to work for the employer
  • Using the same 2 examples to answer every question
  • Not telling them that you suffer from Tourettes before you arrive for interview
  • Confusing the firm with their rival (JCB v Caterpillar)
  • Forgetting your presentation
  • Incompatibility with their IT system, with no back up alternative
  • Dressing inappropriately
  • Chewing gum
  • Smoking in a clearly signposted No Smoking area
  • Walking out in the middle of the interview without saying a word

This last one was so off the radar, we didn’t even think to include this in our ‘what not to do in an interview’ coaching session…

  • At the end of the interview, the student whipped out his mobile phone, announced that he liked to keep a record of his interviews, then put his arm around the senior partner, pulled her close, said ‘Smile for the camera’ and took a photo…

Mentoring & Networking : A glimpse of ‘the real world’

This time last year I was clueless as to what I was going to do after I graduated. To be honest, I still don’t have a concrete plan for the future. Nonetheless I have a much more positive attitude towards finding the career that is right for me, I am far better informed and I have the tools and knowledge to know how to get myself in the way of a job opportunity when it finally arises. Much of this can be attributed to a number of opportunities I have taken up through Careers Network.

Seeing a careers advisor was my first point of contact with Careers Network and was one of the most useful things I did at the beginning of my final year. I went in with an average CV, a lot of ‘I have no idea what I want to do with my life’ and mainly complete panic. However I came out with an appointment to have my CV checked, a few new ideas for career paths I could look into and a much calmer attitude towards finding a job. Seeking the advice of a careers advisor is an invaluable opportunity to take up whilst still at university.

I am also involved in the mentoring scheme run by Careers Network which has teamed me up with a university alumni who I am in email contact with. This has given me an honest and realistic insight into the ‘real world’ with someone who has come from a relatively similar background to me and I would recommend anyone to apply to be a part of the scheme for the next academic year.

Networking is a scary word that is constantly thrown around in final year. I had absolutely no idea what it meant, or how on earth I was meant to go about networking at the start of this year. But I have found that actually it is far less daunting than it might seem. Through attending a variety of events put on by Careers Network and staying behind after the guests have finished their talks, I have had the opportunity to talk in depth with people who are currently living the jobs I have an interest in pursuing. Ask for an email address – it is that simple. Everyone I have ever approached has been so unbelievably helpful and kind; people really are willing to help you and often get as much out of it as you do.

I can’t stress highly enough how helpful the events and contacts I have made through these events have been in helping me to figure out the best way to approach the working world. I may not have a definite plan for my future still but at least Careers Network have helped me come to realise moving away and pretending I don’t need a job to pay for my shoe obsession isn’t a realistic option for my future!

Networking Success: How I got my internship at a TV Production Company

Finding work experience or an internship can be a daunting task. First you’ve got to find one that suits you and that you would like and then you’ve got to apply! However, I didn’t do any of these things in order to get my internship, I took a rather different route.

I have a YouTube channel and I’ve been making videos for almost two years and in that time I’ve gained a large audience and realised that a career in media is something that I want to pursue. Last November Careers Network held a fortnight of events about ‘creative careers’ and there was one about TV and Media Production which suited my interests and I’m so glad I decided to sign up for it.

CC strip

At each Creative Careers event a panel of experts and professionals talk about what they do and how they got into their industry and then there’s time for questions and networking afterwards. One of the panellists at the TV and Media Production event was University of Birmingham alumnus Paul Woolf, the head of development for Maverick, a TV production company. When he was talking about what Maverick does he mentioned that TV now has to compete with online video and that Maverick itself has its own YouTube channels. I thought, ‘this is the man I need to speak to’. So after the main event I went up to Paul and introduced myself and said that I make YouTube videos. He seemed really interested and we talked for a while about what I do and what Maverick does. Then he told me to email him with a link to my channel and that he would look at my work.

Networking like that at events really isn’t that hard. Also, it’s good to have a strategy. It’s better to talk to one person at great length and get a lot out of it than talk to dozens of people but leave with no new connections to show for it. I singled out Paul because we had mutual interests and so I knew that I would benefit from a conversation with him but there was also a chance that he would get something out of it too. Remember networking is a two-way thing. Don’t just talk about yourself, ask questions about what they do as well.

Following the event I emailed Paul reminding him of who I was and saying that we met at the event and sent him the link to my YouTube channel. He thanked me and said that he had forwarded my link on to the talent director, which seemed very exciting. However, after a long time I hadn’t heard anything from Maverick and so I assume nothing came of it. But when searching for your perfect work experience or dream career you should never give up. Okay, maybe it wasn’t the time for me to become a mega famous TV presenter but I still had this amazing contact at a production company. So I emailed him again asking if they do any work experience schemes. Paul emailed back saying that they’d love to have me as an intern, no application needed. This is why I love networking. We emailed back and forth for a while and then he got his other colleagues involved and now it’s sorted. I will be working with the multiplatform team (which means YouTube videos and social media) of Maverick TV in London for 4 weeks in July this summer.

And so it shows, with a little careful networking and some perseverance you can get that incredible internship and without even filling out a single application form! Although I will have to fill out an application form when I apply for the UK Professional Work Experience Bursary which means I could possibly get up to £800 from the university to cover any expenses of undertaking my work experience!

Hannah Witton

@hannahwitton

Starting with a start-up

Both Saul and myself were lucky enough to spend three fantastic years at Birmingham University albeit at different times. I studied Money, Banking and Finance before graduating in 2011 and was originally looking to prepare myself for a future career in Investment Banking before finding myself following a very different pathway. Saul graduated in 2008 with a degree in Physics with Business Management, before pursuing a career based on his interest and expertise in website development and design.

 

Saul Posel on graduation day

Saul Posel on graduation day

During my time at Birmingham I developed an interest in the banking and finance industry, and found myself using an array of different resources to help me find the places to apply to for graduate jobs. As I am sure many of you know, and many more will find out soon enough, the job market is a competitive arena in which you need to utilise all the resources available to you in order to give yourself the best chance of succeeding, and somehow find an edge. The careers service provided fantastic support and advice that helped me see my options, however since leaving university I have had a unique opportunity to run a company that aims to tackle the difficulties faced in application processes that students and graduates face, by first and foremost ensuring that the important and relevant information is easily available.

 

Starting in 2010, Saul and his friend, Freddy Brick, saw a gap in the market for a site that provided help to students and graduates and provided them with the tools to give them the best chance of getting the right job for them and created Grad Diary. Having grown disillusioned with the standard “job board” websites, that had no real insight behind the basic information and weekly emails (I am sure many of you receive these!), they decided to try and make something more forward thinking, more open, more informative and hopefully something that would result in more informed students, hunting for the right graduate jobs. At a time when the financial markets had hit rock bottom, it seemed like a great opportunity for Saul and Freddy to make something for themselves and do as much as possible to help their fellow students and graduates in an ever more competitive job market.

 

Grad Diary J

 

When I graduated I looked at my future career and found the entrepreneurial side of me was less interested in going down the traditional path of a graduate scheme. When I met the team at Grad Diary as an intern I found I could implement my entrepreneurial and creative ideas, whilst being able to put my business and financial knowledge to good use.

LinkedIn Photo

I then joined the team at Grad Diary full time, to manage the day-to-day running of the company and offer my first hand experiences of the job market and tailor the platform to help further enhance the site as a resource to students. Along with Saul and Freddy, we all had first hand experience of the graduate job hunt. It has been a unique opportunity for me to work with the responsibility of building and managing relationships with some of the biggest graduate recruiters and businesses in the world. The site now offers features which, we felt as a team, were missing from other relevant graduate job sites. Due to the business model that we adopt it means that we are able to offer information about graduate jobs and internships for 300+ graduate employers.

 

What makes us very different is that our team have all been in your shoes, we know what challenges you face, this allows us to help you in ways that other websites might not be able to. We try and produce tools and opportunities to help compliment the resources available at careers services. A big part of this is proving real, genuine insight in our articles and interviews. Not the standard statistics and marketing blurb you see repeated on numerous sites and booklets. This is something we still work hard to offer, as we know that this provides the most useful resource. At the end of the day, the site still sticks to its original core beliefs, which are to better inform students and graduates in order to assist them in choosing the right career and getting the job they want.

 

As proud Birmingham alumni, Saul and I have been encouraged and inspired to create a website that differs from your traditional job board and helps students to feel more confident when applying to graduate jobs, in what can be a daunting and challenging process.

 

Saul Posel and Joe Morris

Grad Diary

Exploring my options: Is PR the career for me?

            PR was always one of those professions I had my eye on, whilst also having next to no idea what was involved. The reasons behind this were rational; I like writing and I knew that writing press releases was part of the job and I like buying things (believe me, the Bullring can testify to that). So I figured, using writing to promote products and services whilst leading a relatively glamorous life in London would suit me fine.

So when I was invited to a PR networking day hosted by the PRCA in Manchester with another Careers Network student team member, I was pretty excited. Pencil skirt on and heels in a bag (it was snowing, I didn’t want to risk it), I was keen to learn more and charm my way into the industry.

The speakers were keen to make sure that none of us laboured under the delusion that this was going to be an easy profession. The news never stops, and whether you’re an agency or an in-house PR team, it is your job to stay on top of it before anyone else. They described sleeping with their phone under their pillow in case any stories broke overnight. There is enormous pressure to deliver on campaigns that you have been entrusted and paid to manage. You need to have endless resources of creativity and innovation, whilst also being meticulously organised and patient with clients. And perhaps most challengingly of all, you need to be able to earn column inches, not buy them; courting the press and maintaining great relations with industry publications and channels is a must. There isn’t much room for off-days!

There were some positive things that shone through; everyone that spoke truly loved their jobs. Whether it was seeing their words in print, or dealing with high-profile clients, or simply being busy and thriving on the fast pace of the industry, they reiterated, ‘it’s a great job, and now is a great time to be in it.’ They were all so friendly, and spoke of amazing career progression – work hard, and you can be an account manager within a few years. They showed us some amazingly clever and well executed campaigns, and explained how to deal with a PR crisis – horsemeat, anyone? And most importantly, we were given a few tips on breaking in:

-          Work experience is everything, even for a few weeks. Get as much experience as you can.

-          Research each company you apply for and don’t think that a CV designed for PR will be a ‘one-size fits all’.

-          Read PR publications (PR Week, the Holmes Report etc) to stay informed.

-          Understand social media as a PR tool, but be aware of how you come across online – employers do check Facebook and Twitter.

-          Make a good first impression; address your cover letter and CV to the correct person, check for spelling mistakes, arrive ten minutes before an interview, smile and be polite to the receptionist.

-          Once you’ve got a job; work hard, be enthusiastic and remember no job is too small.

PR as a career is challenging. If you’ve got great interpersonal skills, good writing ability and a pro-active attitude with smart time management, the rest can be learnt on the job. The rewards are amazing, and after the initial shock, a career in PR began to look better and better. It may be that my skills suit copywriting or journalism more, as there are still aspects of PR that seem daunting but it was only through exploring PR that I know what it entails and understand how it might fit in with my future. My advice to anyone unsure of where they’re going is, look into as many different careers as you can; the more you know, the more likely you’ll find the one that really suits you

 

Olivia, Final Year Theology student

Networking – A Second Year shares his experience

Networking can be a daunting concept. On the 11th of February, I went to a PRCA (Public Relations Consultants Association) event in Manchester. At the event there were a number of speakers from top public relations agencies across the UK. As a second-year Business Management with Communications student with a keen interest in a career in public relations, this was a fantastic opportunity for me to network with established PR professionals.

Throughout the event, the professionals lectured on the best ways to break into the industry and the do’s and don’ts of applying for PR jobs. By listening with interest to what they had to say and making notes on their names, the companies that they worked for and their backgrounds, I hoped to find conversation starters for when I went to speak to them. Knowing who you are talking to and a bit about their background is essential when networking, as people are far more likely to engage with someone who is well-informed than someone who hasn’t done their homework.

When it comes to networking, confidence is key. If you have a lot to talk about and appear genuinely interested in the conversation, it is much easier to network productively. At this particular event, there were a huge range of people in attendance, from second years like myself to Masters students and PR consultants. Surrounded by such a diverse and talented group of people, it is easy to feel nervous when approaching someone for a conversation. But at the end of the day, no matter what anyone has achieved, they are still just people and are always willing to talk to you if you make an effort!

I learned a lot about the industry and how to network effectively that day and my proudest achievement was gaining a contact at Weber Shandwick, the largest PR agency in the world. I went to speak to their representative and chatted to him about what he had to say when he was presenting to the audience, before talking about myself and my interest in PR. I ended up getting his business card and he told me that I could send him my CV and a cover letter with a view to gaining some work experience with the company. In this respect, networking opens the door to a number of opportunities and when sending in an application, it is always better to address an enquiry to a specific member of the company.

From my experience that day, I’d say there are a few essentials when it comes to networking. If you are looking to gain a proper contact with a view to earning some work experience, then definitely try to find a conversation inroad with the person you are aiming to speak to. This can be done by researching them online beforehand (LinkedIn is great for this) or by making notes on what they say during an event. As well as this, it is vital to be confident when approaching a person and have a short ‘elevator pitch’ with which you can sell your most important attributes and achievements, so that you can show them why they should be interested in talking to you. I’d also advise prioritising the people that you want to speak to the most; there were a large number of professionals in attendance at the event, with only short breaks in which we could chat with them. And conversations, if you have a lot to talk about, take longer than you think- so you may not have time to speak to everyone!

Remember, some people won’t have the confidence to go and speak to professionals in this way and so by just making a small effort, you can gain a lot from a short conversation. It is not being too bold to ask them about internship or work experience opportunities with their company, so long as you seem like you know what you are talking about and have researched the company that you are speaking to. Asking a person if you can connect with them on LinkedIn, or follow their Twitter handle, can be very beneficial as it gives you a way of contacting them in the future. Networking really isn’t as daunting as it can seem at first if you just treat it as a professional conversation and it is important not to be put off by the status of the person you want to speak to!

Happy networking!