CV Writing Workshop LM10596 Designed by Learning Materials

CV Writing Workshop Aims and Objectives Aim: To equip students with the background and theory to effective CV writing so that they can produce a quality, industry targeted CV. Objectives: By the end of the session, students will be able to: Understand the current labour market needs with regards CVs. Identify common CV writing mistakes. Identify which style of CV to use for specific approaches. Understand the STAR formula. Know what to write in a personal profile.

The Employer Review site’s report Why is hiring taking longer? shows that the average UK job application took 28.6 days to process in 2014, up from just 14 days in 2010.Why is hiring taking longer? On average businesses spend £5,433 on logistical costs, with the following factors contributing: Hiring temporary workers before the replacement starts: £3,618 Management time spent interviewing candidates: £767 Recruitment agency fees: £454 Advertising the new role: £398 HR time spent processing replacement: £196 Companies are therefore looking for faster, quicker and more cost effective ways of recruiting and selecting. Sources: HR Review: Personnel Today: Some Useful Background

So How Is That Affecting the Recruitment Market? Large companies are turning to ‘Applicant Tracking Systems’ (Software that uses algorithms to filter out the candidates not suitable) so your CV isn’t even read by a human in some cases. Online games and quizzes (Psychometric evaluations) are replacing application forms and CVs for some companies. The only data you are entering is contact details and qualifications, otherwise the tests do the rest! Smaller companies are still using recruitment agents to manually sift applications. Your CV is read by a human, which has its benefits (people can ‘read between the lines’) but also leaves you open to bias and prejudice. Some smaller organisations (especially construction and land based firms) may rely on word of mouth so your CV is less crucial but still needs to ‘do the business.’ Sources:

How Have CVs Changed Because of This? No longer one CV fits all approach. Each application requires a slightly different version of your CV. For electronic applications and CV uploads, ‘buzz words’ from the advertisement and person specification are a ‘must’ as these will be what the algorithms are looking for. It is no longer okay to just tell the recruiter your job functions or experiences, you need evidence of your skills and achievements, especially if you are entering a competitive market place.

What Should Your CV Contain? Contact Details (with a sensible, professional address!) Profile Statement. Key Skills and Achievements. Qualifications and Training. Work Experience / Employment History. Hobbies and Interests. References (if applicable or ‘references available on request’). CVs can be one or two pages, depending how much content you have. CVs should preferably be written in third person to avoid the repetition of ‘I have’ and to reduce word count (no narrative needed).

CV Writing Mistakes Things to avoid: Plagiarism. Being negative about something you don’t have or can’t offer. Lying. Over explaining gaps or changes in role/course. Being vague. Repetition. Poor spelling/grammar. Too much or too little information. Unprofessional addresses.

CV Styles and Formats Educationally Led Use when you have very little practical experience but plenty of qualifications, academic achievements and knowledge to sell. Ideal for applying to graduate schemes, internships, apprenticeships and for agency approaches. Skills Led (or Functional) Use when you have plenty of work experience/practical experience to back up your qualifications but very little ‘paid’ employment history. Ideal for applying for that first role as it disguises the fact you may have built your experience on voluntary work. Good for adapting to include buzz words. Chronological Use when you have lots of employment history / work experience as well as qualifications and training. Ideal for agency approaches and for moving from job to job within one industry. Good for adapting to include buzz words.

Educationally Led CV

Skills Led (Functional CV)

Chronological CV

S.T.A.R. To ensure your CV has a competitive edge, don’t just tell your recruiter your duties and responsibilities. In the main body of your CV you should tell your recruiter what you did, how you did and what you achieved. S ituation – what is the background to your example? T ask – what were you tasked with doing? A ction – what action did you take or skills did you use? R esult – what was the outcome or benefit of your task?

S.T.A.R. Example “As part of the RSPB’s National Bird Watch Week, co-ordinated a team of volunteers to watch and observe the birds found in their own back gardens. Guided volunteers on what to look for, what to do if they saw a rare species and collated all the data on return, which helped to identify patterns and trends in the area, contributing to the RSPB national picture.”

Personal Profile Try writing your personal profile last, once you have written the main body of the CV, then you will know what you want to introduce. Use your Profile Statement as a sort of ‘introduction’ to your skills and experiences. Profile Statements should be: A short paragraph introducing your skills, strengths, background and experiences. Career focused (not life focused). Specific and bespoke to each application. Not about what you are looking for, more about what you can offer.

Any Other CV Questions? Do you want to ask anything about CV writing that hasn’t been covered in today’s workshop? If you need specific help with putting your first CV draft together, you can see the Learning Advisors in the LRC, speak to your course Tutor or Course Manager, or book an appointment with the Careers Education Officer Useful websites: