1. CVs for Geographers Andrew Falconer

2. An effective CV Recruitment context Principles of effective CVs Covering letters

3. What is a CV for ? Marketing document Career overview To show you have the relevant skills, qualities, experience & motivation for the post To present an accurate and positive picture of yourself To get an interview!

4. What do I need to know ? Who is going to read it? What are they looking for? Do I have what they need?

5. Sell me.....

6. Give the employer what they want! Read the job description Read the person specification Know the company and its market Identify what they need and where you can fit it.

7. What are they looking for ? Travel & Expedition Writer Bachelors degree – preferably in English, Marketing, Geography or Politics Female preferred Church going Christian essential. Strong interest in and understanding of the hospitality and tourism sector Creativity and the ability to communicate effectively Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail Ability to prioritise a high volume of projects This is a sensitive environment. Only heterosexuals should apply. Ability to work as a member of a team, as well as with all types and levels of professional Passion for writing High level of self motivation; ability to work independently without constant supervision. Youth Desire to travel

8. And then Human Resources send you this….. Vacancy 09/03 Financial Affairs Writer CriteriaKingSaundersChungeFairsPsmith Bachelors Degree Bachelors Degree - English Bachelors Degree - Marketing Bachelors Degree - Geography Relevent work experience Commercial / Sector Awareness Creativity Communication Organisational Skills Attention to Detail Prioritise workloads Teamwork Interpersonnel Skills Passion for writing Interest in travel Score

9. The CV – True or False ? The CV must be at least 3 pages. Employers like photographs. You must include your address. CVs should contain tables and grids. Careers Advisers proof-read CVs. Hobbies should only be in the covering letter. Everyone lies on their CV!

10. CV basics CVs are full of facts Evidence = fact Fact = not an opinion Determined, creative and dedicated individual with excellent time management and organisation skills = opinion Current Geography student with experience of quantitative and qualitative research. Betty Holloway Award for Cleanliness 2011. Member of Staff / Student committee 2011 – present. = fact

11. How to make a recruiter like you 2 page maximum (UK) Use white space and make it look pretty Relevant information is easy to find. Give most space to most relevant experience

12. How to make a recruiter hate you Ramble on without tailoring the CV Misspell words Use inconsistent fonts Leave chronological gaps Generally, make them do the work

13. Basic CV structure Personal details: name, address, professional email, local telephone; nationality if international student (useful); no photo Profile: tailored to the job Education: chronologically backwards. Focus on skills with evidence, RELEVANT modules Work experience: consider RELEVANT section first; then ADDTIONAL. Include voluntary/unpaid too. Emphasise skills gained! Additional skills: hard ‘practical’ skills – IT, languages, driving license Interests: proving skills, personal qualities – give detail Referees: available on request acceptable

14. Profile Profile/objective Enthusiastic, committed and hard-working management student. Able to work alone and in teams. Committed to finding a challenging career in a growing industry. (I’m boring. I don’t know what I want and can’t be bothered to find out. I want you to help me figure out my life.)

15. Profile Profile/objective Geography student from Royal Holloway University of London with experience in eco-tourism research gained from internships with lastminute.com and i-Travel. Social Media officer for Royal Holloway Bears sports societies.

16. Profile Profile/objective - Marketing and management student with strong academic prowess. - Social media marketing expertise gained through formal internships and co-curricular activities. - Increased twitter followers for sports society by 300% over five months.

17. Education Royal Holloway University of London 2010-present BSc Geography Core courses: Biogeography, Ecology & Scale of Change, Atmosphere, Oceans & the Geosphere, Introduction to human geography, Geographies of development, Geographical techniques, Geographical research & field methods, Environmental change, Biogeography, Cities: Economies and Ecologies, Tropical savannas: Ecology & management (I slept through most of these modules and I don’t know whether they’re relevant to the job or not. You figure it out.)

18. Education Royal Holloway University of London 2010 -present BSc Geography Relevant modules include: Fair Trade & Ethical Consumerism, Geographies of Travel & Tourism Independent Research: 12,000 word essay using primary sources, qualititative and quantitative research methodologies: “Impact of eco-tourism on the Arutam and Musap communities of the Amazon Basin” (2:1) Skills gained include: Leadership: as student representative, represented key issues affecting students on the staff/ student committee of 8 people. Achievements include the negotiation of a complete overhauling of class timetabling. Presentation: Delivered three 40-minute Powerpoint presentation of findings from research project to audiences of 30, including tutors and fellow students.

19. Relevant Experience Relevant Experience Lastminute.com, London July – August 2012 Eco-Tourism Marketing Intern Helped with project that looked at developing better marketing of eco-tourism. Given tasks that involved writing, research and presenting. (Nice, but a bit bland.)

20. Relevant Experience Work experience/ Employment history Lastminute.com, London July – August 2012 Eco-Tourism Marketing Intern Contributed to company’s first eco-tourism social media marketing initiative. Conducted one month solo qualitative research project among site users. Piloted targeted adverts through LinkedIn. Wrote 10,000 word report, the highlights of which I presented to four board members.

21. Relevant Experience Work experience/ Employment history Lastminute.com, LondonJuly – August 2012 Eco-Tourism Marketing Intern Persuaded….. Researched….. Negotiated…. Managed…. Presented…. Initiated…. Created….

22. Power Words Use these active verbs and adverbs to communicate positively. Achieve Analyse Build Communicate Collaborate Compose Coordinate Establish Experience Implement Lead Manage Motivate Negotiate Participate Research Responsible Strengthen

23. Additional Skills Additional skills Languages: fluent in Hindi and Spanish. Speak conversational French. IT: Microsoft Office packages: Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Access. Additional skills in Dreamweaver and Java.

24. Interests Music: regularly attend the Royal Holloway college choir, and play in a local orchestra Dance: salsa, ballet and hip-hop Financial news: regularly read the Economist and the Financial Times Sports: member of Egham cricket club

25. Alternative CVs

26. Summary

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