1. COM 417 http://careers.ulster.ac.uk

2. Learning Outcomes At the end of this session you will be able to:  Understand where you lost marks in your CV and Covering Letter  Prepare for interviews

3. CV Sheets returned. Scheme based on your School’s placement form  Personal details  Home Address & Term Address – give dates  Career Objective - no more than 30 words  Education - degree first, reverse order  IT Skills - Operating systems, Development languages, Applications  Work Experience - give dates and use bullet points, reverse order  Interests and Achievements – Use dates and organise in bullet points  Additional Information – to strengthen your case  Two Referees – One must be your studies adviser

4. You’ve Got 30 Seconds! Your CV should be like a good 30 second TV advertisement

5. The Best Job In the World

6. Personal Details Name – centre and bold, font size 14 Address, home and term if applicable Telephone numbers Email address if hotmail be careful what you use Date of birth? optional

7. Career Objective  Many employers and recruiters like to see a personal profile or summary on a CV.  It is not essential, but it can help demonstrate that you are focused (as long as you are).  The section should be short and concise: three lines is about the right length.  It should clarify your career plan and/or highlight your key qualities.

8. Examples  I am a highly motivated, confident and enthusiastic computing student with an aptitude for programming and excellent team skills. I am seeking a stimulating and challenging placement job as a junior Software Engineer where I can contribute the theoretical knowledge that I gained during my two years at university.  A highly motivated and enthusiastic person, I would welcome the opportunity of working in the challenging environment of a dynamic and expanding softward engineering company.

9. Education  Reverse chronological order  Mention where you are studying and the title of your degree  Mention and describe projects/ and assignments Don’t go further back than GCSEs or Leaving Cert

10. Skills Profile  Operating Systems: Unix, Windows XP  Development Languages: JAVA, C++, SQL, VB, PHP, Java Script  Applications: Microsoft Office, Dreamweaver  Other skills to add could be foreign languages, skills gained through work, ie basic hygiene, training in sales …

11. Work Experience  Reverse chronological order  Separate relevant experience if necessary  Responsibilities, duties and results  Skills acquired – be specific  Equipment/techniques used  Include placement, part-time, vacation and voluntary work

12. Achievements / Interests  Extra curricular activities  Prizes, responsibilities  Sports activities  Activities within teams  Positions of responsibility  Voluntary work

13. Interests/Achievements  This section provides you with an opportunity to sell yourself using information outside your employment and other work experience.  You can create subdivisions within it. For example, academic achievements such as prizes; sporting achievements; memberships of clubs and societies.  Explain to the employer how these achievements make you a desirable candidate. For example, you may be a member of the local rowing club but might also act as treasurer, which is a position of responsibility and involves organisational and money handling skills.

14. Additional information  Situation (What was the context? Where were you and what were you doing?)  Task (What was your goal? What was the problem or challenge?)  Action (What action did you take? Be explicit about your role.)  Result (What was the outcome and why? What would you do differently another time?)

15. Referees  1 academic, must be a lecturer from Magee  1 work related  Give name, title, address, phone & email  Always get permission, and inform when you are using their names

16. CV – the Essentials  Be professional  Use bullet points  No more that 2 pages  Be positive  Check grammar and spelling  Do not give incorrect information

17. First Principles in CVs/Applications  Be clear  Be concise  Be complete  Be consistent  Be current