by Lis McGuire | Mar 28, 2014 | Career change tips, Cover letter tips, CV tips, Job transition advice, News
This morning I received a little tweet from @GuardianCareers that resulted in a huge smile:
Guardian Careers tweet about Giraffe CVs
Giraffe CVs have been recommended by Guardian Careers as one of their top 10 experts on Twitter to help you get ahead with your career. Having searched for advisors who are ‘leading the careers conversation and who dish out top advice’, Guardian Careers named Giraffe CVs along with nine other careers experts who made the grade. Read the full article here.
We are truly delighted to be featured on the Guardian website. What a fantastic start to the weekend!
by Lis McGuire | Aug 27, 2013 | Career change tips, CV tips, News
Are you writing your own CV, but not sure how to play your cards right?
Read these top tips to write an ace CV which trumps the competition and enables you to secure that all-important interview.
Organise your hand
Just as when you are playing a card game, one of the first things to do when writing your CV is to organise your hand.
In a card game, once you have been dealt your cards, it is good practice to file hearts with hearts, diamonds with diamonds, clubs with clubs and spades with spades. This brings clarity to your game, and the same is true of an organised structure in your CV.
Set out clear, well defined sections (for example, Profile, Objective, Key Skills, Experience, Education/Training, Additional Skills) which will enable you to organise your skills and experience in a logical way. This will make it easier for you in writing your CV and easier for the recruiter who is reading your CV.
Learn to play the hand you’ve been dealt
No-one can honestly claim that they’re perfect in every way, which means that you’re in the majority if there are aspects of your career that you’re unhappy with mentioning on your CV. This could be a period of unemployment, illness, a job you took which represented a step back or time spent in temporary contracts when you were seeking a permanent role.
Even if you feel that the deck has been stacked against you, don’t overplay it. I’m not advising you cover it up, but you don’t need to pour out your woes on your CV. My advice is to lay your cards on the table, simply stating the facts and no more. Call a spade a spade and be done with it. As they say: once you’ve accepted your flaws, no one can use them against you.
In many cases, an element which is causing you worry won’t cause the recruiter to bat an eyelid. Life happens. If your skills and experience are the right match, most will be more interested in what happens next.
Never bluff
If you are someone who likes to ‘play their cards close to their chest’, you may be tempted to leave off an element of your career history that you are uncomfortable with or you may decide to take credit for something that wasn’t really your achievement. After all, who is going to call your bluff?
The saying goes that ‘the truth will out’ and, certainly, building a CV that omits key facts or includes untruths can lead to a ‘house of cards’ effect.
Don’t be tempted to fudge your dates or embellish the facts, it will leave you with a residual worry that at any time your house of cards may topple and fall. Honesty is always the best policy.
Jack of all trades?
Some people show a tendency to ‘hedge their bets’ when writing their CV. These people aim for a generic overview which may catch the eye of many and open up a new opportunity, rather than a tailored CV which will definitely appeal to one specific target.
If you show yourself as a jack of all trades, chances are that the recruiter may see you as a master of none. Safe in the knowledge that you have many strings to your bow, you can afford to target and tailor your CV to each opportunity. Although it may be more time-consuming, it’s worth doing to get that all important first foot through the door.
How to play when you are holding all the cards
You’ve got great experience, your skills are exactly what the recruiter is looking for and you are pretty sure you are a cultural fit too. But does this jump out at the recruiter when they are reading your CV?
Even if you are fortunate enough to be holding all the aces, it is still important to plan your strategy to ensure your CV doesn’t get lost in the shuffle.
I have seen CVs written by individuals with FANTASTIC experience, yet the wording and presentation of their CV lets them down. Your CV must convey your skills, expertise and experience in a professional, written, well-structured and visually appealing way. If you don’t do this, someone else with a sharper CV may get the interview you deserve.
“A great social success is a pretty girl who plays her cards as carefully as if she were plain.”
Anything you can do to make it easier for the recruiter will pay dividends. As a minimum:
– Capture the interest of your target recruiter by tailoring your CV in light of identified job requirements, selecting and highlighting relevant experience and skills
– Use a structured and focused format with well-defined sections so that the recruiter can easily find the information they need
– Use clear, consistent formatting that doesn’t distract from the content (font size, type face, alignment etc.)
– Present your CV with enough white space to make it easy on the eye
Don’t be afraid to change suits
Things change. Your aspirations change, the market changes, your skills change as they evolve. So why would your CV stay the same?
The ground is continuously moving under our feet, whether we are propelling ourselves forward or being carried along by the tide. As such, you cannot afford for your CV to be a static document – it needs to be regularly updated and rebranded to encapsulate your ‘here and now’. And if that means a restructure, refocus or complete rewrite, then so be it.
Keep a card up your sleeve
If you are struggling to decide how much detail to give on your CV, then bear in mind the tactics used by professional card players. These players give just enough away to reel their competitors in, so that they are encouraged to engage and place their bets. Your CV should strive for the same, to reel in the recruiter so that they want to meet you and find out more. State your skills, experience and achievements on your CV, by all means, but when assessing whether to include the finer details, think to yourself ‘Does the recruiter need to know this now?’ If not, you can probably wait until the interview to explain further.
“Life is like a game of cards. The hand you are dealt is determinism; the way you play it is free will.”
If you feel like a novice or a bit rusty when it comes to how best present the hand you’ve been dealt, contact us at enquiries@giraffecvs.co.uk for our expert advice.
by Lis McGuire | Jul 30, 2013 | Career change tips, CV tips, Graduate CV tips, News
If you think you are nearly there with your CV, then well done – we know it’s not easy!
Why not use these 25 questions as a simple sanity checklist to shape your final edit?
Have you written your CV with your target audience’s needs in mind?
Do the format, layout, content and key messages reflect the interests and mindset of the person likely to read it?
Who does your CV say you are? Ask a friend without disclosing your aspired identity.
Is it clear what your objective is in submitting the CV?
Can your target audience easily spot what your main selling points and experience are?
Is your CV attention-grabbing, reflecting the short amount of time the recruiter has to consider it?
Is the most important and relevant information for this particular opportunity there on the first page?
Does your experience section clearly identify the value you can bring through tangible results and quantifiable achievements, rather than dull descriptions of duties?
Does your CV represent YOUR achievements, or are you hiding behind what you did as a team?
Are your accountabilities and deliverables factual, concise and clear for each of your roles?
Are you confident discussing each point at interview?
Does your CV talk the recruiter’s language in terms of keywords?
Are there any mistakes in your spelling, grammar or punctuation?
Is it an easy read, both in terms of skim reading and reading it in-depth?
Does it contain any irrelevant information?
Does your content flow?
Are there any inconsistencies that don’t add up?
Do all your dates stack up?
Are there any information gaps that leave readers guessing?
Are any gaps explained in a concise and factual way?
Is your tone confident or are there any doubting demons lurking on your two pages?
It is two pages, right?!
Is the formatting consistent and appealing, making your CV easy to read?
Are there any layout inconsistencies that will distract the reader from your key messages?
Is your file saved in a format that the recruiter can open?
If you’ve answered yes to all of these questions, it sounds like you’ve done a great job!
If you need any help with your CV please contact us at enquiries@giraffecvs.co.uk.
by Lis McGuire | Jul 8, 2013 | Career change tips, CV tips, Graduate CV tips, News
Who does your CV say you are?
Does it reflect who you want to be?
Print a copy of your CV. Now turn your printed version over, so the text faces down onto your desk or table. Now think about what your CV should be saying about you. Turn your CV over and imagine you are a recruiter, giving your CV a cursory once-over to decide whether you are a good match for their recruitment requirements.
Are you making it easy for them? In the space of a few seconds, can you pull out the keywords from your CV that will signify a strong match to your target job?
If not, then here are a few strategies which can make all the difference.
Headline and Profile
Your headline and profile are of key importance to position yourself in the reader’s mind.
Using a headline at the top of your CV is a good tactic to say confidently who you are. Before the profile, state clearly your professional moniker; an overarching description that confirms to the reader from the outset that it is worth their while to continue reading your CV.
The headline is becoming a more popular feature on CVs, both on and off-line. LinkedIn, for example, asks its users to add a headline to their online profile, giving examples such as: Experienced Transportation Executive, Web Designer and Information Architect and Visionary Entrepreneur and Investor.
Don’t feel compelled to define yourself by your current job title, especially if it is too specific, simply bizarre or may even be unrecognisable to the recruiter.
One approach to writing a headline is to take an objective look at what you have achieved over your career to date and use this insight to define yourself. If you’ve worked in roles as a receptionist, office administrator and clerical officer (in the days when that was a popular job title,) you could consider describing yourself as an Office Support Professional, for example.
Avoid tongue-in-cheek descriptions like ‘Technical Evangelist’ or ‘Director of First Impressions’– the reader may not take them in the spirit intended and just think you have an overinflated ego.
One simple way to position yourself as a ‘fit’ for the role is to describe yourself in the terms used by your target employer. If they are seeking a Business Development Manager, but your current role is actually Head of New Sales, I don’t see it as a problem to describe your role using their language. You can reflect their terminology in your headline and profile and reference your actual job title in your Experience section.
Key Skills
I recommend using a Key Skills section immediately after the Profile, incorporating snappy two to three word bullets which describe the transferable business skills (New Business Development, for example), rather than soft skills (Communication Skills), you can bring to your target employer.
Ideally these should reflect the skills outlined in the target job advert, description and person specification.
This section which can be skim-read very easily is a godsend to the recruiter who needs to quickly locate the words that enable them to tick, tick, tick the boxes.
Experience/Employment Sections
Highlight your relevant experience, the experience that best matches the requirements of the target job, on page one of your CV. You can call it out in a Relevant Experience section, with Other Experience to follow. This tactic can make all the difference to whether your CV gets through the initial screening process.
If any of your job titles have been very specialised or specific to your organisation, consider using a more generic and recognisable job title in its place on your CV. Many recruiters are scanning CVs using specialist software which picks up on certain keywords, so it is important to reference those keywords.
If your CV could speak, it should be saying, “YES! I AM your perfect match. Pick ME! Pick ME!” Just give it the right language, tone and fluency of delivery and let it talk your way into an interview.
Written by Lis McGuire
Lis McGuire is a professional CV writer at Giraffe CVs. She has 15 years of experience gained delivering interview-winning CVs and cover letters for professionals at all levels, helping individuals to stand out from the crowd in a highly competitive job market. You can find her on Google+, Twitter and Facebook.
by Lis McGuire | Jul 1, 2013 | Career change tips, CV tips, Graduate CV tips, News
Writing your own CV can cause a headache, so I thought I’d share my A to Z of hints, tips and tricks of the trade to make your task easier. Happy writing!
A is for Achievements.
Make your career achievements SMART wherever possible – Specific, Measurable, Action Orientated, Realistic and Time-Based – detailing for example the amount of money you saved, the size of budget you handled, the number of clients you served, over what specific time period and with what benefit to the organisation as a whole. For instance, it’s easy to state you have experience in sales, but employers will take more note if you say you were responsible for a 10% growth in overall sales over a six month period.
B is for the Basics.
Check, check and check again for spelling, grammar and punctuation. Don’t rely just on spell check, as this will not pick up real words which have been used in error (for example man instead of main). A CV with these basic errors can ruin your chances of selection, making it easy for another candidate with similar skills and a word perfect CV to be picked over and above you.
C is for Curriculum Vitae.
The abbreviation CV stands for Curriculum Vitae and the plural is Curricula Vitae, although this term is often misspelled as Curriculum Vita or even Curiculum Vitae. Some people call their version of this document a résumé, which is a French word meaning “summary.” The phrase Curriculum Vitae is a Latin term for “course of life”. A Curriculum Vitae in today’s world is defined as “a summary of your academic and work history” however, at Giraffe CVs we see your CV as your personal marketing tool which demonstrates your skills, experience and achievements in an easy to read document.
D is for Details.
Avoid including irrelevant details such as your height, weight, date of birth, gender, marital status, primary school education, religious affiliation or sexual orientation.
E is for Email.
Consider replacing your email address with something more grown up if your current one is silly, wacky or just plain inappropriate. It’s important to give a professional impression from the outset.
F is for (F) or Fail.
My advice is actually not to include qualification grades on your CV. You will give a better impression of your academic qualifications by simply stating you have 3 A Levels rather than A Level History (C), A Level English (D) and A Level Geography (E). At this stage your target is to be asked to an interview. You need the reader to be interested enough to want to meet you, and as such it is important that your CV does not rule you out.
I often find this with Bachelor degrees: recruiters may make the decision to cull their enormous pile of CV applications by ditching those with a lower second class degree (2:2) or Desmond as it is sometimes affectionately known. The exceptions to this rule would be if all of your grades are consistently fantastic or if you have been specifically asked to include your grades by your target employer.
G is for Gap Year.
If you are a recent graduate who has taken time out before throwing themselves headlong into their career, this experience needs to be presented in an appropriate manner on your CV. If you worked during this time, whether in a paid or unpaid capacity, then you should highlight the experience and transferrable skills you gained through this experience. Give precise details of the organisation you worked for, your role, dates of employment and relevant achievements. Later in your career, a gap year can be line itemised, as with other earlier work experience, since more recent and heavyweight experience takes precedence.
H is for Housewife.
Finding a new job can seem like a daunting and even overwhelming prospect when you have taken a short or extended career break to raise your family. In our experience, a lack of self confidence is the biggest single hurdle in achieving new employment after a career break. Many of our customers who are returning to work after a break no longer believe in their own abilities and find it hard to see what they can offer to a new employer. It is easy to get bogged down in explaining away several years out of the workplace, focusing on making excuses rather than drawing out the positive.
Although you have had a period away from paid employment, your short or long term absence from work is likely to have changed you as a person, adding to your overall life experience. Whether you have opted out of paid employment in order to raise your family, taken maternity leave to have a baby, been made redundant or taken a career sabbatical to pursue other interests, there is no reason to feel guilty or attempt to cover up your absence from work. Consider the transferable knowledge and experience you have developed during a career break which would be appealing to a potential employer. Desirable workplace competencies such as organisation, administrative skills, marketing, fundraising, event organisation and team work can be developed through voluntary roles, personal projects, travel experiences and outside interests.
I is for Irrelevant Information.
Leave off any irrelevant awards and achievements, listing everything can make candidates seem immature. Leaving some detail off your CV gives you new information to add at an interview.
J is for Job Titles.
If your job title is very specialised or specific to your organisation, consider using a more generic and recognisable job title on your CV. Many recruiters are scanning CVs using specialist software which picks up on certain keywords, so it is important to reference those keywords. At Giraffe CVs we make sure your CV is looked at rather than overlooked.
K is for Karate.
Should you include hobbies and interests on your CV? If you are a school leaver, recent graduate or young professional who needs a bit of ‘padding’ to enhance your CV, then maybe. If you have a lot more experience under your belt, then hobbies and interests should only be referenced if they are relevant to your career or if they add a genuine ‘interest’ factor to your CV. I recently worked on a CV for someone who was a keen photographer, and this was featured under Additional Information referencing an up to date online portfolio of his work.
L is for LinkedIn.
Once you have a CV you are proud of, consider uploading it to LinkedIn. Using social and business networking tools in the right way can help you maximise your exposure when searching for a new role. Headhunters, recruiters and internal HR Managers all use LinkedIn to source quality candidates. Include a concise and interesting overview of your career to date and preferred future direction and you may be surprised at the responses you get. Your existing contacts may be unaware of your background and skill base – once they read what you have to offer they may be able to help directly with your job search or pass your details on to someone who can assist. A well written profile which uses relevant key phrases will ensure key organisations are able to find your details through their searches, giving you access to a wide range of job opportunities. In addition, employers are now using networking sites such as LinkedIn to find out more information about individuals before recruiting them.
M is for Motivation.
If you are just starting your career journey, recruiters will be keen to understand what drives you to pursue your chosen career. Make sure your CV conveys your passion and interest for the area you plan to work in. This can be illustrated through your elected degree modules, work placements, voluntary work and other interests. Demonstrate your motivation by detailing any key experience which has developed and used the skills which will be relevant to your desired job.
N is for Name.
Should you use your abbreviated name on a CV, for example Nick rather than Nicholas? I advise using your professional moniker, the name that you are most comfortable with in the workplace. Whether it’s the long or short version, as long as you are consistent it won’t matter. As a general rule of thumb, leave middle names out though, it just adds something else to read, something else to remember.
O is for Objective.
Including an objective can sometimes be limiting on a speculative CV, in that it may rule you out for opportunities in wider roles or fields. However, if you have a structured career path or are certain about your career goals then it can add focus to your CV. If you are going to include an objective on your CV then it should come after the profile. Outline in one or two lines your objective for applying to the target organisation in the context of your overall career ambitions, skills and experience.
P is for Profile.
Include a targeted, concise and well written profile to illustrate your skills, experience and future potential to prospective employers. This paragraph should sum you up as an individual, detailing what you have to offer and what motivates you within your chosen career. Your profile should make it easy for employers to see what your main selling points and experience are.
Q is for Questions.
Try to anticipate questions you may be asked about your specific roles and achievements within an interview context. This exercise may actually help you to edit a lengthy CV to the required two pages as you can assess what needs to be included to whet the reader’s appetite and what detail you could add at interview to showcase your experience and expertise.
R is for Reasons for leaving previous employment.
Don’t include reasons for leaving any of your previous jobs in your CV. Although honesty is the best policy, you should leave explaining this until you are asked. This information doesn’t add anything to your CV, it can come across negatively and can take up valuable space which you could be using to sell your key attributes.
S is for Salutation.
Beginning your cover letter with Dear Sir, Dear Madam or — worst of all — Dear Sir or Madam tells the recipient that you did not care enough to find out his or her name. It only takes a phone call or a quick Internet search to get the name of the person to whom you are writing. Don’t miss the opportunity to make your first impression a positive one. Get the name and spell it right.
If you are going to start your cover letter with Dear Sir / Madam remember to sign the letter ‘yours faithfully’ as you can only be sincere if you know the person’s name!
T is for Typeface.
Use black type and an easily legible simple font like Arial, Tahoma or Verdana on your CV, they are easier to read than the old fashioned or wacky alternatives.
U is for Unfinished Courses.
Clients often ask whether they should include incomplete courses or qualifications on their CV. The answer is sometimes yes
and sometimes no. By omitting several years of your life history you can leave a telling gap, sometimes it’s best to outline simply and clearly that you studied two out of the three years of your degree course and be ready to explain what happened at interview. In many cases, an individual’s consequent professional experience is much more valuable to employers than an unfinished qualification. Don’t necessarily feel that you should try to edge this experience under the carpet. Honesty is the best policy, and this experience is part of your life’s rich tapestry.
V is for Voluntary Work.
Any work experience (paid or unpaid) will boost your CV if it is of interest to a potential employer. You can use voluntary experience to illustrate transferrable skills which will be useful to your target employer, even if it is not directly relevant to your chosen field. Within each role try to illustrate key competencies such as customer service, team work, communication and interpersonal skills, organisation, time management and the ability to learn quickly and work hard. Your CV will be more compelling if you can evidence your claims with specific examples of what you did and the benefits of your actions.
Something to consider: you can break your experience down into relevant and other work experience, with relevant experience featuring first on your CV.
W is for We.
Some people have a tendency towards expressing their achievements within a group context. Your CV is not the right place for this behaviour. Your CV is your place to shine, for your skills, qualities and individual achievements. So please don’t credit others on your CV, just state what you have personally achieved, truthfully, clearly and succinctly.
X is for XXXXXX
Try not to leave information gaps that leave readers guessing.
Y is for Yellow.
Don’t use yellow paper when printing your CV. Or pink, or striped or spotted. Print and present your CV on two sheets of high quality 100gsm white or off-white paper.
Z is for ZZZZZZZZZZ.
Remember your CV is your personal sales brochure – it should be easy to read, interesting, and memorable. Your most relevant experience, qualifications and skills must feature on page one of your CV. The harsh reality is that it is likely to end up in the bin if it does not grab the reader’s attention within the first few seconds.
by Lis McGuire | Jun 23, 2013 | Career change tips, CV tips, News
Photo by Gemma McGuire
Finding a new job can seem like a daunting and even overwhelming prospect when you are currently out of work.
In our experience, a lack of self-confidence is the biggest single hurdle in achieving new employment after a career break. Many of our customers, who are returning to work after a break, no longer believe in their own abilities and find it hard to see what they can offer to a new employer. It is easy to get bogged down in explaining away several years out of the workplace, focusing on making excuses rather than drawing out the positive.
Let’s liken these inner demons to the troll who lives under the bridge in the tale of the Three Billy Goats Gruff. You can either listen to your doubts, or charge them down like the third goat in the story, who crosses the bridge and gains access to the greener grass beyond.
Whether you have taken a short or extended career break, have recently been made redundant or have been unemployed for a while, a well written and well presented CV is an essential tool to raise your confidence and get you back to work.
So, how should you best go about writing one?
Sink or swim
The most important thing to bear in mind when writing any CV is that it needs to demonstrate how you meet the requirements of the role. Imagine the recruiter sitting with a checklist in one hand and your CV in another.
Does your CV make it easy for them to tick off their list?
Does it demonstrate you are able and willing to do the job?
If you write your CV with the recruiter’s needs in mind, you will be one step further to ensuring your CV is shortlisted.
Be buoyant about what you achieved before your career break
Although you have taken time out from your career, don’t be tempted to undersell your experience and skill base. Be proud of what you have achieved so far and make sure this comes across in a positive way on your CV. You may be more experienced than other candidates applying for a desired role, even though your experience isn’t totally current.
A good tactic is to imagine that you are actually still in your last role and draw on that positivity to make your skills and achievements stand out loud and proud. If your last relevant role was a few years ago, and you’ve had other jobs in between, you could present your most relevant experience up front, on the first page, with a ‘Relevant Experience’ section and one on ‘Other Experience’ to follow.
Be buoyant about the skills and experience you gained through your career break
A career break can be a very positive experience which enhances your CV.
Before you begin writing your CV, take some time out to consider the transferable knowledge and experience you have developed during a career break, which would be appealing to a potential employer.
Desirable workplace competencies such as organisation, administrative skills, marketing, fundraising, event organisation and team work can be developed through voluntary roles, personal projects, travel experiences and outside interests.
Whether you’ve been a member of a PTA committee, have an active involvement in local community events or have recently returned from a personal travel experience, you will have used a number of skills which may be relevant to your desired job.
It is essential to look objectively at what you have achieved, draw out the skills which are relevant to your desired job or sector, and present your message in a clear way to maximise your chances of selection.
Recognise what you have to offer and then SELL IT!
Don’t burn your bridges by using ambiguous explanations
It is important to be clear about the reasons for your career break. A cloak and dagger approach could leave the recruiter’s imagination running wild with potential reasons for your leave of absence, with ‘detention at Her Majesty’s pleasure’ among the possibilities that spring to mind. With a pile of applications to evaluate, recruiters are likely to discard any CVs that raise questions and hint at issues in favour of those that read like an open book and tick all the boxes.
If you are currently unemployed and seeking a return to work, one option is to outline your career break in your Objective section, to be included straight after your Profile. For example:
Having enjoyed a rewarding career break during which I took time out to look after my children, I am now seeking a new and challenging role to recommence my career. I am keen to use the highly transferable skills and experience I have developed through my career to date and through various voluntary activities.
If your career break was a while ago, you can simply list it in one line as part of your employment history. There’s no need to make a song and dance about something that can now be considered as ‘water under the bridge’ – long winded explanations can lead you to dig holes that are hard to climb out of.
A simple and clear one-line explanation is best. Further explanation may be required at interview, but the purpose of the CV is to pique the reader’s interest sufficiently that they want to find out more.
Further explanation?
Well – you can cross that bridge when you come to it.
