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Younger Jobseekers - CV advice

When it comes to your CV, seconds count. You have less than 30 seconds to impress and make the leap to the ‘maybe’ pile.

Daunting stuff, eh?

Especially when, as a graduate or school leaver, your years of hard slog suddenly look a little skimpy down on paper. But it’s all a matter of selling your strengths.  

A polished, professional description of your work experience, education and skills will give you the edge over the dozens of other qualified applicants and get your foot in the interview room door.

It’s the most important document you’ll produce through your career, so make sure your CV stands out with a few simple rules.

Beware bad formatting, spelling and grammar

There’s no single, perfect layout but great CVs have a few things in common. 

They are as follows: 

• Cover no more than two pages and are created in Word. 

• Avoid borders, colours, images, novelty paper and cartoon fonts like Comic Sans.  Arial, Verdana or Tahoma in font size 10 or 11 works best.

• Use headings, bullet points and short paragraphs to make it easy for recruiters and employers to scan. 

• Open with your best bits and list the most recent educational details and roles first, explaining any gaps.

• Display impeccable spelling and grammar. Don’t miss your big break because of a misspelled word. Check everything meticulously before you click ‘send’.

 Go on, sell yourself.

Keep your layout clear and concise (check out our CV templates for inspiration) and include the following:

• Contact details
• Personal statement (see below for some winning ideas) 
• Key achievements and skills

Even if you’re just starting out, you’ve already racked up a wealth of experience through school or uni projects, hobbies and extra-curricular activities. List the skills you’ve developed as a result eg.

-          Project & budget management: Treasurer of University Student Union

-          Commitment: Completed Duke of Edinburgh Award

-          IT skills: Fully proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel & PowerPoint), basic HTML 

 How have they prepared you for this role? 

Employment history

Include voluntary, work experience and temporary roles, focusing on results, rather than daily duties.

What did you achieve? How did you make a difference? Eg.

-          Responsible for co-ordinating the production of company weekly newsletter to 70,000 recipients

-          Implemented a new company filing system improving organisational efficiency

-          Delivered excellent customer service, achieving on average 115% call targets

 Education

 If you’ve earned a dazzling degree, place it centre stage at the beginning of your CV. If your work history is more impressive, lead with that instead.  

 Hobbies and interests (only if they’re relevant to the role)

References available upon request

Target and tailor

Every role has unique requirements, so sending out a one-size-fits-all CV just won’t work. With each application, review your experience – from Saturday jobs and school projects to that summer internship – and tweak your work history to prove you’re the perfect fit. The closer your skills match the job description, the closer you are to getting the job.

Put the odds in your favour by creating two or three tailored versions of your resume.

• Highlight different skills and experience on each. For example, a retail candidate might have at the ready sales, supervisor and customer services CVs.
  
  
• Remember to upload all your versions when using online jobsites to cast your net as widely as possible. 

 Write a profile that packs a punch

The personal statement is your chance to shine. You get to show off your strengths, shout about your achievements and share your career aspirations. But clutter it up with boring business speak and you end up sounding like everyone else.

Here’s how to make your profile pop:

• In 50 to 150 words, tell them who you are (education and work history), what you can offer (skills and achievements) and your career aim (what job you want).
• Banish clichés such as ‘hard worker’ and ‘works well individually or as part of a team’.
• Make it specific to the job (if you’re applying directly) or to the type or role (if you’re working on a job site or with a recruitment agency).

 Examples that sell...

“Enthusiastic school leaver with five GCSEs looking for an apprenticeship in the engineering field. Possessing good written and verbal communication and an interest in engineering which has spanned my lifetime with particular passion for electrics. For my GCSE Design & Technology project, I built a working calculator and was awarded an A*. Looking for a start in the exciting world of electrical engineering where I can learn a trade and realise a lifetime ambition.”

“As recent graduate from Durham University, with a 2:1 honours degree in media communications, I have undertaken several internships within leading organisations such as Bertelsmann and Times Warner. These placements have enabled me to develop not only specific media industry experience, but also a valuable and transferable skill set in this fast-paced sector.”

 The devil’s in the detail

Your CV is not the place to get too personal. Share your love of social media, and your would-be manager might picture you tweeting through every meeting.

Instead, include hobbies and interests that demonstrate a particular skill or are relevant to the job you’re applying for:

• Captain of school hockey team (shows leadership)
• Volunteer/community work (shows you’re proactive)
• Visiting art galleries and museums (if applying for a job in something relevant...)

Likewise, steer clear of any personal information that doesn’t impact your ability to do the job, including:

• Date of birth, marital status, number of children or religion.
• Data that could be used in identity theft such as your National Insurance number or passport number.
• A photo, unless you’ve been asked to submit one.

 Make it visible

Even the best written CV can’t do the job if no one sees it. When uploading to job sites, always select the ‘public’ or ‘visible’ option to ensure your details appear in search results.  

Including job titles and keywords from your ideal job descriptions, such as sectors, qualifications and courses, will also help get you noticed.

And remember to keep your CV updated. Recruiters often filter by the last day, week or month so make sure your resume never reaches its sell by date.

 CV templates

Graduate CV template

School leaver CV template

 

To find your next job, search and apply on Fish4jobs today. 

Younger Jobseekers - CV Template School leavers

CV Template – School Leavers  

Full name

 Address

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Don’t include date of birth, national insurance number, gender or any other personal data that is unrelated to your ability to do the job.

Personal profile            

Brief overview of who you are, your strengths and any work experience and/or temp jobs you’ve had. Include examples of responsibility eg. Team captain of the football team or organisational skills eg. Member of the school summer fair committee. Include skills you’ve gained such as time management, customer service, teamwork, computer skills etc. Also state what sort of jobs you’re looking for and why you think you’d be good at it. 

Example                                                

Motivated, hard-working former School Netball captain with eight GCSEs (grades A-C) and good literacy and numerical skills. Practical work experience in a variety of part-time and voluntary retail roles. Looking to build on my skills and experience in a full-time retail role. 

Education      

List your education first; once you have some work experience this section will move to after work experience.

Example     

• Hollyoaks College, Chester, Sept 2006 – June 2012, GCSEs: Grades A-C in English, Maths, French, Geography, Science and General Studies

Work experience   

Include any work you have undertaken, whether part-time or voluntary, highlighting your responsibilities and the skills and experience acquired. This helps demonstrate your willingness to work hard, and how the experience helped develop your skills: time management, team work, customer service. Start with your most recent first.

Examples

Volunteer, Help the Needy Charity Shop, Jan 2012 – present

Responsibilities included:

• Served customers at the till
• Accepting and sorting customer donations
• Assisted with stock replenishment

 

Part-time shop assistant, BuyLow Supermarket, June 2011 – Jan 2012

Responsibilities included:

• Gained experience in cashiering
• Responsible for the provision of in-store customer service
• Assisted with stock replenishment

 

Weekend bartender at Premier Sleep Hotel, Dec 2010 – June 2011

Responsibilities included:

• Actively involved with order taking and cashiering
• Gained experience mixing and serving drinks at the bar

Additional skills 

Include achievements that are relevant to the job you are applying for and place you in a positive light.

Examples

• IT skills: Fully proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel & PowerPoint), basic HTML
• Customer service: Retail and hospitality
• Admin: Filing, diary management

References available on request 

Don’t include names and contact details on a CV (although application forms may ask for this.) Always seek permission from a reference before passing their details on to a recruiter or potential employer. 

 

 

You can also  download this school leavers CV template here

3 costly mistakes jobseekers make on cover letters

By Mildred Talabi

What’s more important – having a good CV or a good cover letter…? The answer? Both! Cover letters are just as important as CVs because a good cover letter gets your CV through the door and a good CV then goes on to qualify you for an interview!

I fell into the world of CV writing, cover letters and career advice by “accident” while working as the assistant editor of a magazine. Back then I had to recruit people (as well as everything else) and eventually I became so appalled by the standard of applications coming in to us that I decided to set up on my own and help people in this area. That was seven years ago and unfortunately not much has changed today.

A few months ago I posted a job advert for a freelance writing position and within 48 hours of the post, I received 27 applications. Of the people vying for my attention were communication professionals, ex-journalists, experienced copywriters, even PR professionals, but the majority of the candidates were awful – I could literally count the number of quality applications on just one hand – FIVE.

The other 22 applicants made the following three costly mistakes on their cover letters, common to many jobseekers, which disqualified them from the race:

 

MISTAKE NUMBER 1: Some cover letters are too long

Did I mention I had TWENTY-SEVEN applications to go through? Admittedly, 27 is relatively small in comparison to the fact that the average employer now has to sift through approximately 70 applications for each job advertised (in fact, I spoke to a business owner last year who had to choose one new secretary for their small firm from 400 applicants).

Employers are busy – the last thing they want is to read a cover letter (or email) which goes on and on, especially where they have a lot to get through. Aim for no more than three-quarters of an A4 page (or approximately 4-5 paragraphs of text) and you should be fine.

 

MISTAKE NUMBER 2: Some cover letters are too short 

While too long is an issue that can cost you the job, a cover letter that is too short is also costly because it clearly shows you are not interested in that particular job, or that you haven’t read the job description properly (otherwise you would have a lot more to say, wouldn’t you?).

If an employer has taken the time to outline his or her requirements in a job description, the onus is on you to prove that you have what it takes for the job and your cover letter provides the perfect opportunity to communicate this. Don’t waste this valuable space by writing a simplistic statement such as, “I would like to apply for the above role – please see my attached CV”; instead you need to address the main points of the job description, pulling on examples from your CV to illustrate your suitability, before referring the employer to the rest of your CV for more details.

 

COSTLY MISTAKE NUMBER 3: Some cover letters are generic

 Of all three costly mistakes the 22 applicants made for this particular role, the worst one of all were those that submitted a cover letter that was…….generic (*sharp intake of breath*)! Generic cover letters are a big headache to employers – in fact, it is almost an insult! If you think about it, if I, as the employer, has spent considerable time carefully thinking about what I am looking for and communicating this clearly in a job advert, the least you can do as a jobseeker can do is show some equal consideration and submit a letter that is at least addressed to me.

Generic cover letters say all kinds of negative things about a jobseeker – it suggests that the person is an opportunist and someone who takes shortcuts in life; it suggests a serial jobseeker applying for any and every role and therefore wouldn’t be in the organisation for very long; but probably most damning of all, it suggests a lazy and un-driven person who can’t be bothered to write 500 or so personalised words to get a job. Which right-thinking employer would want to employ someone like that? Not many!

So next time you apply for a job, think carefully about your cover letter and make sure this sells you as well as your CV because just one of these costly mistake can prolong your job search indefinitely.

- Mildred Talabi 

 

To find your next job, search and apply on Fish4jobs today. 

 

About the Author:

Mildred Talabi is the founder of CV Makeover Expert.com and the author of 7 Keys to a Winning CV: How to create a CV that gets results. Mildred trained as a journalist and worked for various publications, including The Guardian newspaper, before “accidentally” embarking on a career in CV and career advice. Today she spends most of her time delivering career talks, seminars and workshops to students and graduates, and writing a weekly blog on career issues and job hunting tips and techniques, which you can subscribe to (for free) on her website www.mildredtalabi.com and receive a free 45-minute audio download on ‘how to land that job with a winning CV’. 

CV Dos and Don'ts for older jobseekers

Here are Fish4jobs top Do’s and Don’ts for older jobseekers when preparing your CV.

Don’t...

Include unnecessary personal data

Don’t include date of birth, marital status, children, national insurance number, gender or any other personal data that is unrelated to your ability to do the job.

List your entire work history

We recommend only including the last 10 years of employment history; recruiters and employer are interested in your recent, relevant work history.  

Leave unexplained gaps

Your CV should read as a chronological flow with any gaps accounted for; start with your most recent job and explain gaps eg. Bringing up children, caring for a relative or a career break. Unexplained gaps raise suspicions.

Reveal your age

Don’t list the years you attended school or university and remove dates from any training courses or other qualifications you’ve achieved.

 

Do...

Keep your CV to 2 pages

Stick to two pages; recruiters and employers want to see quickly how your skills and experience matches what they’re looking for. If you’re struggling to get it to two pages, remember you only need to list the last 10 years of your work experience. If you’ve only had one job in last 10 years, then you can list your previous job.

Keep your skills relevant

Experienced jobseekers will have many skills but make sure those you include in your CV are relevant to jobs you are applying for. Look at job descriptions and list the skills you have that match.

List recent achievements

Do focus on recent achievements to ensure your experience is relevant and up to date.

Target employers

Larger companies often have age quotas to fill, so it could be worth targeting those. Also consider doing interim or temporary work. Employers looking to take on contract workers value the following: experience (no learning curve); reliability; calmness under pressure; and willingness to be flexible with working hours.

Join Fish4jobs and learndirect at Youth Enterprise Live

Register FREE here

Youth Enterprise Live 2012 is a free event for 15-30 year olds, focussing on employment, education and enterprise. The show is split into four ‘Zones’– Education, Enterprise in Education, Employability and Enterprise. Each zone features free seminars, interactive workshops and companies exhibiting to assist and educate young people around each topic area. There’ll be companies and organizations on hand with advice, products and services as well as recognizable speakers from The Apprentice and the business world.   

Stand #220

Our Fish4jobs CV experts will be there with a free CV clinic, and on hand to deliver job seeking advice; everything from CV tips and interview dos and don’ts to how to manage your social media presence and using the internet in your job search. To book your free CV review, click here 

We'll be at stand 220 in the employability zone and the CV clinics will be held in CV Clinic 1 and CV Clinic 2 next to stand 220. Be sure to bring along a paper copy of your CV so we can get started on it there and then (we won’t have laptops/PCs at the event so it needs to be a hard copy).

Stand #221

You’ll also have the opportunity to meet learndirect, next door, and find out about the flexible online courses, qualifications and apprenticeships they offer to help you boost your job prospects. What’s more, their qualifications in maths, English, IT and Job seeking could be free, thanks to government funding. So there’s never been a better time to learn.

 

 

The event is sponsored by AXA Small Business Insurance who’ll be advertising their jobs for attendees to apply for directly at the show. Youth Enterprise Live offers 16-30 year olds the opportunity to visit the show for free and choose an educational route, get advice on getting work, perhaps get a job themselves at the show or even start their own business and release the potential within.

 

When: 12th October (9.00am – 5.00pm) & 13th October (9.00am – 4.00pm)

Where: London’s Earl’s Court

Register for free today at www.youthenterprise-live.co.uk

CV Template for Mature Job Seekers

Download CV Template for Mature Jobseekers

CV Template for School Leavers

We've created a CV template to help you get started with your job applications as a school leaver. 

Click here to view Fish4jobs' school leaver CV template.

Graduate CV Template

Full name

Home number
Mobile number
Email address

Don’t include date of birth, national insurance number, gender or any other personal data that is unrelated to your ability to do the job. 

Personal profile

Brief overview of who you are, your strengths and any work experience and/or temp jobs you’ve had. Include examples of responsibility eg. Team captain of the football team or organisational skills eg. Member of the school summer fair committee. Include skills you’ve gained such as time management, customer service, teamwork, computer skills etc. Also state what sort of jobs you’re looking for and why you think you’d be good at it.

Example

Recent graduate with a degree in English from Bath University. Practical work experience in both customer service and retail and as Editor of Bath University student blog and magazine. Looking to start my career in Journalism in a role where I can build on the skills gained at University and work experience.

 

Education

List your education first; once you have more work experience this section will move to after work experience.

Example

• BSc. Physics, Grade 2:2, Central Brookside University, Sept 2009 – July 2012
• A levels: English (B), Geography (C), Media (C), General Studies (D), Hollyoaks Sixth Form College, Chester, Sept 2007 – July 2009

 

Work experience

Include any work you have undertaken, whether part-time or voluntary, highlighting your responsibilities and the skills and experience acquired. This is your chance to demonstrate your willingness to work hard, and how the experience helped develop your skills: time management, team work, negotiating, organisation, customer relationship management etc. Start with your most recent first.

Example

Work experience: Accounts Assistant, Goliath National Bank, June 2011 – Sept 2011

Three months in the Accounts department of a major high street bank.

Responsibilities included:

• Reconciling invoices and receipts
• Assisting with monthly accounts reporting
• Processing staff expenses 

 

Part-time shop assistant, Help the Needy Charity Shop, June 2010 – Apr 2011

Responsibilities included:

• Gained experience in cashiering
• Responsible for the provision of in-store customer service
• Assisted with stock replenishment

 

Weekend bartender at Premier Sleep Hotel, Dec 2010 – Feb 2011

Responsibilities included:

• Actively involved with order taking and cashiering
• Gained experience mixing and service drinks at the bar

 

Additional skills 

Include achievements that are relevant to the job you are applying for and place you in a positive light.

Examples

•  Leadership: Captained the Debating team at University
• Teamwork: Played Rugby at University level for three years
• IT skills: Fully proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel & PowerPoint), basic HTML 
• Languages: Intermediate French, basic German

 

References available on request 

Don’t include names and contact details on a CV (although application forms may ask for this.) Always seek permission from a reference before passing their details on to a recruiter or potential employer. 

 

You can also download this Graduate CV template here 

Most Common CV Mistakes

Don’t give recruiters reasons not to include your CV on their shortlist. Here are Fish4jobs Top 10 most common CV mistakes to avoid.

1)      Poor spelling and grammar

By far the most common mistake and yet the most important thing to get right to make a good first impression. Get your CV checked and checked again by friends to ensure it’s perfect. 

2)      Too long

The average recruiter spends less than 60 seconds scanning a CV, so keep it to two pages or three at most for those in senior positions. 

3)      Using fancy formatting

Remember what looks great on your PC screen might not display well elsewhere so keep formatting to a minimum. Recruitment consultancies often use their own templates, so make sure your CV is easy to copy and paste. 

Sales CV Template

We've created a CV template to help you get started with your job applications for sales roles.

View Fish4jobs Sales CV Template below or download here

 

If you're still not sure where to start, you can go to fish4jobs and create a CV online using our simple tool. We'll take you through step-by-step, it couldn't be simpler.