CV Tips
Writing a CV is one the most important parts to finding the right opportunity. All too often we find candidates are overlooked because their CV has not demonstrated their abilities, or has been too long and tiresome to actually find their skills. Here we will try and give you some tips that will mean your CV will be read. Giving you the best chance of getting to the next stage… interview.
- Always start with your name nice a clear at the top of the CV, include any professional qualifications and memberships with this; i.e. BSc, MCIBSE, Chartered Engineer.
- Next offer your personnel information, married, children, location and if you wish your date of birth.
- Now we suggest you write a brief synopsis of yourself and you’re career to date. It does not want to be more than a few lines and is really just used to wet the appetite of the person reading the CV. Highlight the main things in your career to date.
- Here we suggest you list your qualifications and any courses you have attended. It is important these days with increased Health & Safety to let people know you’ve had this course and that, it all adds up.
- We feel that most people like to read a CV from the most recent and work backwards. Dates are vitally important, so show them; Dec 2004 to present, etc. You need to show the position you held in each job and list the projects and values of the project you worked on. Give a brief description of the role and your duties. They can differ from company to company.
| Dec 2004 – present | Project Manager | DAB Technical Ltd |
St Catharine’s Dock, £3m M & E. This was a residential development where I was the Project Manager controlling the whole project. Held weekly meetings with client and sub-contractors, ensure variations were signed off, dealing with all queries arising. Successfully completed and final account agreed.
- Your CV should ideally not exceed more than 2 pages, 3 at the very most. We don’t want the client to become bored before the end. The idea being to give him enough information that he believes you capable if fulfilling their need and inviting you to be interviewed.
Interview Advice
The interview is your chance to let the client asses you as a person and secondly your ability technically. He will already have seen your CV so he knows what you have done but what this will be about is demonstrating how you go about getting the end result. Some people are naturally nervous when it comes to interviews, they needn’t be. Before meeting with the company give your self the time to find out a little more about them. The type of work they do, how long they’ve been trading, what size projects they do. The more you find out the better placed you will be to not just answer their questions but to ask your own. As the interview unfolds you will become more relaxed and be able to give a better account of yourself. The best interviews generally are the relaxed interviews where the candidate and client can talk freely perhaps giving examples of both good and bad experiences they may have had in their career or perhaps even personnel stuff like what social activities they like. Remember if the client is going to take you on quite often it is based on the relationship you build here.
- Gather information about the company before interview
- Run through how you think the interview may go, and at what point you want to ask your questions about the company.
- Make sure you’re relaxed when going in and turn up with time to spare.
- Above all be yourself.