Thursday, March 29, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Friday, May 15, 2009
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Write a Winning Curriculum Vitae
The modern CV must be targeted, relevant and concise. It is important that you review your CV for every new position and ensure that all the information is appropriate for that particular position. Always ask yourself - am I presenting all my skills, abilities, qualifications which make me suitable for this position, in the best possible manner?
The purpose of a CV is to persuade the employer that you should be interviewed for the position.
To do this, your CV must show that you have the qualities the employer is looking for. Here is a good way to do this:
Match the Job
For many students and graduates their first job after graduating isn't one which they have done before. It seems to call for new skills and abilities. So how can you show that you have the qualities the job requires if you haven't done a similar job in the past? The secret is to look for things which you have done which called for the same qualities as the job you are applying for.
Step One : Find out what the job involves.
Read the job description if this is available. Otherwise find a job description for a similar position in the files in the Resource Room
Read any brochures or reports which the employer has produced/provided
Read any general information about the type of work you will have to do
Talk to people who are doing similar work.
Step Two : Think about the job
What tasks would the daily routine involve?
What skills would the job call for?
What type of personality would suit the job?
Step Three : Think about yourself
Do you have the skills the job calls for?
Do you have the right sort of temperament or personality?
Step Four : Be clear about the match
Accentuate the skills, qualities and abilities you have which are necessary for the position.
There are four main areas at which employers look when reading your CV:
Education.
You can use this section to show you have the ability to think clearly, draw conclusions, work without supervision etc. Try to be specific; it's best to point to particular aspects of your degree course or other education rather than just making a general comment.
Work Experience (including how you have spent your vacations.)
A summer job, voluntary work or travel can often be used to show that you can get on with people, work in a team, work under pressure and meet deadlines etc.
Leisure Interests.
Your leisure pursuits, particularly if they involve other people, may show that you can plan and organise, co-operate with others, compete, work hard to achieve results, lead teams etc.
Specific Skills.
Some jobs call for specific skills in areas such as computing and foreign languages. Even relatively easily acquired skills such as driving and the ability to use a word processing package are often useful.
Isolate the essential elements of the job. Then look for the things you've done which you can present as having similar features.
Give evidence: If you are applying for a job where you have to be orderly and methodical, you could mention activities you carried out in a systematic way, eg being secretary of a society or a vacation job which called for attention to detail.
The purpose of a CV is to persuade the employer that you should be interviewed for the position.
To do this, your CV must show that you have the qualities the employer is looking for. Here is a good way to do this:
Match the Job
For many students and graduates their first job after graduating isn't one which they have done before. It seems to call for new skills and abilities. So how can you show that you have the qualities the job requires if you haven't done a similar job in the past? The secret is to look for things which you have done which called for the same qualities as the job you are applying for.
Step One : Find out what the job involves.
Read the job description if this is available. Otherwise find a job description for a similar position in the files in the Resource Room
Read any brochures or reports which the employer has produced/provided
Read any general information about the type of work you will have to do
Talk to people who are doing similar work.
Step Two : Think about the job
What tasks would the daily routine involve?
What skills would the job call for?
What type of personality would suit the job?
Step Three : Think about yourself
Do you have the skills the job calls for?
Do you have the right sort of temperament or personality?
Step Four : Be clear about the match
Accentuate the skills, qualities and abilities you have which are necessary for the position.
There are four main areas at which employers look when reading your CV:
Education.
You can use this section to show you have the ability to think clearly, draw conclusions, work without supervision etc. Try to be specific; it's best to point to particular aspects of your degree course or other education rather than just making a general comment.
Work Experience (including how you have spent your vacations.)
A summer job, voluntary work or travel can often be used to show that you can get on with people, work in a team, work under pressure and meet deadlines etc.
Leisure Interests.
Your leisure pursuits, particularly if they involve other people, may show that you can plan and organise, co-operate with others, compete, work hard to achieve results, lead teams etc.
Specific Skills.
Some jobs call for specific skills in areas such as computing and foreign languages. Even relatively easily acquired skills such as driving and the ability to use a word processing package are often useful.
Isolate the essential elements of the job. Then look for the things you've done which you can present as having similar features.
Give evidence: If you are applying for a job where you have to be orderly and methodical, you could mention activities you carried out in a systematic way, eg being secretary of a society or a vacation job which called for attention to detail.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Imagine Yourself and Visualise your Career
If you are unemployed or frustrated in your current employment the solution is to focus on what you want rather than obsessing about the problem.You can be anything you wish.
The University of Otago Careers Advisory Service suggests the following steps:
Self-Assessment
Who am I?
Where am I going?
Essential First Steps to Career Planning
Career Planning Model (T + P + E) x V = Career Success
This means - Talent + Purpose + Environment x Vision and you end up with Career Success
Step One
Establish what career success means for you
So write down your personal definition
Avoid any 'shoulds'
Step Two T=Talent
Describe your talents:
Achievements
Skills
Strengths
Interests
Personality
Achievements
Write down the achievements that have meant the most to you
Are there common threads? e.g. do they use similar skills?
What words would describe you from those achievements?
Write headlines for your achievements
Skills
What are the skills you are good at and enjoy? Write them down
Now select your top 10-15
These are your “motivated skills”- search for a job where you can use these
Avoid jobs which require only a few
Strengths
Write down a list of your strengths
Consider technical, academic, interpersonal, administrative, management, communication…
Ask people who know you well to write a list of the strengths they see you possess.
Compare lists
Interests
Write down results to see common threads
Start with Career Voyage, which you can use in the Careers Office.This is a computer based tool that can assess your interests and link to suggested job title
Try some of Dr John Holland interest based tests (small charge involved)
Personality
There are many ways of assessing personality (see suggested web sites at end of page)
The best idea is not to take one as gospel truth but to try out a few. You are looking for common threads
One of the favourite ones is the Myers Briggs profile
Step Three P = Purpose
Discover your purpose in work and life
Examine a list of commonly held values and decide your top 5-6
Add any that are important to you
Decide the 5-6 values you least prefer
Chose jobs or careers where you can best realise your top values
Avoid jobs or careers which rely on your least preferred values
Step Four E = Environment
Describe the work environment in which you will flourish
Consider the following:
Indoors / outdoors
Open plan office / your own office
Working with people who are similar to you or different?
Working in a team or working alone?
Contact with the public?
Overseas or in NZ
Big city / small city
Closely supervised or left to get on with the job?
Step Five V = Vision
Set goals and write them down
Divide a page into 3 and allow yourself 4mins on each section
What do you want to do in your lifetime?
What do you want to do in the next 3-5years?
What do you want to do in the next six months?
Imagine it is the year 2010…
Write down how old you will be
You are being interviewed for a magazine, newspaper article or you are featured on a webpage
Write down the name of the magazine/ newspaper, or where a surfer would find you!
Write bullet points of the article
Why are you being interviewed?
What have you achieved?
What do they say about you?
Analyse the article
Are you on track with your course of study to get to this point?
Do you need to develop other skills outside of tertiary study?
Do you need to find out more about this industry, field or career?
Try the following websites for self assessment:
http://www.cdm.uwaterloo.ca
http://www.jobhuntersbible.com
http://www.kiwicity.com/job/jobbuilder.htm
http://www.advisorteam.com
http://www.prospects.csu.ac.uk
http://www.windmillsprogramme.com
For more very useful tips http://www.otago.ac.nz/careers/html/students/writing2.html
The University of Otago Careers Advisory Service suggests the following steps:
Self-Assessment
Who am I?
Where am I going?
Essential First Steps to Career Planning
Career Planning Model (T + P + E) x V = Career Success
This means - Talent + Purpose + Environment x Vision and you end up with Career Success
Step One
Establish what career success means for you
So write down your personal definition
Avoid any 'shoulds'
Step Two T=Talent
Describe your talents:
Achievements
Skills
Strengths
Interests
Personality
Achievements
Write down the achievements that have meant the most to you
Are there common threads? e.g. do they use similar skills?
What words would describe you from those achievements?
Write headlines for your achievements
Skills
What are the skills you are good at and enjoy? Write them down
Now select your top 10-15
These are your “motivated skills”- search for a job where you can use these
Avoid jobs which require only a few
Strengths
Write down a list of your strengths
Consider technical, academic, interpersonal, administrative, management, communication…
Ask people who know you well to write a list of the strengths they see you possess.
Compare lists
Interests
Write down results to see common threads
Start with Career Voyage, which you can use in the Careers Office.This is a computer based tool that can assess your interests and link to suggested job title
Try some of Dr John Holland interest based tests (small charge involved)
Personality
There are many ways of assessing personality (see suggested web sites at end of page)
The best idea is not to take one as gospel truth but to try out a few. You are looking for common threads
One of the favourite ones is the Myers Briggs profile
Step Three P = Purpose
Discover your purpose in work and life
Examine a list of commonly held values and decide your top 5-6
Add any that are important to you
Decide the 5-6 values you least prefer
Chose jobs or careers where you can best realise your top values
Avoid jobs or careers which rely on your least preferred values
Step Four E = Environment
Describe the work environment in which you will flourish
Consider the following:
Indoors / outdoors
Open plan office / your own office
Working with people who are similar to you or different?
Working in a team or working alone?
Contact with the public?
Overseas or in NZ
Big city / small city
Closely supervised or left to get on with the job?
Step Five V = Vision
Set goals and write them down
Divide a page into 3 and allow yourself 4mins on each section
What do you want to do in your lifetime?
What do you want to do in the next 3-5years?
What do you want to do in the next six months?
Imagine it is the year 2010…
Write down how old you will be
You are being interviewed for a magazine, newspaper article or you are featured on a webpage
Write down the name of the magazine/ newspaper, or where a surfer would find you!
Write bullet points of the article
Why are you being interviewed?
What have you achieved?
What do they say about you?
Analyse the article
Are you on track with your course of study to get to this point?
Do you need to develop other skills outside of tertiary study?
Do you need to find out more about this industry, field or career?
Try the following websites for self assessment:
http://www.cdm.uwaterloo.ca
http://www.jobhuntersbible.com
http://www.kiwicity.com/job/jobbuilder.htm
http://www.advisorteam.com
http://www.prospects.csu.ac.uk
http://www.windmillsprogramme.com
For more very useful tips http://www.otago.ac.nz/careers/html/students/writing2.html
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