The Guardian CV Clinic – 23/01/2010

If you weren’t one of the 313,026* people who read The Guardian on Saturday, then you may have missed my recent handling of their CV Clinic. Anyway, here it is in all its glory. Enjoy! Click on it to see a bigger version – and sorry about the grainy scan. I was hoping The Guardian would put this on their website but apparently staff shortages means they won’t. Oh well, can’t win ‘em all.

 

*Average daily sale, ABC July 09 – December 09

The Top 10 Small CV Fixes that Everyone Should Do

I posted this in The Guardian a few days ago and got a lot of positive response about it - so I thought I'd put it up here too.

I could very easily fill an encyclopaedia-sized volume with the CV errors that arrive on my desk on a daily basis.

Here's a quick top 10 of small fixes that every CV writer should perform (how many did you forget to do?):

1. Don't begin your CV with 'Curriculum Vitae' in big letters at the top.
2. Keep it under 2 sides of A4.
3. Don't start shrinking your borders and margins in order to cram in more text.
4. You don't have to include your date of birth or references.
5. Make sure your font doesn't go below 10 point.
6. Only include major qualifications (nobody really cares about that B in 'O' Level Woodwork you got back in 1975).
7. Please, please, please run a spellcheck THEN get someone else to read it.
8. Funky fonts and migraine-inducing coloured paper - NO.
9. Don't pad out with useless information - be your harshest critic.
10. Tell the truth. It'll save everyone a lot of time in the long run (you included).

...also, when it comes to covering letters, it's written 'CV' or 'C.V.', never 'C.V' - and while we're on the point, plural of CV is CVs NOT CV's.

GOOD LUCK !!!

www.dazzlingcvs.co.uk

Your New CV – Do it BEFORE Christmas!

A bit of (early?) seasonal CV advice and good cheer from Dazzling CVs on how to get ahead in the job hunting field...


Yes, Christmas is coming (you know that because the shops are full of Easter Eggs, we’re endlessly bombarded with ads for Christmas as it never was (major retailers, you know who you are!) and you no longer hear that Christmas medley CD that’s been on a loop in all major stores since August.
At this time of year, it’s too easy just to focus on the festive season and push all your other concerns (like updating your CV and finding a new job) to the back of your mind. Usually the thought process goes something like this: “I’m going to have a great Christmas and a fantastic New Year, then I’ll join the ‘New Year, New Career’ rush and sort out my CV and my life in 2010″.
Well, there’s nothing strictly wrong with that approach – except virtually everyone else in the same boat as you will be thinking along exactly the same lines. That means, come January, they’ll all be chasing the same vacancies as you and will probably be way ahead of you in the queue here at Dazzling CVs. Think: if you’re having to wait in line to get your shiny new CV, how can you apply for that dream job you’ve spotted?

So, what to do?

Quite simply. ACT NOW! Get your CV sorted out NOW. Here at Dazzling CVs we’ll be experiencing the inevitable seasonal drop in demand, which means we can turn your CV around in less time. We’ll also have a little more time on our hands to craft your CV (and so probably make it that tiny bit better!).
Then once your CV is ready and you’re beaming with pride as you read it, you can act this side of Christmas. Get your applications in NOW. Even more importantly, send those speculative enquiries NOW (companies might be holding off advertising a vacancy until January and then your CV drops in their lap!). Believe me, the field will be quiet and the competition focused on other things. All these factors will combine to draw more attention to YOU – and ultimately raise your chances of success.
Then, when you’re satisfied you’ve done all you can, relax, sit back and have that Christmas and New Year you promised yourself.
Merry Christmas!
The Dazzling CVs Team
www.dazzlingcvs.co.uk