The document provides tips for effective curriculum vitae (CV) writing and job interviews. It discusses the importance of a well-written CV in standing out from other applicants. Key points include tailoring the CV to each job application by highlighting relevant skills and experience, keeping the CV concise at no more than two pages, and ensuring there are no spelling or grammatical errors. The document also provides guidance on professional conduct during interviews, such as being prepared with research on the company, dressing appropriately, maintaining eye contact and a positive attitude.
Salary Survey 2024 For Employers to Hire Remotely From India
Effective CV Writing Guide for Job Success
1. EFFECTIVE CV WRITING
TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN JOB
HUNT & INTERVIEWS
BY MOHAMMED RAFEEQ
(Founder jobsRmine.com)
2. What will you learn by end of speech?
Importance of CV
Ways to write CV
Where to find jobs
How to face interviews
3. Some stats about CVs
On average, each corporate job offer attracts 50+ resumes.
Of those candidates, 4 to 6 will get called for an interview, and only one will get the
job
Average time spent looking at a CV is <30 seconds
One in three employers rejected candidates based on something they found about
them online
68% of employers will find you on Facebook
76% of CVs are ignored if your email address is unprofessional like
lostfan9@gmail.com, ineedajobnow@someemail.com
Few spelling or grammar mistake(s) and your CV will be chucked in the bin
35% of candidates who apply for jobs are actually qualified for the role
68.7% of resume errors involved missing accomplishments.
4. Here’s what recruiters say will get
a resume rejected
Impersonal Applications (No Hiring Manager’s Name) - 84%
No Thank You Note After Interview - 57%
Resumes Aren’t Customized and Tailored - 54%
No Cover Letter - 45%
No Follow Up With Employer After Interview - 37%
5. What recruiters say they look for on a
resume:
Job Experience - 67%
Cultural Fit - 60%
Cover Letters - 26%
Prestige of College - 21%
Marks /Grades - 19%
6. What recruiters want from job seekers:
Resumes Tailored to the Open Position - 63%
Skill Sets Listed First on a Resume - 41%
Cover Letters - 40%
Application Addressed to the Hiring Manager - 22%
Links to Personal Blogs, Portfolios, or Websites - 16%
7. What is a CV?
What is the purpose of a CV?
To inform the employer about your education, work experience,
skills and interests
To ‘sell’ these qualities and to persuade the employer to invite
you to interview
8.
9. First impressions count…
An employer will only read your CV for 30 seconds before deciding
whether
to interview.
They will be checking for 3 key things:
1. Are you qualified to do the job?
2. Have you got commercial experience?
3. Are you passionate & enthusiastic about the job
10. It’s all about you
CVs are an opportunity to show an employer why you are an ideal
candidate
for the job.
A good CV will:
Stand out from the crowd.
Draw attention to your relevant skills, experience, achievements and
potential.
Create such an impression on the employer that they will not be able to
turn you down for interview.
11. What to do in a CV
Use a standard font size in.
Include recent and relevant work experience (paid or voluntary).
Be consistent in your layout.
List your skills and achievements and back up with evidence.
Keep it short (maximum 2 pages).
Proofread for spelling, punctuation, grammar and meaning.
12. What to do in a CV
Use positive action verbs such as “organised, delivered,
accomplished, achieved”.
Include a statement about your career aspirations and what you have
to offer the employer.
Be honest but positive (negatives can always be turned into positives).
13. Things not to do in a CV
Do it in a rush.
Leave gaps in employment.
Lie.
Include irrelevant personal details such as marital status.
Simply write a list of duties under work experience
(remember you are selling yourself!).
Use flashy or large font.
14. Things not to do in a CV
There is no single way to write a CV. It is your document and can be
structured and presented as you wish within a basic framework.
The important thing to remember is that this is the first impression
an employer will have of you.
It is your marketing brochure through which you are trying to sell
yourself.
15.
16. Write Meaningful Objectives
“To work in a professional environment which provides opportunities to
learn and enhance my professional skills. To leverage my analytical,
professional & technical skills to make a sustainable, long term
contribution to the organization”
VS
“Seeking an entry level software engineer role anywhere in India”
17.
18. 5 Cs for a Good CV
Clear – well organized and logical
Concise – relevant and necessary
Complete – includes everything you need
Consistent – don’t mix styles or fonts
Current – Up-to-date
19. What should be on a CV?
Start with contact information
Full name
Permanent mailing address
E-mail address that won’t expire
Phone numbers
Education
Honors and Awards
20. What should be on a CV?
Professional Experience (employment)
Publications and presentations
Extracurricular and volunteer experience
Certifications and licenses
Professional affiliations
Professional activities
Research
Added qualifications
21. Prove Your Ability
There are four main things employers will look at in CVs:
Education - ability to think clearly, analyse and assess information,
draw conclusions, work independently, research
Work experience - ability to get on with people, work under pressure,
meet deadlines
Leisure interests - ability to plan and organise, cooperate with others,
compete, lead, work hard to achieve results
Specific skills – e.g. driving license, computer skills, foreign
languages,
artistic skills
22. In Education Section
Most current schooling first (include your current educational work)
Only include diploma distinctions
Get the school’s names correct!
Degrees/certifications are what is important – not time spent
List Thesis/Dissertation titles
24. On Honors and Awards Section
List most recent first
Honors/Award Title – then date received
Go back to undergrad but not before. – Only academic or professional
Scholarships count
25. Tips on Professional Experience Section
Includes anything you were paid to do or was extensive and regular
volunteer work
Only list items relevant to academic work
List most recent first
If listing research, include the lab and director/principal investigator
26. Work Experience
There is no need to list every job you’ve ever had – detail the most
relevant
Don’t just list your duties – sell your skills. Which skills are relevant
to the position/company you are applying to?
Dates, name of company, position and skills:
27. Tips on Extracurricular and Volunteer
Experience Section
List most recent first
This tends to be a long list – careful!
It is better to have long-term items or very relevant items instead
of EVERYTHING
Student organizations go here
28. Tips for Professional Section
Affiliations Activities
Only those current
Most current first
Include all dates of affiliation
Note any leadership positions
Past and present
Most current first
Only those specific
to academic/research
Should be school or university
sponsored
Include your role
29. Tips for Research Section
List most current first
Make sure you indicate others you worked with
Include grant funds if obtained
Briefly describe here
30. Publications and Presentations Section
Two options for listing
Most recent – Order of publication
Always bold your name in authorship
Include submitted and/or pending publications or presentations
Presentations may be large or small but pertinent enough to talk about
Have copies of your pubs and/or presentation for the life of your CV
31. Added Qualifications Section
Should be verifiable
Include language fluency
Cultural knowledge – maybe. Especially if you have had hands-on
experience
Anything else special
32. What examples can you give from
your work experience?
If you have no paid work experience, give examples
from voluntary work or from your course
33. Matching up your CV with the
position/company
It is not ‘one size fits all’, you need
to tailor your CV to each position
you apply for.
34. Presentation of your CV
The first visual impression of your CV is important
For standard CVs, use plain white A4 paper
Do not double side
Keep your CV to two sides of paper
Check your spelling
Use bullet points and bold font but in moderation
35. Presentation of your CV
Formatting – make sure it’s consistent
Size 10-12 font (depending on font style)
Clear font e.g. Arial, Calibri
Focus on accomplishments
Target your CV to that job/company
2:1, not Two One or 2,1
Use short, concise sentences
Consider your audience
36. References
Ideally, one academic and your manager
Ask permission from your reference and let them know what position(s)
you’ve applied for
Use relevant references if possible
You can say ‘references available on request’ rather than including
contact details if you wish
37. Covering letters
Never send a ‘lonely’ CV
There are two types of covering letters:
Speculative / accompanying letter
38. Speculative/Accompanying letter
Should be three short paragraphs
Opening paragraph – why you are writing
Paragraph 2 – show knowledge of employer, highlight your skills
Paragraph 3 – Refer to your CV and availability
39. Letter of application
Used when asked to ‘apply in writing’ or ‘send CV and cover letter’
1 side of A4 – similar to a UCAS personal statement
Opening paragraph – motivation for the job
Followed by background skills and experience developed through
study,
work experience and paid work
‘Matching up’ with job description
What you can offer the employer
41. Where do candidates search for jobs?
Career Sites - 27.35%
Job Boards - 18.76%
Referrals - 15.83%
Internal Hire - 15.25%
Agency - 4.52%
42.
43. Networking
Use your contacts from your work experience/course/friends
Use social networking sites such as LinkedIn, upload a portfolio of your
work onto it
Attend events, keep business cards and keep in contact
Meetups
48. Self-employment/Freelance
What can you do to help make your business a success?
Research:
How to set up a business and what to consider
The industry
Sources of funding/support
59. What is the purpose of the interview?
Meet 1:1 with an employer
To learn more about the position
To see if your skills and experience match what the employer is looking
for
To get the job!
60. Do your research
On the company
On who you will be meeting
On yourself! Ensure that you know your CV back to front (and
sideways)
so that you don’t get caught out!
Print out their address, contact number, and a printout of the interview
confirmation email
Figure out parking.
61. Timing
Plan for traffic delays but do not be more than 10 mins early
If you are running late, ensure to call ahead to forewarn and apologise
62. Etiquette
Switch your phone off
Ringing phones are embarrassing and could have a detrimental effect
on the interviewer’s perception of you
Get their business card
Now you have their details to send them a thank you letter
PREPARATION
63. Personality
Keep it positive - Never speak negatively about present or former
employers, no matter how much of an ogre they may be!
Maintain your poise and posture. Don’t slouch, yawn, or display signs
of nervousness.
Do not cross your arms
If you don’t know something, admit to it, but turn it into a positive by
saying you are easily trained.
Don’t jump into the answer, listen to the question. Think about your
answer, but avoid lengthy pauses
64. Personality
Be Enthusiastic
It is not always the most qualified candidate who gets the position –
it can be the person who shows the strongest desire for the opportunity.
Tell them how excited you are at the prospect of being part of the team
69. Participation
Answer a question with a statement of experience
It helps interviewers to conceptualize you as an employee.
(i.e. On XYZ project I realized X was underutilized, so I shifted labor
around and delivered the project two days earlier with Y profit.)
71. Participation
Ask a question at the end of the interview
It gives you a chance to really show that you’re interested
Ice Breaker Questions
“I’ve been told about the position but I would like to hear what you
consider the most important aspects to be” - This will let you know what
the person interviewing you thinks is most important and what you
should emphasise about your background
“Can you tell me what brought you personally to the company, and
what you like most about it” - This will bring the interview to a more
personal level
72. Types of questions asked
Tell about yourself
An opening for you to set the tone of the job interview and emphasize
the points that you most want this potential employer to know about you.
Don’t waste the opportunity by simply diving into a long recitation of your
resume. This also isn’t the time to mention that you love dancing
Competency based questions
Tell me a situation where you handled a tough and angry customer
Tell me a situation where you performed under pressure
73. Types of questions asked
What are your strengths
Discuss your strengths and competencies that qualify you for the job
What are your weaknesses
Try to turn weaknesses into positive experiences that made you
a better professional, without giving out too much information
Tell me a situation where you performed under pressure
74. When asked about money
It is likely you may be asked directly about money. The best way to
respond is
to state your current salary, then to state that you are open to any fair
offer.
This approach ensures that you do not price yourself out of the
opportunity,
and at the same time does not leave money on the table
75. The Last & important question(s)
Close the Deal The end of the interview is your last chance to leave a
lasting impression and is often what is remembered most.
Ask any questions you have that have not been covered during the
interview
Ask the interviewer if there is anything you have not covered or clarified
about your ability to perform the role
Ask for feedback to gain their thoughts around your suitability
76. The Last & important question(s)
If you are convinced this is a role you are keen on - let them know
For example, “after learning more about the role and having spoken
with you at some length I just wanted to say I am even more excited
about the opportunity to join the organisation”
Ask what the next steps are
This can often be a good indicator of how you have gone
Finally thank the interviewer for their time, look them in the eyes,
shake their hand and tell them you look forward to speaking with
them soon
77. After The Interview
Send a thank you letter
Makes a positive impression on the employer
Thank them for their assistance
Send it as soon as possible after the interview