how to write a cv that talks for you

How to Write a CV that talks

for you ?

Soft / Business Skills

Ahmed Eltanahy

How might I get there ?

Which Way is the Best?

How can we ensure arrival ?

Where am I NOW?

Where do you want to be?

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• CV – What does it mean?• Why do you need a CV ?• Things you should avoid.• 4 Resume essentials.• Things you should consider.• Common resume problems.• How to construct your resume?• Get your resume in Action.• Cover Letter• Resume Sample• Q & A (Expected time 15 minutes)

Agenda

The word CV comes from the Latin name

Curriculum Vitae

Which means “course of life” or Simply“Life Story”

CV – What does is mean ?

• It is Not to obtain a job.• It is to obtain an Interview.• CV is an advertisement of your abilities.• Think deeply, what make advertisement work? • Advertisement usually 30 second , but you keep

remember it , why?• Agencies take a lot of time and effort to produce a 30

second message to sell a product. What time and effort should you pay to prepare a two

page CV that SELLS YOU

Why do you need a CV ?

• Need more challenge for you CV.

REMEMBER • Employer scans your CV for the first time in less than

» 10 seconds.

Why do you need a CV ?

• 1- ABBREVIATIONS: AFPCA , GHWIHT , MRSRM , ZESN , TWTN Too Many abbreviations make your CV unreadable, Avoid it

unless it is commonly recognized .

Things that you should Avoid:

Remember The Rule:

KISS: Keep It Smile & Smart

2- NEGATIVE WORDS:Boring , Fired , Hate, Conflict, Blocked ..etc Catch recruiter Eye.

Remember The Rule:If you have some difficulties , Keep them to the interview, but

you have to prepare yourself.

Things that you should Avoid:

3- COLORS: It is not a show, Don’t use colors to make your CV attractive

Remember The Rule:Attractiveness is a matter of content,

“Colors” in the CV is like a full make up lady in a FUNERAL

Things that you should Avoid:

4- SPELLING, GRAMMER & PUNCTUATION MISTAKES:Spelling mistakes is the poison to your CV.

Things that you should Avoid:

read it and re-read itand re-read

it

and re-read it

and re-read itand …………

Remember The Rule:

Spelling mistake is a sign of Careless person, if you want to be at that position , Do IT!

Use a spell check or consult a professional writer.

Write your CV

5- UNNECESSARY INFORMATION:Gender , Religion and detailed Martial status as examples of unnecessary information in your CV.

Remember The Rule:Employer doesn’t care that much about what your children are doing.

Moreover, it is not your Autobiography.

Things that you should Avoid:

6- Using a very Big or very small font size & the unusual fonts:

Fonts to be used (English):ArialVerdanaTime New RomanTahoma

Fonts to be used (Arabic):Arabic TransparentSimplified Arabic

Fonts Size to be used: 10 - 12

Things that you should Avoid:

• Don’t write CV at the top.• Don’t put picture unless it is requested.• Don’t put any attachment unless it is requested.• Don’t use poor quality paper and printer.• Don’t use photo-copied CV.• Don’t use Capital letters in writing the whole CV.• Don’t use the expression I and I am• Don’t use border in tables

Things that you should Avoid:

1. Proofread your resume.– "I read it when I wrote it!“– Put your resume in front of people you trust - your boss excluded

- and listen seriously to their suggestions.

2. You are what you read. (Read more).– Buy/Borrow books.– Browse the internet.– Visit general libraries.

3. Be a resume voyeur.– Look at other people's resumes whenever you get the chance.

You'll find good ideas - and bad ones. – Consider using the best ideas for your own resume, as long as

they relate to your experience.

CV Essentials

4. More resumes…….. More chances.– You finally updated your resume, but you

shouldn't stop there.– You should update your Master CV on monthly

basis maximum.– If you're going to apply to a variety of jobs,

make sure you have a resume tailored for each.

CV Essentials

• Too long / too short.• Hard to read.• Wordy.• Non Professional.• Lacking a career objective.

Common CV problems

• Identification & contact Information.• Objective.

• Position you’re seeking.• Type of organization.• Field.

• Educational background.• Work experience.• Extracurricular activity.• Honors and awards Received.• Skills & trainings.• Personal data.• References.

How to construct your resume ?

• Identification Data:– Top Right/Middle of first page.– Name is the title (no other titles). – Addresses; phone numbers; e-mail and/or fax

addresses;

• Objective:– Write what you want to work in as:

• Required Position.• The field of interest. • The kind of the company.

Identification Data & objective:

– Usually means post-secondary and can include special seminars, college and university.

– If you are just starting college, you can include high school as well.

– List the following: • Degrees.• Month/year obtained or expected.• Names and locations of schools. • Grade point average.• A brief summary of important courses you’ve

taken might also be helpful.

Education:

• Includes full-time paid jobs, part time jobs, trainings or volunteer work.

• List the month/years you worked, position, name and location of employer or place, and responsibilities you had.

• Use chronological format to emphasize most recent.

• Write all job descriptions in parallel phrases.

• List the most important responsibilities or successes first.

• List your Achievements in each job

Experience:

• List: – Computer and Software.– Languages (indicating the grade of fluency).– Technical skills. – Communication or Leadership among others (soft skills).

• Match your skills and experience with an employer’s needs.

• Difference between trainings & skills.

Skills:

• Activities:

– In university or outside: Conferences, Clubs, charity.

– Sports.

• Hobbies:e.g. Reading, Music, … etc.

Activities and Hobbies:

Personal Data:• Date of Birth.• Marital Status.• Nationality.• Driving License.

References:You need not put these on your resume, instead, you can prepare a separate list of references.Usually, you give this list to prospective employers after your interview.

Write in you CVReferences furnished upon request.

Personal Data And References:

• "Responsible for hiring new employees.“– "Recruited new hires for the company."

• "Responsible for maintaining the client database.“– "Maintained client database.“

• Start with actions commands / verbs.• Past tense is mostly preferred.• For the current position, you may use the present continuous

tense.

Get your resume in Action

Contents of A Successful Cover Letter

• Your name and contact information.• Recipient's name and contact information.• Identify the position you are applying for and mention

where you found the announcement and when. If you have been referred through a person, mention their full name and title.

• Introduce yourself, your educational degree and your current employment situation.

• Begin by stressing your interest in the company and display some knowledge of its activities and/or achievements.

• Identify your strength areas and why you think you match the position requirements.

• Highlight your biggest achievements and refer to your resume for more details.

• Close the letter by promising the reader to contact them on a specific day and time to schedule an interview.

• Thank the reader for taking the time to read your letter.• Sign your name preceded by "Sincerely," "Cordially," or "Best

Regards."

Contents of A Successful Cover Letter