CV Preparation
Article - "CV Tips - Your Career, Chch Press, 10 July 2004"
Article - "The Job Application - Getting it right.."
If you are job hunting and know that your application is the key to getting a job interview but you ...
- Suspect that your CV is not getting you the interviews you deserve
- Or you are a little out of touch about what to include and how to say it
Then contact HR Direction to meet with one of our consultants (1.5 hrs - 2 hrs + 30 mins follow up). We are so confident that the advice and guidance you'll receive will be so thought provoking and useful, that if you don't agree, we won't even send out an invoice. Full cost: $225 + gst.
Job Application Guidelines
Purpose of the job application: To provide sufficient relevant information to convince the reader to offer an interview.
Guiding Principles
- Only include relevant information. Ask yourself what each word and sentence is achieving. Either - personal/contact details or evidence of experience, skills, attributes and personality.
- Detail facts e.g. "I worked at XYZ from 2002-2004 as an ABC" and provide examples of strategies, behaviour or actions.
- If you can't substantiate it, leave it out. E.g. Do not write "I have strong interpersonal skills." Instead explain how you have handled challenging interpersonal situations.
- Provide real examples and let the reader assess your ability to meet relevant criteria.
Sally is applying for a position as an Office/Accounts Manager with ABC Travel. The position requires:
- Processing of accounts/invoices
- Improving processes and procedures
- Working professional and amicably with clients and staff
- Accepting responsibility and working without supervision
Example Cover Letter
| ABC Travel Agency | 14 Treetop Terrace |
| PO Box 1234 | Redcliffs |
| CHRISTCHURCH | CHRISTCHURCH |
| 10 December 2007 |
Dear Ella Smith
RE: Office/Accounts Manager Vacancy with ABC Travel
I would like to apply for the Office/Accounts Manager vacancy that was advertised in the Christchurch Press on 4 December.
I have read the job information and job description and included within my CV strategies and work examples of the four main criteria that you have identified as being important to operate successfully in this position.
I notice the salary band for this position is $35,000 to $45,000 which is within my expectations and I would be available to start on 12 January as required.
There is nothing preventing me from fulfilling the duties listed, the only potential issue being my ability to work overtime on Wednesday evenings as I do some volunteer work from 7-9pm.
I would be available for an interview at any time except on Thursday mornings when it would be difficult for my present employer to arrange cover.
Thank you for considering my application. I would be more than happy to provide any additional information or answer any queries by phone or in person prior to shortlisting for interviews.
Yours sincerely
Sally Brown
[Cover letter is consistent with normal protocol, own address on RHS, recipient address on LHS. Subject of letter is the vacant position. Reference to where the applicant learnt of the vacancy for the employer's benefit. Acknowledges having read the job information and highlights the specific relevant information contained within her CV. Addresses critical considerations e.g. available to start, salary expectations and potential complicating issues. Indicates availability for an interview and eagerness to provide any additional information. Signs off in a positive, appreciative and professional manner.]
Example CV
| Sally Brown | email. sally@ihug.co.nz |
| 14 Treetop Terrace | Hm. (03) 456 9874 |
| Christchurch |
Mob. 021 456 4569 |
[Includes all relevant contact details but nothing else, normal font, normal size, easy to read, only takes up three lines, top of the page- easy to find.]
Objective/Personal Philosophy
[Not necessary but include if you really want to. Ask yourself "what am I trying to achieve by including this?" Is this of interest to a potential employer?]
Qualifications/Courses
1994 B Bursary Aranui High School (Including: Statistics, Economics, English, French.)
[Only include your last year at school or exclude if you have acquired significant other qualifications. Are subjects relevant to the position? If so include them.]
1995-98 Bachelor of Commerce - Otago University (4 year degree)
| Business Communication 314 | A+ (An unscaled mark of 80-96) |
| Organisational Behaviour 315 | B+ (An unscaled mark of 65-69) |
| Human Resource Mgt 318 | B+ (An unscaled mark of 65-69) |
| Macro Economics 301 | B (An unscaled mark of 60-64) |
| Micro Economics 302 | B (An unscaled mark of 60-64) |
| Intro to Finan Accounting 101 | A (An unscaled mark of 75-79) |
(Introduction to Financial Accounting included the basic accounting process, financial reporting for the sole trader, and principles of management accounting.)
[Only relevant papers included and an indication of the level e.g. 300 level. Marks included with reference to actual percentage. A course description for the most relevant paper.]
1999 Kiwihost, two day course - Tourism NZ - focused on customer service, resolving complaints and exceeding customer expectations. Met course criteria.
1999 Advanced Microsoft Excel Course - eight hours - passed with merit. (Fail/Pass/Merit)
[Explained course content, duration and any relevant assessment/ evaluation.]
Work Experience
Mar 1999-Jun 2001 Accounts Clerk at Jack & Co Ltd (Chch)- a small rental car agency. Solely responsible for processing debtors and creditors, issuing invoices, gst returns and some payroll responsibilities. Assisted company consultant accountant with the preparation of year end financial accounts.
[Includes months and years accuracy, job title, employer and brief description of type of work and principle duties.]
Jul 2001-Feb 2004 Retail Manager at Riccarton (Chch) Masons (clothing store) - managed five staff, co-ordinated displays, contributed to advertising strategy, till reconciliations, liaised with suppliers and distributors.
Mar 2004-Present Full time live in nanny for a private family with four children under eight years. Food preparation, household duties, child minding, feeding & bathing.
[Enough background information to explain the job and it's requirements but not especially relevant to the position Sally is applying for, so relatively brief.]
Relevant Skills & Attributes
Processing of accounts/invoices - Relevant Qualifications: B.Com - Introduction to Financial Accounting 101 (A). Experience: Twenty eight months as an accounts clerk as above. Principally required to gather accounts information to input into account templates and send out to clients. Reconciliation of expenses and invoices and recording information to ensure accurate records. In processing accounts I have learnt the importance of getting things right first time by checking everything thoroughly as rework is inefficient and can be costly. When unsure I don't hesitate to seek advice from the accountant although I like to minimize these requests and will often save them up and work through them two or three at a time.
[Additional information on duties performed. Detail of lessons learnt and strategies in dealing with common problems. Note there are no unsubstantiated statements.]
Improving processes and procedures - As an accounts clerk I developed my own system using Excel to record when accounts had to be paid or issued, entering when this was carried out and always noting any complicating factors. I recently redesigned an invoice template to make it more user friendly and the improvements were positively acknowledged by 18% of clients without prompting.
[Information on procedures followed, an example of an actual improvement and an objective and independent measure of its success.]
Working professionally and amicably with clients and staff - I like to take a genuine interest in people by positively greeting them and asking them about their work and personal life when appropriate. When requesting information from staff I have learnt to give them as much notice as possible and then follow up 2-3 days later with a phone message or email reminder. If unsuccessful I will use humor and try to acknowledge and understand people's work load while still reinforcing the importance of being able to meet my requirements. I once successfully offered to do something for a particularly busy colleague to free up their time so they could provide the information I needed. To strengthen relationships and enable me to achieve my work objectives I find active listening and showing sympathy very effective.
[Information on preferred approaches and strategies, success is demonstrated by a perception of stronger relationships and achieving work goals.]
Accepting responsibility and working without supervision - Both of my recent positions have been unsupervised and required me to be strategic and proactive about processes, procedures and contribute toward business development. As Retail Manager at Masons I was completely responsible for the staff roster and opening and closing the shop two days per week. After many complaints about the existing roster I changed it to more fairly distribute the undesirable shifts while rewarded those who had shown consistent commitment.
[Factual detail about previous work experience with a quantitative example. A further example of taking charge and using initiative.]
Professional Memberships, Volunteer Work & Interests
- Subscription member of the Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce since 2002, attended presentations and networking functions, 10-12 per year.
- I act as a volunteer budget advisor for the Budget Service I have taken 16-20 one-one 2 hours sessions with clients advising of budgeting skills and strategies.
- I have regularly attended Papanui Toastmasters for 20 months which includes making impromptu speeches, prepared speeches and entering regional speech competitions.
- Keen tramper having tramped Milford, Kepler and Routeburn tracks in the last 12 months.
- For the last seven to eight years each weekend I typically play social tennis, golf or go scuba diving.
[Clear explanation of the extent of involvement of each activity, note the deliberate use of numbers (20 months, 10-12 per year, every weekend.) Key words bolded for easy identification.]
Referees
Available on request
[Typically referees are contacted at the very end of the recruitment process so their contact details are not relevant at the application stage. Employers also appreciate it is polite for applicants to warn referees to expect a call from a prospective employer and this can follow a request from the employer for referee details.]
