CV's & Job finding Skills
Curriculum Vitae
What is a CV or curriculum vitae? Well, think of it as a marketing tool. With your CV you will be able to promote yourself.
Imagine the CV as being a brochure that will list the benefits of YOU! Your experience, attitude and skills!
When writing a CV look at it from your employers point of view. Would you stand out against the competition (the other candidates) and would the manager want to talk to you for a possible job?
You have to ask yourself these questions when writing your CV or curriculum vitae. This How to Build A CV guide will help you create a great CV.
Of course networking and interviewing are essential for your job hunt and your CV is just the first step in the job search.
However, a great CV will open the door to your first contact with potential employers.You need to advertise yourself on the CV to show them why you would be great for the advertised position.
If you are then invited for an interview, you would be in a position to explain and expand on what is in your CV and how you will be an asset to their company.
Layout and Length
So as a college leaver, you need to have a CV that you can send prospective employers.
Some employers will want you to send them a hard-copy CV (one that is laid out in paper). Others ask you to send in your CV online.
So, you’ll need to have a CV that you can send as an attachment. Both will need to follow the same layout and length.
Presentation goes a long way to impressing the reader. And for good reasons, because if you’ve taken care on the look and layout of your CV, then it shows you care. If it looks sloppy and has spelling mistakes, then why should an employer take you seriously? So, even if you don’t have lots of experience, there’s no reason why your CV can’t look smart.
Wellington College has a fantastic resource you can use to build your CV. It is called Career Central, and hopefully you will be familiar with this site.
As well as helping you in many areas, it has a CV builder. This function allows you to build a personal, great looking CV easily and proffessionally.
As you will see below, you can can work through the various categories, such as strengths and skills to design a CV that is ready to be submitted to prospective employers. You can even download it into Word when you are finished so that it can be printed or uploaded.
The Ministry of Business Innovation & Employment NZ has an impressive book called Occupation Outlook.
Here is a great excerpt from their book that outlines the Top 10 Skills that employers look for:
Careers NZ also have lots of information and tips about writing a CV as well as templates should you wish to use them.
There is also a very informative video - 'What to include in your CV and how to write it'
Cover Letters
You should always include a cover letter when sending your CV out to employers.
A good cover letter will make an employer interested enough to read your application thoroughly, and call you for an interview.
The letter should give an employer an idea of who you are, and explain what skills you could bring to the job.
It is essential to tailor your cover letters so they relate specifically to each job application.
A couple of examples: Template 1 Template 2
Also, check out must-know tips and tricks, as well as guidance on structure etc here
Interview questions
Now, when you get that interview, you need to be prepared. So have a look here at some common interview questions. You will also find some helpful tips on job interviews.