18th- 22nd May is CV Week

Everyone should have a CV and even if you already have one you should keep it up to date. From Monday 18th May, I am going to assist centre residents to either create or update their CV's. So next week, 18th - 22nd May is CV week!

I have prepared the guide below, (you can also download it) which you can follow. Try to prepare or update a CV yourself and then send to me so I can assist you further. You can send to slong@partnershipcork.ie (from Monday 18th)


You can also call me to assist you if you are having any difficulties
Tel: 086 0562160 (between 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday - From Monday 18th)
Follow the tips below or download the PDF file - I look forward to assisting you

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tips_for_creating_a_cv.pdf
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Cork City Partnership Clg. has undertaken research on what recruiters
typically want to see on a CV. When you are creating a CV, keep the
following in mind.

1. Personal Details
Should include your full name (abbreviated / shortened version in brackets) if appropriate.

For example: Krzysztof (Kris) Radzikowski
Kris is easier that Krzysztof for most of us to pronounce.

Write your name in big bold font.
Your address, phone number, email should also be included under personal details. (Make sure that you enter these correctly as one digit or error could stop a prospective employer in making contact with you)

2. Personal Profile

• Place this beneath your Personal Details.
• The point of a Personal Profile is to prove you are qualified for the role that you are applying for.
• Keep this section short; 3-5 lines is enough.
• Get to the point. Show your experience and skills (you may need help to identify what your skills are).

Personal Profile (example) : 2 years courier driving experience in a logistics company; strong customer services skills in the hospitality sector and retail  sales in a Men`s clothing shop. Cash handling experience, stockroom  experience. Willing to consider work of any kind at this time. Available for an  immediate start with permission from the Department of Justice to work in any
job of my choosing.

 3. Key Skills

• List your main strengths that will match you to the job you are applying for.
• Include all hard skills if you have them : Email and internet literacy, Microsoft Office skills, Social Media skills, driving licences, language skills, translation and interpretation skills, safepass and manual handing, HACCP, Child protection training etc.
• Include soft skills too such as strong teamwork skills, excellent self-awareness and proven track record of working unsupervised, skilled in distance working.

Employers like candidates with skills such as Teamwork, Communication, Leadership and Problem Solving. Sometimes it might be appropriate to add a short sentence as evidence of your skill after each one has been listed.

4. Employment History / Career History

• List your past jobs chronologically with the latest role first.
  
• Include job title, name of company and the dates you started and finished.
• Try to include the month and year that you started and finished each job. It can be difficult to remember these. Given the difficult job market, most employers understand that there may be gaps between jobs.
• Outline the key responsibilities you had in each role.
• Include voluntary work in this section.
• Always look to be specific when adding in the achievements and outcomes of any job; quantify the results if you can. For example, instead of saying you helped the company make a profit; specify the level of profit: “Implemented cost cutting procedures that reduced the company’s stationery bill by 22% per annum.”
  
• Include details of new skills you learned in each job.

5. Education

• List your qualifications/certificates/professional awards chronologically with the most recent one first.
• Include the name of the educational institution, full name of the course and the start & end dates.
• Add the grade/degree classification where applicable.
• Recent graduates should include the modules on their latest degree along with the name of their dissertation project.

6. Hobbies & Interests

• It is a good idea to include a range of interests as this suggests you are a well-rounded individual with the ability to relate to different people.
• Do NOT stick to one or two interests as recruiters often see this as a sign of someone unable to mix in different circles; this is a problem as the average Irish workplace now has multi-cultural teams.
• Try to include some active, group and social interests; it is important that you give the impression you’re able to get along with others. Too many ‘solo’ interests may mark you out as a loner.
• Show that you have a serious interest in at least one hobby as this suggests you have determination, concentration and willpower.
• Try and include anything which shows the ability to lead others. If you want to climb the ladder, you need to be willing to take responsibility.
  

Emphasise any interests related to the job. For example, if you are interested in martial arts, this demonstrates a number of positive character traits that you can  sell to employers such as continuous and gradual progression in working towards a black belt, self-defence, confidence, fitness, discipline, focus and discernment.

If you play soccer regularly with a group of friends this demonstrates your  teamwork skills and commitment and loyalty (all of these cannot be  underestimated, when it comes to showing an employer who you are). Avoid mentioning hobbies that can set you up for failure because they elicit the prejudices of employers like UFC, darts, fox hunting or anything controversial.

7. References

• Two references are normally enough. You can give your two most recent employers (if you have them) if not a personal referee will suffice.
• Don’t use your spouse, partner or family member as a referee.
• Always get in touch with referees first to seek their permission. Include their name, job title, address and phone number and email.

8. Other issues
Irish employers are notoriously intolerant of spelling and punctuation errors, so it would be important to have your CV proof-read by a person who has good English.