This is part 6, the last of our 6 part series on CVs and cover letters. You can read the previous parts here: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Before I moved to London, I had prepared many copies of my CV. I took time preparing it, translating it into English and including all the necessary information. I made photocopies of my Certificates in case someone asked for them and asked my previous employers to write recommendation letters.

I looked up some ads before travelling and thought I had the right qualifications. Being bilingual and having finished several courses I thought my chances of getting a good job were high.

The first day in England I went downtown, with a good amount of CVs and started handing them in wherever I found a nice company that I imagined was a good place to work. I also found, by chance, what they call “job centre”, that do not exist in my country. I looked up some ads in the computer and send some more CVs. I repeated this several days… and no one called. Until someone from a language institute called me to arrange an interview. She was also from South America, and after a friendly talk she gave me the most important piece of advice regarding looking for a job in London: never hand in a CV without a cover letter. In my classes as a Teacher of English I had taught several times how to write a cover letter… but I though it was only part of the syllabus and that these letters were sent only in formal contexts. As in my country it is not often done, I thought it was ok not to include a cover letter in England as well. I had handed in perhaps 20 CVs! Now I know they probably went into the bin without being read.

Another big difference I found is that in my country we never include hobbies or interests in our CV. It is just strange. But when I thought about it I found it made sense. And if you explain in a few words how your interests give you some qualities that are useful in the job environment, that can be a plus. In one opportunity I applied for a job as a sales assistant in a pet shop. When I went to the interview, the recruiter looked at my CV and asked me: If you worked as a Teacher, why do you want to work as a sales assistant now? I found this confusing… The salary was ok and I love animals so why not? Of course they did not know that, cause I had not included my interests in my CV! So that was the first thing I learnt, and the second was… customize your CV!

From that moment on, every time I looked for a job in a different country I tried to ask a native what was the usual process, and then I adapted to it. It is easy now to turn on the computer surf the internet and meet people from all over the world. So if you are about to move abroad, make some acquaintances that will give you some pointers. They will also tell you about the most serious recruitment agencies or specialized web pages.

I discovered that in most countries it is common to send a CV with a cover letter, and even when it is not common to send a cover letter, it does not hurt to send it. Specially when you are a foreigner because it is important to explain in a formal but friendly way where you are from, what your qualifications are and why you want to work for that company.

I also learned to customize my CV and cover letter. It does not matter where you are, every job is different. I look at the ad, find out something about the company and then I fix my CV.

So, do a little research before you send your first CV and good luck!

This is part 5 of our 6 part series on CVs and cover letters. You can read the previous parts here: 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Have you ever stopped to think… really think… what are the employers looking for?

When looking for a job, we generally browse the advertisements in the newspaper or on the web and read the few words contained in the ad just searching for the job title that interests us and then checking if we fulfil the requirements… sometimes we just have a look at the requirements and send our CV wherever we see that we fit the profile. However, we should take into account several things when we look at the ad and customize our letter and CV accordingly.

Employers don’t want to lose time

When there’s an opening in a company this is generally because they need someone right away, and they want the process of finding that employee to be cheap and fast.

• They don’t want to waste time reading hundreds of CVs.
• They don’t want to waste time interviewing hundreds of people.
• They don’t want to waste time and money training the new employee.

So, they do a pre-selection of CVs just browsing at the hundreds they receive, lowering the pile fast and leaving just a small percentage to take a look again.

What do employers aim at when they first scan CVs?

The aim of the employer changes according to the type of job opening. You have to read the ad carefully and then customize your CV according to it.

Let’s look at this ad:

Insurance office seeking a personable P/T Contract Receptionist. The selected candidate would be responsible for answering the telephones, creating and maintaining spreadsheets, corresponding with clients, setting appointments. 3 years of prior office experience required. 4 hr work day.

Your CV will be pre-selected if you detail your Work Experience carefully right after your Contact Details so that this is the first thing they see, explaining briefly, but purposefully, what your previous jobs involved. The employer is essentially looking for a candidate with previous experience.
Your CV will not be pre-selected if you make a long list of all your Qualifications and then include at the end a very short list of previous jobs, stating only the job title, the date and the place you worked. Employers will not waste time asking you to go for an interview to find out if your experience is relevant for this vacancy.

Now, let’s look at this second ad:

Private Pre-School is hiring a Lead teacher for our Infant classroom.
Qualifications:

• Applicant must have First Aid and CPR training.
• 2 yrs previous teaching or assistant teaching position with a public or private school system, a quality preschool, child care center or church nursery is required.
• Degree related to early childhood or preschool or elementary education.

Your CV will be pre-selected if you detail your Qualifications right after your contact information, as degree and training is the most important in this case. After they see that you are qualified, they will search for he type of work experience you had.
Your CV will not be pre-selected if you list your Qualifications in a sloppy way, for example without stating the place where you got your degree or training clearly. If you are looking for a job in a foreign country include the web page of the institution as well, and the translation of the degree using an equivalent if possible. Also, if after working in this field you had other types of job and the related experience is “buried” in an endless list of jobs, the employer may miss it and disregard your CV.

Study the company behind the ad, and customize the format of your CV

Having an idea of the type of company that is behind the ad will give you extra clues regarding the format and layout of your CV.

For example, advertising agencies will probably be looking for creative people and will therefore react positively to a CV in a special font with some colour and in an innovative style. However, a Law Firm will be looking for more conservative people, neat and serious, and will therefore appreciate a CV in a lean style with classic font and black and white.

So put yourself in the employer’s shoes and think about what information you would be looking for in a CV. Then customize your CV and cover letter in consequence.

This is the fourth part of our 6 part series on curriculum vitae and letters of motivation. You can read the previous parts here: 1, 2, and 3.

Looking for a job is a job in itself. Some people may find the right job by chance, but for the vast majority, finding the right job demands a lot of time and effort, and in some cases money. So the key is to have the right attitude to succeed in your search.

Be Patient. It is worth it.

Fortunately, if you bare the process, the result may change your life for the best. Let’s face it, most of us spend more time at work than with our family or friends, so it is worth the effort.

Take some time to think about what you really want.

Of course you need a wage to pay your bills, but selecting the right job for you is not just comparing salaries or choosing a nice position. The right job has to do with activities you enjoy, with having a sense of achievement, having the opportunity to learn and to develop your skills. The right job for you has to do with the environment in which you will be spending eight hours a day every day, the type of people you will be surrounded with, the values you stand for.  A job that is right for you will improve your  quality of life.

So, before opening the newspaper or hitting the search bar take some time to think about what you really want. What makes you happy? Try to make stereotypes aside. It seems that an administrative position in a nice office is a catch. However, if you are very outgoing and talkative and you get bored easily you may feel quite miserable in that type of job. A job that involves talking with customers facing different situations might be more appropriate for you. So think hard about all of this before you choose your target.

Be ambitious, but realistic.

Once you pinpoint your ideal job, you may face the fact that you do not have a realistic chance of obtaining it yet. But think beyond “now”, think about starting lower down the ladder and the chances the company will give you to make your way up.

Be proactive.

Now that you know what to look for, start looking actively! Where? First of all, tell your friends and family. They might come across the perfect vacancy for you. Or maybe the friend of a friend… so … spread the news! Look at the ads in the newspapers, surf the online job boards, go to recruitment agencies. But most important, if you know of a company that fits your expectations be proactive. Send a nice CV with an adequate cover letter explaining why you would be an asset for the company. It is even better to go in person, ask to speak to a person in the Human Resources department and explain why you are there. There may not be a vacancy at that moment, but they will surely remember you if a position becomes available.

Be optimistic.

Of course it takes time an effort to prepare a good CV, a good cover letter, to search for the right job and to finally hand in your CVs. However, the most stressful part of the process comes right after you send a few CVs and after you visited your dream company and learnt there are no vacancies.

It is very important to be patient, and to be positive that an opportunity will come your way. Do not despair. Stick to the plan. Continue searching for opportunities. If you go up to an employer and ask if there is a vacancy and turn around as soon as they say “No” you will never hear from them again. However, if right after “No” you hand in your CV and cover letter with a smile and explain that you will be grateful if they let you know when a vacancy opens because you are very interested in becoming part of such a prestigious company,  your possibilities to hear from them will be much higher.

Getting a job is not the end of a journey but the beginning of a new one. Life is growth. Be ready to give your best whatever you do. Be ready to learn every day. Soon you will discover that when you are the best at what you do, new jobs will start looking for you!

In part 5, we discuss what employers look for in a CV.

After Part 1 which covered winning tips for a CV and Part 2 that explained how to adapt your CV for each job you’re applying to, here is Part 3 of this six part series on résumés and cover letters.

What is a cover letter?

A cover letter or motivation letter is a letter, addressed to the person in charge of recruiting the new staff, in which you introduce yourself, explain the reason why you are sending the CV and why you are valuable for the company. It is basically a form to tempt the recruiter into reading your CV.

A good cover letter is specially important when you are applying for a job in a foreign country, because they probably find the name of the University you attended or the companies you worked for unfamiliar. It is therefore crucial that you explain in a few words where you come from, what you studied, what skills you obtained with previous jobs and why you would be valuable for the job.

A good, conscientious cover letter may be the key to obtain an interview.

People seem to be under the impression that a cover letter is no longer necessary. However, recruiters repeatedly complain about the amount of CVs they are receiving without a cover letter, and they explain that just for that reason they may discard that applicant.

Unless the advertisement expressly instructs not to send a cover letter, do. It is a great chance to make a difference. It will immediately show your interest in the job and your professionalism.

When you send your CV by email, you may want to use the cover letter as the body of the email.

When you are handing in your CV yourself, and specially if you go to a company to leave your CV in case a position becomes available in the future, a good cover letter is essential, as you will explain in it why you want a job in that specific company and why you would be an asset for it.

LENGTH.

A good letter will include just the necessary information to prove the reader you are adequate for the job. As with your CV, it has to be brief. Recruiters do not have time to waste reading a never ending letter. A couple of paragraphs will be enough if you choose the correct words.

CONTENTS. What to include in the letter?

It is a “letter”, so it should start by stating your address and  full date underneath. This information should be at the top – right corner of the letter. The address of the company you are sending it to must be beneath, but on the left of the page.

Name of the person in charge of recruiting.

It is important that you address the letter to a specific person instead of “Sir or Madam”. This will show that you know exactly where you are sending the letter. If the name is not stated in the ad, call the company and ask, or look up the name of the Head of Human Resources in their web page. And make sure you spell the name correctly!

Introduction. Why you are writing.

Explain why you are writing, what position you are applying for, if you have seen an ad in the newspaper or if you just write because you are interested in working for that company.

First paragraph. Some information about you.

The information you include will vary depending on the job you are interested in but basically you have to state your most important qualifications, what skills you have developed and why they are relevant for the position. They have to know you fulfil the requirements.

Second paragraph. Mention some of your best qualities and why they would be an asset for that company.

In a short sentence, mention some qualities and the fact that you will be a valuable addition to their staff of such a company. You may want to include some adjectives that describe the company (e.g. prestigious).

Ending. Mention you would like to have an interview and your telephone number.

End the letter stating that you would appreciate having the opportunity of an interview, and mention the telephone where they can reach you.

Finish your letter with your signature, as in any letter.

LAYOUT. Classic is always better.

Choose good quality white paper, write using a standard font and print it in black. A very creative letter may be off-putting for the recruiter.

LANGUAGE. Formal.

Remember to check your letter. The register must be formal. Avoid contractions. Concentrate on grammar and spelling. A mistake can be disastrous.

In part 4, we talk about having the right attitude when job hunting.

This blog post is the second of a 6 part series by Silvia on the topic of writing a CV and a motivation letter. Part 1 provided Tips for a Winning CV. Part 3 will be posted shortly.

Each job is different, so should be your CV.

Your CV must be targeted according to the type of job you are applying for, the type of company that placed the ad and the country and language. Customizing your CV may be the key to getting the interview that will give you the job.

It does look like a lot of work to make a new CV for every job you apply for, but it is easier than you think.

Have a full CV ready to be “pruned”

Make a complete CV. Choose a neat layout that would be acceptable for every use and divide it in the different sections a CV should have; Contact Details, Qualifications, Work Experience, Interests, etc.

Concentrate on each section and include every single part of your history in chronological order, starting from the most recent course or job. Each item should have
(1) a title corresponding to the position you had in a certain job or a certificate you obtained from a course or the degree you obtained from University (for example “Receptionist” or “Notary Public”, and if you are writing the CV in a foreign language you should include the translation, stating the equivalent degree depending on the country);
(2) name of the company you worked for or the Institute you got your certificate from (include the website if you are in a foreign country);
(3) the date ;and finally
(4) a short, concise  description of what you did there or skills you gained.

Don’t worry about length at this point. A typical CV should have a maximum of 2 pages when you send it but your full CV may be as long as 5 pages!

Remember to update it from time to time and have it ready in your computer to modify it when an opportunity arises.

What to change

Order:

Depending on the job you want to obtain, you will have to change the focus of attention in your CV. The focus will always be at the beginning of your CV and at the beginning of each section.

If applying for a job that demands work experience in a certain field, choose to start with your Work Experience. Also, if you are a professional you may want to start with that section as it is obvious you have a degree or you would not be applying for that position. This does not mean you do not need to include your Qualifications, but you may impress them more by the fact that you were the Managing Director of a certain company than by the fact that you got a degree from a certain University.

If you have little Work Experience but good Qualifications, then place these at the top.

Contents:

The employer does not need to know your biography and does not have the time to go over every detail of your history. In many cases including some information may be harmful. If you are applying for a job in financing, do you think they need to know that you took a course in French Cuisine?

When it comes to your Work Experience it is important that you leave no gaps. Therefore, you should include all. But you do not need to start from your early years. If you are an accountant and the first job you had in your life was as a waiter in a restaurant, it is not important to include it, unless you are applying for a job in that field and you want to show you know the business from other position.

Also, if your last job was not related to the position you are applying for, but you had a previous job in that field. Go into more detail when listing the previous job. The fact that that item occupies more space will draw the attention of the reader. You may even want to highlight it in some subtle way (like enlarging the font but only by half a point).

Last, but not least, remember to check carefully your contact details every time you send a CV. They will never reach you if you listed an email or telephone you no longer use.

Under no circumstances should you lie in your CV. But intelligent people always find the way to promote themselves by choosing to highlight their good qualities and disguise their flaws or shortages.

In the third part of this series, we move forward to writing a good motivation letter.

This blog post is part 1 of a series of 6 articles written by Silvia on the topic of writing a CV and a motivation letter.

When writing your Curriculum Vitae, it is essential that you follow these pointers:

LENGTH: A CV should ideally be 2 (A4) pages long.

If you wrote more than that, you probably included too many details or information that is irrelevant. You may have had a hundred jobs, but there are only a few that will interest your prospective employer, and in most cases it is sufficient for them to know where you worked last and what you did there. So be concise.

If you wrote less than that you may have left out some information that could be useful for the employer to know why you would be valuable for the job. Even if it is the first time you are looking for a job there is information about courses you took or even skills or hobbies that could be relevant. Notwithstanding the above, do not include unrelated data that will not be of interest to your employer.

LAYOUT: Keep it simple, clear and professional.

Of course a nice layout will cause a good impression, but it must serve the purpose of a CV. It should not be distractive. Employers browse hundreds of CVs and they want to spot the desired information quickly. Too many colours or different types of font may seem childish and unprofessional.

Clearly discriminate the different contents by dividing your CV in sections. The heading of each section (Work Experience, Qualifications, Interests, etc) may be highlighted by the use of bold (better than underlining).

CONTENTS: Contact information, Qualifications, Experience.

You may want to include many different things in your CV that will depict your personality and skills, but employers will read only certain information that is key. If at a first glance they see you count with the desirable qualities they will contact you to arrange an interview to get to know you better.

The essential information you have to include is: your contact details (which should be at the top of the front page), your work experience and your qualifications.

Contact information: Include your Full Name (if not clear which is your surname use upper case), address, telephone (including area code) and mobile number.

Qualifications: Include the relevant information for the job. What school you attended may not be important in most of the cases, but stating the name of the University is. If you are looking for a job in a foreign country, where the name of the University is not familiar, a good idea is to include the web page. Include dates, degree and grades if applicable. Do not include unfinished courses from which you dropped out. However it may be relevant to mention courses which you are taking at the moment of sending your CV.

Experience: Include only the relevant information. If you are applying for a job as a receptionist they will probably not care about the fact that you worked as a babysitter ten years ago, even though you believe it is a good personal reference. Nevertheless, do not leave gaps as they may find this strange and suspicious.

Optional contents: Photo*, marital status, Children. In many countries it is forbidden to request this information due to the possibility of discrimination. They may ask you in an interview if you will be willing to travel often, but they cannot ask about your marital status or whether you have children. If you are working in a foreign country you have to include the type of visa you have. And in some types of jobs (for example Nannies) it is better that you state if you have a driving license.
*This is a strong regional variant. For example, you will almost never see a candidate include his or her picture in a CV targeting the Quebec market, but a photo is often present in a CV targeting the France job market.

ORDER OF CONTENTS: Customized.

Once you have decided what information to include in your CV you must plan the order in which it will appear.

Your contact information should always be at the top of the first page, so it is easy for the employer to contact you and also because your name will be more memorable if it stands out at the top.

Qualifications and Experience should follow your contact information, but which to include first will depend on the job you are applying for and on your experience. The order should follow the principle of “the most important first”. If you have just finished your studies it is preferable that you list your qualifications first and in more detail. If you have worked in the same field of the job you are applying for, it is best to list your working experience, always starting by the most recent position.

All the rest of the information, if any, should be at the end. For example Interests and Achievements, which may be relevant in some cases but most of the time will only give “extra” information.

LANGUAGE: Should be formal, succinct, effective.

You are not writing a letter to a friend. The register of your CV must be formal.

Avoid contractions.

Write in third person instead of using “I”, or explain your experience from an objective point of view. Instead of “I was in charge of training the new staff so I learnt to be more proactive and responsible” explain it as “The position involved training the new employees, which demanded excellent managerial skills and responsibility”

Try to use action verbs which will attract the attention of the reader.

EDIT, EDIT, EDIT: Grammar and Spelling must be flawless.

A grammatical or spelling mistake in your CV can be disastrous. You will be immediately considered sloppy, which will have detrimental effects on your chances of getting an interview no matter the field. So, once it is finished, even when you were very careful while writing it, do take some time to read it with the only purpose of spotting mistakes.

If you have the chance, ask another person to read it, specially if you are writing your CV in a foreign language.

The opinion of a native will also be useful regarding the format of the CV. Even thought the pointers mentioned in this article are universal, there may be slight differences depending on the culture.

All the effort will have a reward. Remember that your CV is your first contact with the person in charge of appointing someone for your dream job, and as someone said, “you never have a second chance to make a first impression”.

In the second part, we talk about adapting your CV. according to the job you’re applying for.