Thursday, 20 June 2013

HOW TO WRITE A GOOD C.V. (CURRICULUM VITAE)



3 THINGS A JOB SEEKER MUST KNOW ABOUT C.V.
  1. Your C.V is as good as you are
  2. Your C.V speak and tell your employers and the general public of who you are
  3. Your C.V is the expression of who and what you can do and it tells the handlers how to treat your matter
THE MAJOR ELEMENTS
Elements in C.V writing are the basic things that your C.V must contain, these are fundamental and are essential. Example are :

-   Your desired objectives and goals as it relates with your productivity and delivery
    when you are employed.

-    Personal information about your person i.e your name, sex, date of  birth, state of
     origin etc

-   Educational Background/Qualification etc

-   Previous work experiences

-   Special skills, personal interest in the area of your profession

-   Referees

ORDER OF PRESENTATION

Personal Information- These are information that relates to you, items of information that identify who you are in a nutshell. It must be precise and brief e.g Name, Sex, Marital Status, Date of Birth, State of Origin/LGA, Religion and finally Nationality or Contact Address.

Work Experience- These are your detailed information about your past experiences of where and what you have done so far in the area of work after school. It must contain the names of the companies/address, your title or post, dates of the employment and various responsibilities assigned to you during these period.

Educational Background- These are information that tells your supposed employer all they need to know about your educational status, schools attended and qualifications so far with various dates.

Skill/Area of interest- This area informs your supposed employer your capability, skills and interests as it relates to your profession and career and/or other and how it can be of immense advantage  or benefit to the company.

Referees- This area talks about people who knows you and can actually say a lot about you and your experience on the job when they are called upon. They are either your past immediate boss, subordinates or colleagues in the same career/profession and also people who can stand in for you in case of eventualities.

WHAT YOU MUST NOT INCLUDE IN YOUR C.V.
Your C.V is another way of telling people about your profile and whatever people read in your C.V. is what they take home or take you for. So, you must be guided and be careful of what and how you present every information you put in your C.V. You must avoid errors like spelling, grammar or typographical etc.

q  Your objectives/goals should never come as the last item in your C.V. or in between it.

q  If your father or mother, uncle, husband or friend has no knowledge about your career or profession and will not be in the best position to answer questions from anyone who wishes to employ you for a job, don’t put them as your referees.

q  Let your C.V. be precise, decent and well written. Never try to mange or mince space, every items of your C.V. must speak for themselves and all come out neat and tidy.

q  Never compromise your chances in presenting a C.V. for any job, by not getting a good photocopy/copier when there is need for it. Any photocopy that makes your work look rough or untidy, don’t manage it, reject it and go for the best because you are selling yourself and your C.V. is your profile as well. Note that a well presented and designed C.V. earns you more mark and attention in some cases you may not know it. It happens to me.

q  Never tell lies about your age in your C.V. because before long, the truth will be reveal.

q  Never present other people’s results as your results, it is dangerous and it is a
           criminal act punishable under the law.

q  Never claim to be who and what you are not in your C.V. because time will tell.

q  Order of schools should start from the last school you attend and end with the
           school you started with in your life  and in accordance with their dates.

q  Never make mistake of not putting your contact information such as phone
           numbers, email address and other means of contacting you in your C.V.

WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN YOU GO FOR AN INTERVIEW
Never arrive for interview late

* Dress well to show that you actually come for the interview. I had attended an interview where a guy came with slippers and T-Shirt and he was asked to go back home and come another time. I doubt if that guy will be attended to at the next appointment.

* Never wear heavy make-ups and don’t wear dresses that shows all you are expected to cover as a lady.

* Never be desperate as to wanting to bribe your way into a company during interview. I went for an interview and a guy was so desperate and offer to give the people in charge of the exercise 20% of his first salary if they help him get the job. What do you think such a guy will become if he has to work in accounting or financial department where money is to be handled?

Never go for interview to gist or to show the stuff you are made of, concentrate on what you went there for, get focused and prepare to come out successfully in your interview

      Always do your best and live the rest for God to handle.

      Never live your home for interview without praying of committing the whole exercise into God’s hands.

      Never go for interview to be eating in the open or to sleep to the extent of snoring, it is a bad habit.

      Have an enduring, friendly and cheerful attitude when you go for interview, it
           does help. Don’t be rude or insulting to whoever attended to you throughout
           your stay in the interview arena.

HOW YOUR C.V. MUST LOOK LIKE
Since your c.v speaks about you, then you must then ensure the following:

q  Your c.v. must be designed by an expert typist who knows how a c.v. should look like and just typed like ordinary word documents.

q  Your c.v. must be typed/designed with computer and not ordinary type-writer.

q  Your c.v. must not be ambiguous

q  Your c.v. must be precise

q  Every detail information needed by your employer to take a concrete and decisive action on your person must be included, for instance, some people live out the portion of ‘Referees’ blank in their c.v. with the intention  of responding to it when the company called them to ask. No, what suggest to you that they will call you again.  You may not even have another chance or opportunity to speak with the company or hear from them and in most cases you are termed as unserious person.

ANSWERING QUESTIONS AT THE INTERVIEW
Some people go for interview not sure of themselves or what they can do or offer
as regards the work they applied for and at the end they loose out and not able to
convince their employer or interviewer of what they know or can do about the job.
I am vast in the use of computer and internet, then I entered into administration,
anytime I attended interviews, I take control of myself, my thinking, answers and
because of my knowledge and ability in my area of specialization, I always end up
convincing the interviewers that I am the right candidate for the job as far
experience is concern.
Note that, you might not have the require qualification at some point and you
Want to attend an interview with what you have, but let your experience,
competence and courage speak for you. All these have helped me on several
occasion and I was always been called up for the jobs in some cases I turned down
the offer if am not interested.

Other things you must prepare for when you go for an interview:
q  Never attend interview late

q  Don’t enter the interview room to seat down until you are told to do so.

q  Don’t panic, be bold, courageous and be confident in yourself.

q  Try to answer one question at a time.

q  Any question you don’t know, don’t tell lie or try to impress the interviewers by saying wrong things. Simply say or tell them that you don’t know and don’t ever waste the panel’s time.

q  When it appears as if you are been rushed by the interviewers as they throw questions at you, be calm, don’t be offended or allow your temper to rise such that can confuse you. Simply tell them in a polite way that they should allow the questions to come one after another so that you can answer them correctly. If the job you apply for is such that you must face pressure from the public, your interviewers or employer might want to test your temperamental status, so, you must keep it cool and calm.

q  Never live an interview without asking question(s), get to know what the company you come to do or their area of business. Ask every interesting questions that will help you to take a good decision whether if they employ you for the job, you will take it or not. Remember, not all jobs you can take or venture into.

q  If you are not satisfied with your performance at the interview, never live the arena with hurts or anger in your mind, at least let it not be obvious that you are angry or hurt. Live the interview arena peacefully, quietly and smiling.

q  After the interview, try to live the interview arena and go home, don’t stay or hang around and begin to gist with other people by trying to tell them what to do and what not to do when it is their turn to go in.

 Sincerely Yours
Abayomi John Elliott











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