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Unless you are lucky enough to be offered a new job based on who you know, the chances are you will need a CV / Resume.
Here at SEOvacancies HQ, we see many CVs, some good…some bad….. and some really quite ugly. Of course, it is not our place to comment on specific CVs either way as we are just the medium through which work is found – we don’t operate as an agency. Still, that doesn’t stop us having an opinion on what makes a good CV.
For many people, the only CV/Resume that they see is there own and as such they don’t have anything to bench mark it against.
Below are a few pointers that should get you going.
Preparation:
I’ve learnt the hard way over the years that preparation is key and writing a new CV is no exception. Sit down and think about the jobs that you have had, make a note of start/end dates and most importantly, think about the work you did and your key achievements whilst there.
Key achievements are the making of a good CV. An employer wants to see that you have made a difference to your current and past employers – the unstated inference is that you will make a difference for them too. List key projects etc where you have really added value.
Layout:
Almost view your CV as a new design project. The document should be inviting to read, plenty of white space and in a professional looking font that is not too small – 10pt Arial is our favourite – anything smaller than this is a no-no. Try to avoid fonts like Comic Sans as they send out completely the wrong message.
Length – remember that your CV should be inviting to read, this means 2-3 pages maximum and not War & Peace. Try and aim for 2 pages but if you have been working for a while and had a number of jobs then 3 pages will be acceptable.
Where to put what – most recruiters will assess and dismiss a CV in less than 10seconds so it’s vital that your CV is easy to skim read and that your key information is on page 1. Key information will include a short but punchy profile, a list of key achievements and the detail of your current or most recent job.
Page 2 can continue with your employment history, academic history, hobbies, interests etc.
So:
Page 1: Name/Address
Page1: Profile or Summary
Page 1: List of Key Achievements
Page 1: Current or most recent job
Page 2 : History of jobs in reverse order
Page 2: Academic Achievements / Training / Skills Summary
Page 2: Hobbies / Interests / References
The only time I would break this rule would be if you are a recent graduate or similar. In this case, your academic history is effectively your “first job” and should always be listed on page 1. Remember to provide information on final year projects and your involvement in them.
Content:
Selling yourself doesn’t come naturally to many people, even for those that work in the SEO and PPC marketplace. This is your chance to show how you have made a difference and why an employer should bring you in for an interview.
Saying you are an SEO Specialist is not enough – remember to provide URL’s and keywords that you have optimised. Also list their position in the SERPS so employers can see your work for themselves. Don’t forget to talk about the work that goes into optimising a site, thereby demonstrating your knowledge of what to do and proving (via listed results) that you can do it.
You might want to give an overview of how a site performed before your involvement and how it now fares given your magical touch. You want the reader to think “if they can do this for xyz Company imagine what they can do for me”
Don’t forget to talk about your other skills; communication, customer service, empathy, knowledge sharing, copywriting, man management, team leading, new business development etc.
Within reason, aim to provide a couple of key achievements for your most recent roles. If you’re struggling for space, try not to go into too much detail about what you did over and above 5years ago – the industry moves so quick that in-depth commentary on out of date techniques or technologies is a waste of good paper.
Training and personal development is important. If you’re GAP qualified then put if on but please use some common sense. Are people really going to be interested in that first aid course you did 15years ago?
Summary:
I could write pages and pages about composing a good CV but everybody is different. However, the basic rules are the same. Put yourself in the shoes of a busy recruiting manager who needs to interview but doesn’t really have time….. Who are they going to interview? The candidate who sends in a CV that talks around the point and not much more or YOU – armed with a CV that is short, concise and tells them immediately that you know what you are doing, can be productive from day 1 and will generate a ROI quicker than a flash of lightning?
I’ll let you decide.
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