CV GUIDE
LAND A JOB IN THE NEXT 90 DAYS!
Tips of my Recruiter:
�Step 1 — Format:
Make sure you have no formatting errors and the format is consistent throughout the resume. Cmon, will I really not get the job because of a formatting error? Yes, if you are a Engineer or a Project Manager that will be paid to get the small details right, these errors show carelessness. Consistency is important, so putting the company name over position or vice-versa, where you put the dates, etc., does not matter as long as those items are in the same place for each position.
Lastly, I strongly discourage creative resumes when applying for positions that are not in the creative space. Why, because they are harder to read. When you have seconds to attract and excite your audience and they have to search for the information because of a funky format, they will likely move on to the next applicant. I will go through all sections of the resume, but typically your format should start with a header, followed by a summary, your work experience, education, and a technical summary.
And the last big question on format is how many pages? No more than three, think of your audience, think seconds, two pages is ideal, but if your experience goes onto a third page, no big deal. One page resumes made more sense when they were not reviewed digitally.
Step 2 — Experience:
You will get the most differing opinions on what to put in this section from articles, Resume Writers, etc. Typically, when Hiring Managers or Recruiters look at someone’s experience, they are looking for two specific items, what did you do and what did you accomplish. Job responsibilities are important because your audience needs to know the day to day role and accomplishments are important because your audience wants to know you are great. The responsibilities should be concepts that can be condensed and grouped together. For example if you are an Engineer you might group all the technologies you work/worked on under one bullet. The accomplishments should be as specific as possible. For example, increased company earnings by 500K over a two year span by implementing Salesforce to track and retain customers with an annual spend of over 100K. This type of accomplishment demonstrates an ability to save the company money (a specific amount), in a certain period of time (months or years), by implementing technology (a specific tool).
The second critical piece is using the right verb tense. Each bullet (yes, all responsibilities and accomplishments should have a bullet) should start with a present or past tense verb. A bullet/s in your current job can be past tense if the accomplishment is complete. Go back through your resume and make sure that all the bullets for your past positions start with past tense verbs. Also, an easy way to replace bullets starting with Responsible for, is to use Handle/Handled, Perform/Performed, Compile/Compiled, etc.
Step 3 — All Other Stuff:
Hobbies, references, and personal information, I don’t recommend these items because this information will not preclude you from getting a job, but it can block you. I have not moved forward with a candidate and I know Hiring Managers that have not moved forward with a candidate because of questionable items written in these sections. Specifically, I questioned the candidate’s decision making skills and erred on the side of caution by moving forward with others. For candidates outside the United States, including a photo and personal information is not typical in the US.
The only disclaimer on this section is knowing your audience. For instance if you are applying to a company that is a big supporter of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and you have been volunteering for this organization for the last twenty years, you may want to include a volunteer section on your resume. But if your resume is a strong match for the organization, not listing this item would not preclude you from getting an interview.
Step 4 — Edit & Review:
Edit, edit, edit, reread, reread, reread, and then share it with a friend, family member, or colleague to review. Why? The people that review your resume will catch simple mistakes you cannot see because you have reviewed it too many times. They will also be able to tell you, hey, this doesn’t make any sense. If your resume doesn’t make sense to someone in this group, it is not going to make sense to the people you are trying to impress.
Start with your contact information:
List your work experience in reverse chronological order:
Detail your education:
Highlight your skills:
Include relevant projects, publications, or certifications:
Add optional sections as needed:
Format your CV properly:
Proofread and edit:
Tailor your CV for each application:
Use these as a checklist for your resume!
A CV is a concise, informative summary of your abilities, education, and experience. It should highlight your strongest assets and skills, and differentiate you from other candidates seeking similar positions. Although it alone won’t get you a job or internship, a good resume is an important factor in obtaining an interview. Tailor your resume to the type of position you’re seeking. This doesn’t mean that all of your experiences must relate directly, but your resume should reflect the types of skills the employer would value.
RESUME
TIPS
ACTION VERBS YOU SHOULD BE USING
GUIDE ON HOW FRESHERS CAN SHOW THEIR EXPERIENCE
Lets use the example of “Person A trying to get a job as a project manager but
he only has experience being the captain of a cricket team”
Section 1: Identifying Transferable PM Skills
Research typical project manager job descriptions and list the key hard and soft skills
required such as:
· Leadership
· Communication
· Planning/scheduling
· Problem solving
· Resource Allocation
· Time management
· Decision making
· Negotiation
Section 2: Skills Mapping
Create a table with 2 columns:
· Column 1 lists the key PM skills required
· Column 2 provides 3-4 detailed examples of instances where you demonstrated these
· skills as cricket team captain:
· Leadership: United players around common goals, motivated players through
· challenges, represented team at key meetings
· Communication: Addressed team clearly at practices/games, actively listened to
· concerns, collaborated closely with coaches
· Planning/Scheduling: Planned training schedules, set calendars, coordinated
· logistics for events
· And so forth with examples for other PM skills
Section 3: Structuring Your Resume
Without formal roles/responsibilities to list, structure your resume around showcasing
relevant skills in context:
· Profile section summarizes your cricket leadership experience
· Skills section allows you to directly list PM abilities gained with supporting examples
· Cricket team captain section provides overview of your roles/responsibilities
· Select highlights relate back to PM skills demonstrated
To go more into depth - this is how you can translate the experience into a CV/Resume Bullet
point:
Focus on accomplishment statements over duty descriptions
Good example:
· Coached 3 junior players to improve batting averages by over 20% in one season
Bad example:
· Provided cricket coaching
Quantify and qualify achievements when possible
Example:
· Resolved intra-team conflicts that were affecting player morale, leading to a 30% increase in team unity score over one season
Emphasize transferable skills vs cricket details
Example:
· Displayed time management abilities by effectively balancing 15 hours of cricket commitments on top of academics resulting in honour roll standing
Structure bullet points to highlight leadership scope
Example:
· Captained cricket team of 15 players and 3 assistant coaches through 3 seasons of competitive play
Use keywords from the job description
Example:
· If leadership is a priority - "Captained a premier league cricket team of 15 players for 3 competitive seasons, devising training strategies that improved the team's batting average by 20%"
Where relevant, convey business-style responsibilities:
Examples:
· Developed customised training regimen that increased player fitness by 25%
· Controlled budgeting and logistics for 5 team fundraising events, raising over $5K
EXAMPLE CV
[Student]
Los Angeles, CA | LinkedIn | 562-111-1111 | hello@google.com
EDUCATION
San Jose State University San Jose, CA
BS in Business Administration, Marketing (GPA: 3.9) Graduation Date: June 2020
WORK EXPERIENCE
Company Los Angeles, CA
Marketing Strategist September 2020 – Present
Company San Jose, CA
Sales Manager January 2019 - January 2020
Company San Francisco, CA
Seasonal Sales Associate April 2018 – September 2018
LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
Association of Latino Professionals For America (ALPFA) Riverside, CA
Director of Professional Development April 2017 – Present
Second Harvest Toronto, ON
Volunteer Lead March 2019 – May 2019
SKILLS & INTERESTS
Skills: Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint) | Sprout Social | Salesforce | HubSpot | Qualtrics | CRM
Interests: Marketing & Operations, Analytics, Career Consulting, Speaking at Universities, Basketball
The student follows a clear pattern for the CV and simple formatting
No grammatical mistake by the student
Include volunteer experience if you have any. Focus on Project details like that is your Work Experience
Downloadable link just dedicated on how to tailor: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1sLjysQ59tyAKO_ZlbJ5v2TJKAN-pCuhH/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=111008112803338865997&rtpof=true&sd=true
The student has added figures and strategies on how he obtained them, the XYZ method
Downloadable link for resume: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MRYDJH85ALRzST0O6rtNGL2ykftAx1uh/edit
Downloadable link for resume: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MRYDJH85ALRzST0O6rtNGL2ykftAx1uh/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=111008112803338865997&rtpof=true&sd=true
Dear Morgan Smith:
I am a senior at XYZ College studying ABC. I am writing to apply for the
Marketing and Communications position at Jumpstart. I'm very excited about the field of education, and would welcome the opportunity to bring my strong communication skills, creativity, and marketing experience to your growing
team.
Jumpstart's commitment to early education for every child is of particular interest to me because
of my passion for youth development. This past summer, I worked as a senior counselor in the
Summer Urban Program, which is dedicated to preventing summer learning loss for children in
the Boston and Cambridge area. I designed and taught fun, interactive classes to a group of 10
fifth graders, and planned and led local field trips and workshops daily with a junior counselor.
Throughout the summer, I consistently strived to create math, science, and reading lessons and
activities that were engaging and tailored to my students' needs.
Additionally, in my role as the Director of Marketing for the Social Innovation Collaborative, I
led our team in creating a social media strategy to drive our member recruitment efforts and
promote our programs and events on platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
With so many competing events on campus each day, I had to continually be creative in my
approach to developing and delivering content that would be compelling and effective. As a
result of my efforts, our group experienced a 20% increase in our membership base and a 15%
increase in our social media engagement. I’m excited at the prospect of bringing the skills I
developed through this experience to the Marketing and Communications role at Jumpstart.
Thank you for your consideration. I very much look forward to the opportunity to speak with you
in person about my interest in this position.
Sincerely,
SAMPLE COVER LETTER