CV GUIDELINESUCT Careers Advisory Service Team

The CV has many purposes, but its main aim is to get you an interview, which may

lead to a job or another opportunity. It can also serve as a self-assessment, marketing and presentation tool.

Developing a CV takes time and careful thought and effort. It is often the first interface between you and the recruiter or employer. Your CV should be carefully designed to present clear, factual data which will create a favourable impression and convey key messages about your suitability as a candidate.

To begin writing a CV you will need to reflect on who you are, where you are now, where you would like to be going and what you have to offer a prospective employer. You may also want to ask your family and friends for some input here, especially in identifying your strengths, abilities and skills. They may recognise and value qualities in you that you have overlooked.

GUIDELINES FOR THE INFORMATION REQUIRED IN A CV

CONTACT DETAILS: Name, surname, postal address, telephone and email address. This information can be presented in a header, or in a textbox on the first page. Ensure that you provide the most reliable means of contacting you at short notice. Make sure that your email address sounds professional.

OBJECTIVES: As a student or recent graduate, it is not necessary to state your career objec-tives in your CV. If you choose to do so, be specific about your current goal or intention. If you are applying for a job, link the opportunity you are interested in with what you’d like to gain in terms of skills and experience for your career path.

EDUCATION: Always start with current or most recent studies. Tertiary – include date of graduation, qualification(s) obtained, institution(s) attended, major courses. Your final year project or thesis title can be listed here.

Secondary – state institution attended, certificate attained, year of matriculation. Additional – training courses (including certificates gained, where appropriate).

AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS: Include achievements at both tertiary and Matric (or Grade 12) level. These may be academic or non-academic. Try to distinguish between achievements and awards. You may choose to exclude this section if these kinds of achievements have been few and far between. Another option is to expand this section to include leadership achievements.

WORK EXPERIENCE: List the year, position/title and the organisation with a brief outline of your duties or responsibilities. Think about how your skills and competencies helped you accomplish tasks and contributed in your role. You can include internships, voluntary, part-time and vac work opportunities under work experience. All and any work experience counts.

MAUREEN MATABANE27A Prong Road Tel: 0219026309Luton Park, 5600 Cell: 0834602628 Email: matabane@mail.uct.ac.za

EDUCATION2011 – Present University of Cape Town Bachelor of Commerce (Economics and Finance) 2006 – 2010 Glendale High School, Port Elizabeth Senior Certificate (Full Matriculation Exemption)

WORK EXPERIENCE2012 UCT Careers Service Intern (part-time) Duties: Helpdesk enquiries, projects, and routine administrative work. Responsible for initial screening of students’ CVs, updating careers resources, maintaining resources and equipment.

2011 Greasy Burger Waitron (part-time)

2010 Helping Hands Community Organisation Volunteer (part-time)

Once you have a CV, prepare a summary version as companies may sometimes ask you for a shorter, one page CV (or résumé). There is no rigid formula for a CV. No one size or shape fits all needs. Whatever format you decide on, your information should be organized in a way that allows the reader to identify important information quickly and easily. Key information includes: contact details, education and qualifications, achievements, work and other experience, key skills, interests and referees.

For most purposes, CVs should be no more than 2 pages. The challenge is to create a clear, concise and punchy personal document that will stimulate interest in you and what you have to offer.

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EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIESYou may choose to mention additional experiences, hobbies, activities, community involvement (social, family, religious, political), sports or leadership positions not covered elsewhere in your CV.

SKILLS AND ABILITIESBearing in mind the position you are applying for, list your most prominent skills and abilities. Where appropriate you can list related skills under a category heading. For example, you may want to list languages, public speaking and debating under the heading communication skills. Brief bulleted phrases are useful for this section. Provide the context for how you developed and/or applied the skill you wish to highlight. Avoid more than two to three sentences per highlighted skill, and complex narratives. Keep this section brief and to the point.

MEMBERSHIP OF PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONSList information where relevant.

PUBLICATIONS AND CONFERENCES Insert where appropriate.

REFEREESProvide the referee’s name, designation and contact details (telephone and email address) – so that the recruiter can get hold of them easily – but don’t waste space by listing each referee’s information over several lines. The person should know you and must have agreed to serve as your referee, and at least one of them should be able to comment on your recent academic performance. If you intend to retain a reference on your CV for years after you left the institution (school, university, NGO or employment) then be sure to maintain a meaningful relationship with them. Keep them up-to-date on your professional journey so that when/if they are contacted as a referee they will be able to respond with familiarity and clarity.

ATTACHMENTSIt is not necessary to attach certificates, testimonials and personal documentation unless requested.

DEALING WITH DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCESDifficult circumstances can sometimes be hard to explain concisely in a CV, but you need to adequately account for gaps in your CV. Always take care to explain career changes, fragmented work experience, limited experience, poor or incomplete academic records. Sometimes this information is best dealt with in a cover letter.

WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT Employers expect you to have read the job advert carefully and to know what the position you are applying for requires. The first thing they will check is whether or not you meet the basic requirements for the job, especially the minimum qualifications and basic skills and experience required. They will also pay attention to the presentation of your CV because this reflects who you are and how you are likely to approach tasks. Is your CV clear, logical, succinct and error-free or is it confusing and sloppy? The presentation, style and content of your CV offer a powerful first impression of you. Make it a good one! �

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