CV 4 Jobs

As much as I preach and offer CV advice about the subject I still come across jobseekers that are sending the exact same CV for all jobs without tweaking or amending it. They leave the CV Layout, CV Format & CV Content the same. If this is you – then your job hunting is flawed and you will miss out on important interviews. Jobseekers with a general CV that they send to all jobs are saying to the recruiters – I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU WANT!!

CV Advice – Employer focused CV

As soon as you accept that every job is different and each employer is different you will appreciate that your CV must also be different and amended for each job you apply for. This could be major overhaul BUT it could also be minor tweaking. If an employer does not see what they want to in a short space of time they will file your CV under “B” for BIN

CV Advice – No pain no gain

Yes this will make the application process that little bit more time consuming BUT who said job hunting was easy. When you begin tailoring your CV for particular jobs then you will start to see increases in positive results.

If you need help and CV advice a professional can help.

I was asked an interesting question today – “Is there any difference in CV Layout, CV Format or CV Templates for the various counties in the South of Ireland?” I will quickly answer this question and then give some general information on CV Templates, CV Formats and CV Layout in Ireland.

Answer – There are 26 counties in Republic of Ireland and from experience the same CV principles apply to all 26. In fact the same principles will apply to most countries. Can anyone name the 26 counties? Answer at the bottom of the post BUT I am sure you all got it.

CV Template in Ireland

There are many CV templates used in Ireland varying from simple to fancy. Personally I sway towards simple. Whatever CV Template you use it should contain the following – Personal Details, Education & Training, Work Experience and Hobbies & Interests. The order of these will depend on the role and your background. Other topics can include Value Statements, Key Skills, Additional Information and References.

CV Format in Ireland

The most popular format in Ireland in Chronological CV. Most recruiters expect this type of CV and can access information easily. There are other formats that can be used in certain situations. This post will provide more information on CV Format.

CV Layout in Ireland

CV Layout is equally important in a CV. Ensure that you have a focused CV and this will ultimately dictate your Layout. Do you want to know how to focus your CV?

Here are list of counties promised – Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon, Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow, Clare, Cork, Kerry Limerick, Tipperary & Waterford

Cover Letter Tips — CV Writing Tips & Help

CV Format

CV format is very important when writing a CV for the Irish job market or in fact any job market. Ignore this element and it will cost you valuable interviews. There are a number of popular formats which I will discuss but my advice is that a CV is a fluid document so never take a strict approach to CV format.

CV Format – The chronological CV

This is perhaps the most popular CV in Ireland. This is because recruiters expect it and find it easy to read and get the information the need. Basically it is a CV style that lists most relevant work experience first and works backwards. This option is great if you have continuous work experience with little job hopping. It is also great when your most recent work experience or qualifications are relevant to the role that you are applying for. This CV format can cause problems when you are returning to work after a long period out, when you have gaps in employment, when you have switched jobs regularly or when the most recent work experience is not relevant to the role that you are applying for. In these cases you might consider another CV format. There are a number of other CV format styles that I will discuss in later posts including the Competency CV or Functional CV.

CV Format is just one element for CV success.

Selecting a CV style is just one aspect of CV design. There are many other important points including basics like spelling & grammar but also layout and content. This site has free advice on CV writing so feel free to browse for information to help you design an impact CV. Read this useful article.

CV Service in Ireland

There are many CV service providers in Ireland to help you on the road to career success. Measurability offer CV services for professionals across Ireland. Visit www.measurability.ie for more information about the services.

Interviews can be challenging events which can through up a wide variety of possibilities. There are many different types of interview that you can face such as traditional interviews, competency based interviews or behavioural interviews, panel interviews and phone interviews. But what about the different types of interviewer. Below are different types of interviewer that you may face at interview and how to handle them.

The different types of Interviewers

“Buddy” Interviewer – They will smile and joke and get you to relax at interview. They can fall into two categories – just a poor interviewer who wants to be liked OR a skilled interviewer trying to get you to relax and reveal more information. You need to be friendly with this interviewer but don’t drop your guard.

“Inquisitor” Interviewer – This interviewer has a poker face and never cracks a smile. Normally throws a stream of tough questions. Try to remain calm and project confidence. Don’t be put off by the tough exterior as all interviewees will get this treatment. This type of interviewer believes that the real you will come out under pressure.

“Laser Beam” Interviewer – These interviewers have one topic and will focus on this area. The best approach is to try to satisfy their request for information on this issue. This will normally satisfy their agenda.

This article was provided by an interview expert in Ireland offering interview coaching across Dublin, Meath, Louth and Kildare.

If you would like to read about three additional types of interview visit this post.

Interview Tips, Skills & Techniques

You invest time into writing your CV and now feel you have a document that will make an impact and get you interviews. A strong CV will help but it is only part of the process for securing interviews. You have to distribute your CV. Easy you might say but you would be surprised how many individuals I meet who can’t seem to find jobs and manage their job search ineffectively. Below are some of the key channels to explore.

Recruitment Agencies

This is a popular resource for jobseekers as it takes the hard work out of finding a job. Send your CV off to an agency and sit back and wait for the interviews. There are some important points to remember when dealing with agencies. You need to find the right agencies for your skills so you must research the market. A tip to find suitable agencies is to see what agencies are advertising for your skills on the job boards and or you can ask for recommendations from friends or work colleagues. You must also try to meet the recruiter and build a relationship. A final point is to take the initiative and keep in touch with your recruiter(s). They may not have a job for you immediately and you cannot assume that they will call when they get a suitable job. Agencies house thousands of CV’s and recruiters vary in ability.

Job boards

CV databases are an increasingly popular tool offered by job boards in Ireland. You submit your CV to the job board database and the job board will offer this database to employers as part of their service. This is still in its infancy in Ireland and I question how many recruiters or employers actually put the effort in to searching the databases. If you want a good database try this job board.

Sending out speculative CV’s

It has been many moons since I heard of a jobseeker walking the local industrial estates and distributing CV’s. With the market tightening in Ireland this practice may return. If you cannot find suitable jobs online, with agencies or in the papers then go and look for them. This is a time consuming approach BUT an option all the same.

If you need help with CV distribution or you want professional advice on job search strategies in Ireland why not seek help from an expert. Help jobseekers nationwide – Dublin, Meath, Louth, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford, Sligo and all other counties.

I hope you find the FREE CV advice on this site useful.

For those new to the site it has information on CV writing, CV format, CV layout, CV mistakes, CV lies and much much more.

A CV is a key ingredient for success in the job market and you must get it right to make an impact and get the opportunity to interview.

If want more advice or a professional CV service visit this site.

Why do CV’s get rejected?

There are many reasons why a CV can be rejected by the employer and this post will examine some of those reasons.

CV has poor visual layout

Employers need to be able to find information quickly. You may use the correct wording, grammar and language but if it is difficult to find the information the employer will move onto the next CV. You should have plenty of “white space” on your CV, you should have clear headers and ideally use bullet points. Use white paper and uniform font and font size.

CV that is too long

I normally suggest that individuals try to keep a CV to two pages, unless a client requests that you provide a longer CV. If you find it difficult keeping your CV to two pages you are obviously writing the CV for you and you have not understood what the client is looking for. Remember employers only want to read information that is relevant for them and their recruitment needs.

CV that gives a poor first impression

Like most things in life first impressions count – this is also true for CV’s. You have a 20-30 second window to make an impact. Fail to deliver and fail to get an interview. An employer may have a pile of CV’s to review. Place the information that matters on the first page. Do not leave it to chance that an employer will read to the end of your CV

If you need help with preparing an impact CV why not seek the help of a professional.

When I review CV’s for jobseekers the big mistakes are obvious such as lack of focus, poor format, not selling the owner and poor content.

Ok – you can excuse jobseekers for these mistakes as they are not experts. But you cannot excuse jobseekers for the basic bloopers.

Here are some common basic mistakes you should avoid.

Misspellings & poor grammar – Ok you have a Degree but if you spell it “Degre” you will not make the impact that you want.

Chronological order (Reverse) – Employers want to read the newest stuff first.

Contact details – It will help the employer of they can contact you. I am amazed the number of CV’s I read with wrong phone numbers or email addresses.

Email address – Let’s be sensible about this. Blondandsexy@hotmail.com may not make the impression that you want.

Need a CV reviewed and designed then contact us now.

Offering expert CV advice in Ireland – Leinster (including Meath, Dublin, Louth, Kildare, Wicklow), Munster (including Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Waterford), Connaught (including Galway, Sligo, Mayo)

Quite often the CV is not the problem

I regularly get requests for CV writing and design services from jobseekers only to find out that this is actually not the problem. When jobseekers are not attending interviews it is obvious to think the CV is not working. Quite often the CV is reasonable and the problem lies in level of activity and job search strategies. This is where a little black recruitment book comes in handy as it will provide a clear picture of what you are doing. It sounds obvious but if you are not applying for jobs you will not get any interviews.

Are you struggling in the job market and don’t know why. Speak to an expert!!