UK Job Search
What is a CV/Resume?
Despite the confusion that “CV” and “résumé” may cause in other countries many UK job applicants are conscious of the fact that both terms carry the same definition regardless of their academic standing or job search criteria. However, despite the literal definition of CV/resume that hundreds of job seekers applying for jobs in the UK have come to understand there is still some confusion regarding the overall content that should be included in a CV. This enigma has been the main cause for hundreds of incorrectly formatted and presented CV/résumés being shredded by job recruiters —even if the applicants have all the qualities and expertise that the organisation is looking for. The reason for this is simple: some applicants get lost in the literal meaning of CV/résumé and fail to create one that is objective and formatted according to the current accepted style.
So what then is a CV/résumé? In its simplest definition, a CV/résumé is a standardised formatted document that highlights key information about an applicant that is interested in a vacancy. The length of the CV can vary from person to person as this depends on the information that is being presented to qualify an individual for a position in an organisation. Someone that has years of experience to present (and which is relevant to the vacancy in question) will have far more pages of information than someone that is just hitting the job market. However, length does not define a good CV/résumé and we have carefully selected other factors that should be taken into consideration to define a well-written CV.
Objective: A CV has to be objective to be taken seriously. CVs that are lengthy and not answering basic questions related to experience, years of service, contact information, educational information, skills, accreditation and references are rarely given a second look. A CV should be objective enough to grab a job recruiter’s attention in 15 seconds and not 15 minutes; because the former is basically all the time that your CV will have to be short listed.
Personal: Your CV should be written with a personal tone to it. It should not be written as if you are mentioning another person’s information. This however does not mean that the use of “I”, “You”, “We”, “Us” and “Am” should be scattered profusely throughout the information being presented.
Factual: Some job applicants in the UK are guilty of sprucing up their résumés with false skills, qualifications and even references. This has led to a number of prison sentences and of course a damaged reputation in the job market. Therefore, ensure that all the information and claims that are being made on your CV can be defended with facts and not wishful thinking.
Relevant: Job recruiters do not want to see a CV full of irrelevant information that has absolutely nothing to do with the vacancy in question. Some job seekers in the UK get tempted to send in their CVs during a vacancy selection process with the hope that they are considered for the future position in the company despite the fact that they do not have the skills in question. However, this approach is often interpreted as intrusive rather than an applicant taking an initiative to get hired for a future job.
Informative and Updated: Your CV should be informative delivering exactly what the job recruiter is looking for based on the information outlined in the job description. If you have years of experience behind your name, then highlight the most relevant and up-to-date parts of your work history.
Clear: It is easy to get lost with so many CV formats that are being sold as the “best way to prepare a CV”. However, clarity in the information that is being presented is essential to be considered as a professional job seeker instead of a desperate one in the recruiter’s eyes.