You may print out the entire CV course notes from this page, including the examples and activities.  Just select the parts you want then go to your printer and tell it to print the selection.

This section contains the following topics:

• Preparing an effective curriculum vitae
• Creating a portfolio
• The application letter
• Letter of application checklist

Preparing an Effective Curriculum Vitae or Resume

What a CV does for you

Curriculum Vitae, Resume, CV - whatever you call it, it serves the same purpose.  It is probably the most important tool you have when applying for a job.  Your CV speaks volumes for you and  a top notch CV gives a prospective employer a very good idea of your talents and what you are capable of.  A poorly put together CV can do the same thing, except not in your favor. 

There are several ways you can approach CV writing

1. One is to create a new CV from scratch with each job application. 
2. Two is to keep a master copy, which includes absolutely everything you will ever need in your CV, and just cut out the bits you don't need each time you use it to apply for a job. 
3. The third method is to use a basic all purpose CV and submit the same one each time.  This method is not generally recommended, except in emergency situations only. 

Definitely try the second method for maximum success - this will save you lots of time which you can devote to preparing a really excellent application letter to go with your targeted CV.
Whichever way you choose, you will need to think about the information you will need.   As you work your way through the following pages - start taking notes.

Some hints on how to get started

You could use a CV or resume wizard in any good word processing package to help you build a tailor-made curriculum vitae with the sections you want - or you could have a look at the resume information at www.monster.com.

You could also consider using coloured and textured A4 bond quality paper, which can be loaded into a Laser printer for a more professional touch. Another idea is to insert a head and shoulder photograph of yourself on the curriculum vitae. The image could be scanned and inserted into your document for a special effect, near the main heading. Choose layout, heading framework and a colour scheme that is different from most standard curriculum vitaes - allow yourself to be noticed! 

Use a font size which can be easily read, but not too large.  Insert a footer on each page wqith your name and page number.  After deciding on the stationery and the design, you then need to consider the formatting style and the sections to include.

• name
• contact details - address, telephone numbers, email address
• a list of personal strengths
• employment experience
• educational data
• additional sections - usually achievements/interests/hobbies/languages spoken, special skills and several referees

No need to write your whole life story - even personal information such as age, marital status, race, height and weight, are not normally included. 

A resume is a form of business communication, which should be concise and to the point.  There should be no mention of 'I' or 'me'.  For example instead of saying

'I developed a new system which increased profits'

put:  'Developed new system which increased profits'

List your personal strengths:

A good place to list your personal strengths is after your name and contact details.  This  gives the advantage of a strong lead in.   Avoid making it too flowery or too general.  Be precise and to the point (this applies throughout your CV).  You can  state what your specialty is,  the scope of your experience and your areas of interest. 

Employment Experience

This usually comes before Educational Background (unless you have just finished a long stretch of study for a qualification).  In each section you must use positive language which explains your skills and qualities well.  For example, don't write:

Employment Experience

Carlton Breweries 1992-1994
Office Clerk

This undersells your abilities and skills.  Enhance your data, by describing the information accurately and explicitly like this:

Employment Experience

1992-1994 Carlton United Breweries                            

Position: Office Clerk

Duties Performed:

Customer service, Telephone enquiries, Filing of Accounts, Stock Control, Computer Input- Sales/Marketing Statistics, Banking, Petty Cash, Cheque Preparation, Assist Accounts Receivable Manager.

You can describe each entry under a descriptive sub-heading, by indicating specific responsibilities, achievements or initiatives you were involved in. This is your supporting evidence, and this communicates to the employer your knowledge of each of the positions you were employed in.

You can use bullet points instead of a paragraph to identify the specifics of the position like this:

Responsibilities:

• Handled client telephone enquiries and competently solved difficulties.
• Set up a secure filing system to facilitate effective tracing of accounts.
• Supervised the organisation of stock control activities at month end on a periodic basis.
• Designed procedure for collection and input of data relating to sales/marketing statistics.
• Assisted in preparation of cheques for the accounts payable manager.
• Was responsible for setting up new electronic banking procedure, using new technology for recording of data.
• Trained staff in the procedure of electronic banking.
• Assisted accounts receivable manager in organisation of debt collection letters to clients.
• Liaised with debt collection agency in recovery of outstanding account payments.

Using sub-headings to identify your employment experience, can highlight the duties you performed (don't make the mistake of going overboard with detail and make it a boring list of job duties).  To create a resume which is a cut above the rest go beyond what was required of you and concentrate more on the difference you made, how the workplace benefited from your performance and what the results were of your efforts.  Be prepared to have evidence to back up your statements.  Stick to facts and not opinions.

Employers want to see how your skills have been used in the jobs you have done.  Be honest with your employment record, employers can (and do) check. 

Complete each position/work experience entry in the same way.  The employer will be interested in your most recent experience with employment and education - so a reverse order approach is best (starting with the most recent date of achievement and working back).  No need to list absolutely every job you ever had, employers are most interested in your experience over the past 10 years or so.

Educational Background

This is where you list your qualifications or courses you have done, or are currently studying.

Avoid writing an incomplete entry like this:

Educational Background

Victoria University of Technology 1994 - 1995

Word Processing Course

Describe this by extending the information:

Educational Background

1994 - 1995 Victoria University of Technology

Word Processing Certificate (Word For Windows 6)

Successfully passed the following learning outcomes:

• Creating, editing, formatting, printing documentation
• Designed tables, brochures, newsletters, memoranda, business letters
• Learned merge function, desk-top publishing techniques, advanced table generation.

A consistent approach

Continue each educational background entry in the same way - keep it concise, but be sure to give information that shows the prospective employer what you can do, that is relevant to the workplace.  If you can’t remember what was covered in a training course, then it is a good idea to revise your course brochures and if possible, the course outlines to support your memory.

Activities and interests

Only include those that say something positive about you as a prospective employee.  Outside interests can indicate your ability to lead a team, and can identify other skills required in a working environment. Voluntary work, sporting activities, coaching activities, baby-sitting activities all show the employer something important about you. These activities show that you have a well rounded approach to dealing with people.  For instance:

• Coaching a team - motivation skills, team building skills, organisational skills, management skills.
• Voluntary work - interest in community, team building, assisting others, reliability, trustworthiness.
• Baby sitting - reliability, trustworthiness, capable of providing a safe environment.

The most important skill - Communication

One extremely important skill underlying all of these activities is effective communication skills. Communication skills are used in just about every aspect of work. Be sure not to undersell this often hidden requirement.  Make sure you work out a way to demonstrate this in your CV.

Other categories a CV could include:

• Languages Spoken

Don’t give a single word entry like Russian.  Describe this by: Fluent in the Russian Language or, if this is true: Fluent in the Russian Language - (speaking, reading and writing skills)

• Professional Memberships

This is an option for those professional people who subscribe to a professional association, for example:
Member Linguistics Society - Melbourne University
Member Australian Institute of Personnel Management

• Professional Interests

This is an option for those who wish to express their professional interests as a summary or preamble. This works well on the first page after the personal data entries and if the entries are written in point form they are easy to read. 

For example:

• Interested in creating new forms for clients to use, to assist in collection of information.
• Interested in assisting clients who are in need of urgent assistance.
• Interested in developing new systems to improve efficiency in the workplace.

Referees

These are the people that prospective employers contact to check out that what you have said about yourself is correct. 

Include several current referees. It is important that these people can be easily contacted and have given you permission to use them as referees.  This is an area you need to think carefully about - these people will be speaking directly about their experience with your skills and abilities in the workplace.   If it is difficult to get referees relating to your employment experience, you will need to think about using people who can vouch for you as a student, or community member, and back up what you have stated in your resume - especially important in the personal strengths area.

Written references are not usually attached to the CV - but are included with your portfolio. 

Targeting your CV

Each job application should be treated as being one of a kind.  After you have obtained the details about the job, check out what is required for you to be considered for an interview.  What sort of skills, experience, qualifications you need - this is known as the key selection criteria.  If you think the job fits in with what you have to offer, think about all the relevant information you have which outlines your employment, experience and educational background in relation to this position.  You are now ready to target your CV.

If you have created your CV to cover absolutely everything, now is the time to start pruning.  So that you do not loose all the information in your main document, use the save as function on your computer to create a new document which you can start working on.

Focus on what's relevant to the job.  List employment or voluntary work experience, subjects or topics covered in your education, anything that relates to the job being applied for.  This will help the employer in the selection process. 

Take out any personal interests which are not relevant to the job being applied for.  These should only be included if they show something positive about you as a candidate for the job.

Make use of industry buzz words - as long as you know what they mean - don't get caught out here.  Good use of industry keywords sprinkled throughout your resume can be a positive and get your resume noticed.

When tailoring your resume for a particular job application, ask yourself:  will this statement land me an interview?  Only include information where the answer is yes.  There is no rule about the appropriate length of a resume.  Just remember that too much detail can take away from what is really important.  The most important guide is that every word should sell what you have to offer.

Check and re-check !!

One typo can land your resume in the bin.  So proofread, proofread and proofread again.   Have someone else check it for you.   Read it forwards and backwards (this is a little trick for picking up errors which can be overlooked by tired eyes).   The document is a refection on you and should be spot on.

Activity 1- Creating a curriculum vitae

Proceed to the Careers online site and look at layouts of resumes and try the resume generator activity to build your resume (curriculum vitae) writing.  Don't forget to save your CV to floppy disk so that you can easily update it when needed.  Bookmark this page so that you can return safely and continue.

If you do not have access to the internet, start a new word processing document to create your CV.  As mentioned earlier the following headings are usually included:

Name:

Contact Details: (address, telephone numbers, email)

Personal Strengths:

Employment Experience: (mose recent first)

Educational Background:

Additional sections may include:

special skills/achievements
interests/hobbies
languages spoken

Referees: (always include several current referees - don't forget to check with them first)

 

Activity 2 - Creating a portfolio

A portfolio is your evidence of suitability for the position. Create a portfolio to display relevant materials in sections. Place in your portfolio your curriculum vitae (resume), certificates, samples of work you created during your training, relevant to the position, and references or letters of recommendation.

This portfolio of your work can be presented at an interview to show the employer what you have achieved.  The folio should include any evidence that backs up what you mentioned in the curriculum vitae regarding skills, qualities and abilities.  To create this show-and-tell folder you will need a display folder with plastic pockets and printouts of quality documents and work created by you.  You can create divider sheets to label and separate each section.  Include any work which you have produced and are proud of (only of it is relevant).  You can include good quality photos which show your work to best advantage. Check and double check for typos or any other errors.  The layout and display you use for the folio is a good way to show what you are capable of creating using the computer.  As always - proof read and proof read again. 

Keep multiple copies of your curriculum vitae and other documents you may need to give to the interviewer within this folder - then give copies to your prospective employer if required - always retain your originals.

The Application Letter

The covering letter of application, which is normally sent with the curriculum vitae, should contain these important elements:

• An opening statement expressing interest in the job, provide details of any contact you have had with the organisation.
• Statements which highlight specific qualities, abilities, qualifications and experience relevant to the job.
• Outline any further points that are positive descriptions of your abilities.
• Mention your interest in the organisation and your reason for applying for that particular job within that organisation.
• State your availability for interview and request an appointment to discuss your application. For unsolicited applications - mention that you will contact the organisation by a certain date to follow up your application.
• A statement indicating where and how you can be reached for interview.
• An indication that your curriculum vitae is attached.

Activity 3 - Creating a Letter of Application

Print out the model letter on the pop-up page and develop a letter of application, using the information on the model.  Substitute the information provided with the real evidence you need to secure your job interview.

Letter of Application Model

LA Lowe 23 Campbell Street Collingwood  Vic  3121		Your address data
27 August 1997		Date data
Mr John Phluff Recruitment Officer Consolidated Lint Industries 71 Miranda Street SOUTH MELBOURNE   VIC   3125		Addressee data
Dear Mr Phluff		Salutation
Reference:  Job Number 27822 Personal Assistant - Marketing		Subject line

Consider these ideas in the body of your letter:

Remember, your content must contain data that provides evidence of your ability to meet the key selection criteria and should include:

• An opening statement expressing interest in the job, with details of any contact you have had with the company. 
• Statements which highlight specific qualities, abilities, qualifications and experience relevant to the job. 
• Outline any further points that are positive descriptions of your abilities. 
• Mention your interest in the organisation and your reason in applying for the job. 
• State your availability for interview and request an appointment to discuss your application. 
• For unsolicited applications - mention that you will make contact by a certain date to follow up your application. 
• A statement indicating where and how you can be reached for interview. 
• An indication that your curriculum vitae is attached. 

Yours sincerely		Complimentary close
Lana A Lowe		Signature details of writer
Enclosure (Curriculum Vitae)		Enclosure notation

Activity 4 - Letter of Application Checklist

Print out this page for your journal.

When writing an application letter . . .

Evaluate your completed letter of application from Activity 3  by using this checklist:

Did You . . .

• Clearly indicate your personal address and telephone number
• Show the current date
• Correctly address the letter - double check spelling of addressee’s name
• Use a personal salutation (Example: Dear Mr Brown)
• Use an effective subject heading - which outlines the position number and position title
• In the first paragraph, identify the position you are applying for, where and when it was advertised to switch the reader on
• Briefly outline your qualifications/experience- which meet the key selection criteria
• Briefly outline your current position, or your most recent position which includes a brief account of your duties/responsibilities/initiatives
• Use a high impact closing paragraph which confirms your suitability.  This is one of the most powerful tool that a job seeker has.
• Use a positive close example: I look forward to discussing my application at an interview
• Use a personal complimentary close (Example: Yours Sincerely)
• Include a signature block
• Type your name out in full
• Indicate your curriculum vitae is attached or enclosed
• Remember use positive language throughout.
• Link to a dictionary and thesaurus site for assistance in writing your letter of application and
  curriculum vitae.

• Dictionary (Merriam -Webster on-line dictionary) 
• Roget’s Thesaurus

Top 10 Dos and don'ts when applying for a job ...

• Do follow all instructions.  Make sure you are clear on what is required - if it says send three copies of your resume, send three copies - the employer will have their own reasons for it.  It show an ability to follow directions and good attention to detail.  Don't send in extra attachments, such as references, awards etc., unless asked to do so.
• Do customize each job application.  Review your resume with each application and tailor it to highlight the skills/experience required for the job you are applying for. 
• Do include all documents needed together in the one application - if mailing securely attach everything together, if emailing send it as one single file attachment.
• Do include a resume with your application letter - unless advised otherwise.
• Don't apply without getting all the facts.   Get as much information as you can and tailor your resume and letter of application to suit.  Ring and ask for details (unless there are instructions not to).  You may even find it is not suitable and your energies would be better directed elsewhere.
• Don't be daunted if you lack some of the skills asked for.  A perfect candidate may not exist and you may still have a chance if you have most of what is required.
• Don't include written references with your application - unless asked to do so.  These will be asked for later if needed.
• Don't be late with your application - it shows poor time management skills and you probably won't be considered for an interview after the cut off date. 
• Don't assume your application has been received.  Documents can be lost or misplaced, so ask for confirmation.
• Do find out why an application was unsuccessful.  Learn from it - it's never a waste of time.  It will help in the preparation of your next application.