By “Hatchorder” (Ian)
So you have found this page because you need a CV that will work? Whether you are a potential Cadet looking for a sponsorship, or a newly qualified Officer, you will all need guidance to produce something that is effective and will do its job – get you in the seat opposite an interviewer.
You’re in the right place for help, but if you came here thinking you would just download a CV and change the name at the top, then you are in the wrong place. I know that companies monitor this site closely and therefore if Steve from SSTG sees the same CV 5 times in a row he is just going to reject you for being lazy and not having the skills you need to communicate effectively – isn’t that right Steve?
If any of you recognise any parts of the following and say “That is my Personal Profile” then you’re probably right. I have now done 17 CV’s in the last few months, and of those I have helped that have kept in touch I still have a 100% record – 12 from 12! That is 12 people that have succeeded with 12 job offers. One potential cadet got 4 job offers from 4 interviews.
So why is it so hard to write a CV?
Because we don’t like writing about ourselves or “blowing our own trumpet” – simples! We also have a problem with what a CV actually is and what it has to impart to the reader.
So before we go into the actual CV writing itself let us look at a few rules to start with.
The General Rules
1) Keep every CV separate and tailor every letter and CV. When you save a CV save it with the name that includes the date in reverse order. So a CV saved today 17th September 2013) would be 130917 Ian cv.doc. The reason you do this is so that when you put them in alphabetical order then they will always be in date order. I know you can sort them on created date etc, but it is easy to modify a document and save it by accident and then it is no longer right. If you save them in date order the other way round then 070113 will come before 120712 and after 060712..... See what I mean? If you then tailor a CV for a particular Company (which you should always do) then put their name in the file name as well 130917 Ian Maersk cv.doc. That way you can refer to what you wrote specifically to them if you suddenly get an interview. 2) Use plain white paper and ensure that the letter and CV are not folded. Use an A4 envelope to post it off. Why? I know a recruiter who used to make a pile of CV’s for a job and if there wa...
