CVs and Job applications

A CV and Job Application are two very important and essential things you'll need when applying for a job or presenting your services to somewhere. In particular a CV will give the employer an interest into who you are as a person as well as all of your previous achievements and grades from school, college and beyond that.

It also lets the employer know what type of person you are and where your abilities stand. On the CV there will also be a list to your contact information as well as references in which the employer can contact should they want to find out more about you as a person and how you work. It is important to also list previous work experience and why you left that job as well.

A CV must contain:

• Personal details - Name, address/es, telephone and mobile numbers, email address/es
• Depending on your circumstances the following may also be required: date of birth, nationality, gender or place of birth

• Qualifications - Anything from Secondary school and after that- this should be in reverse chronological order and more space should be given to qualifications which matter most. Usually a degree from University.

• Relevant skills - Include the skills that you have which you think the employer is looking for. After that, put details about how you learnt those skills, what course did you use them in or where in previous work did them as well as include some information on your interests.

• Work Experience - Any situation in which you were working is allowed to be put on your CV, this includes paid and unpaid work as well as voluntary work. This can tie into your relevant skills section, certain skills you may have learnt can be tied back to the previous instance of work and show experience of which you have developed to the employer.

• Interests - Avoid listing all of your interests but focus on a select few, for example if you are involved with sports and like playing sports, that can show off your team working ability and let the employer know you're capable of working in a team. It's all about listing an interest which is suitable and relevant to the skills you have learnt relative to what your employer is looking for.

• Referees - Normally you will be required to put two people down as a reference. A reference is there so that the employer if they wish to can contact that person and find out more about how you work and what skills you have. Usually someone like a previous tutor or other form of academic referee is used for at least one reference.You should not use family members as a reference and always ask for permission beforehand.

In terms of a Job Application, its a little different by may be accompanied by your CV when provided. The job application is what it says on the tin pretty much. Its an application towards the job you want to work at. Job applications should contain specific information about the place you'll be working at, as well as why you want to work there and why you think you're right for the job.

Job applications are almost an extended version of a CV where you can go into detail about the reasons behind why you applied and were interested in the job in the first place.

To recap on Job Applications - 

• They cover: Your personal details 
• Employment history 
• Educational history
• Reasons why you're suitable for the job
• References