CVs need help please?

Question

anyone tell me a good site i can write and print out a cv for free??

Answer 1

i am in full time employment and always produce my own CV, however at a learning festival, spoke to lady form the local careers office and found out that i could have help to up date my CV for free . i live in wales, but there should be a similar service where you live. so suggest you try local careers office, they may open on Saturday.
here is a link www.careerswales.com

Answer 2

CV Writing

10 Simple Steps

1. Sell yourself and be positive
This is the only document that an employer has to judge you on, so be positive. Put your name in the centre, at the top. If you are a graduate put your qualifications after your name e.g. John Smith BA (Hons). This is not bragging but a fact. If they are looking for a graduate this lets them know you have a degree in the first sentence.

2. Write it in the first person
This is a document that is supposed to be written by you, about you, so use the letter 'I'. Employers look for people who can be accountable for their actions. Therefore saying, 'John is a capable accountant...' looks like you're hiding something and not confident to stand up and be counted. There is nothing wrong with saying ' I am a fully qualified and competent accountant with 3 years commercial work experience'

3. Have a profile
After your essential information and near the top of the first page, put a short 'sell' on yourself. The best way to explain this is to imagine that you are at an interview and someone says, 'In 10 seconds describe yourself'. Recruiters get bored of reading CV's (I know I spent 5 years reading the first half of a CV and then moving on to interests). You need to tell them quickly that you are worth dealing with. The profile should cover:
Who you are: 'I am a fully qualified and competent accountant with 3 years commercial work experience'
What you have done: 'Since qualifying, I have worked for Joe Bloggs Ltd. in sole charge of the accounts department'
What next: 'I am now looking to expand on my skill set in a forward thinking and exciting company'
I would expand a little to include how IT literate you are, what skills you could offer, if you are working towards further qualifications, etc.

4. Education or employment first?
If you are a fresh graduate or have just completed a training program that will allow you to change career, then list education first. This is the main point that you have to offer. However if you are an engineer who may well have a degree but also has 7 years work experience, then 'employment' should go after the profile. A prospective employer looking for an experienced person, wants to know as soon as possible exactly how much experience you have. If you hide your core skills in the second half of the document, less people will read it than if they are at the beginning when they are still interested.

5. Make it interesting
One of the main reasons people leave a job is because they are bored working somewhere. Unfortunately, this lack of enthusiasm can easily come across in a CV when you write it and this fails to spark the interest of a future employer. I know it's hard but try to rise above the boredom and make it look like it was a career move to join your previous company and it is a positive one to leave.
Here is an example:
Original: ' I worked for 2 years at ABC clothing serving customers '
With a little thought and positive attitude....
New: ' In my two years at ABC, the countries 3rd largest fashion retail store, I worked in a number of different departments. As I faced different challenges on a daily basis, I had to be flexible and learn to adapt quickly. As a branch we were heavily targeted and matched against other stores in our region. Through hard work and good team cooperation we won the 'branch of the year' award '.
These two paragraphs tell the same story but which would you call for an interview?

6. Make sure ALL your contact information is on there.
Include as much contact information as possible, especially a mobile. A recruiter normally works in a hectic environment where they have to move quickly to satisfy either a client or a boss. Therefore if they get a requirement for a position for which they want to see 4 people, it is usually not only those who are qualified but those who are contactable that will get the interview.

7. Do NOT put the names of referee's
There are two main reasons for this. Imagine the scenario, your CV is posted to a website with hundreds of employers reading your details. If there is an e-mail or phone number for a referee, chances are that a few will 'just give them a quick call' before they contact you. Initially your old boss will probably be fine at giving out a few references but at number 72 he may not be as enthusiastic. Then, number 73 calls which is your ideal company. When they speak to your old boss not only is he not willing to give a reference but gives them a piece of his mind too! Not great for your prospects!
The second point is that when you are asked for, and you provide a reference, you can pre-warn the referee. Your old headmaster may need a little help remembering you. By calling and warning them that a call is imminent gives them a chance to remember you and all the good things about you. This avoids the 'bunny in a headlight result they could suffer from with a call from out of the blue.
By putting "References available upon request" at the end of your CV, you maintain the control.

8. No more than two pages. But also....
A CV does not have to fill two pages. In fact if you are one of the many thousands of new graduates, I would recommend one page (also don't list all your modules no one will read them). If a CV is stretched to 2 pages it will look as if it is. A page and a half is fine. A well written and concise document will sell you far better than one that is padded out with irrelevant information.

9. Avoid Word templates
There is nothing wrong with the templates in Word apart from the fact that about half of the people that produce their own CV's use them. This ensures that lots of CV's look the same. Try to design your own format (black and white, avoid boxes as they don't always retain their format if scanned, no flashing lights, colours etc).

10. Ensure you list achievements.
An employer likes to think they are getting the best person possible, someone who will make a difference to the department. Try to convey this in your CV rather than just listing a fact.
Example for a sales person.
Original: ' Responsible for selling software to companies '
New: ' Personally created new business to the value of 50,000, helped by initiating a new method of tracking customers '
As before these tell the same story but with one saying that the sales person did more than just come to work every day, they made a difference!

Answer 3

It should never be more than 2 sides of A4 and you should keep it to bullet points as most employers only scan read them. It doesnt need to be indepth, it just has to make them want to interview you to find out more. Good luck.

Answer 4

Mothertiggy, why not check out my Job advice site for all the guidance you need:
http://www.gjobadvice.co.uk

Answer 5

You try this http://www.skillipedia.com - build your resume in PDF format : the best online resume builder I think

Answer 6

http://www.alec.co.uk/resume-examples/free-resume-forms.htm

Answer 7

just borrow mine we look similar

Answer 8

yeah please tell us