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You’ve got this! – CV writing
Ten steps to CV success
A CV is a professional document that highlights your skills and educational achievements –
i.e. a piece of paper that tells the prospective employer why you should get the job.
Getting ready!
Find a CV template that is neat and easy to follow.
Step 1:
Have a career objective in your CV. A career
objective tells the manager who you are, what your
skills and interests are and how you would like to
develop these on the job.
e.g. A car enthusiast who enjoys fixing cars with
my cousin. Great with hands-on tasks and eager
to develop my skills by working for a top motor
industry.
Step 2:
As a student you may not have experience to
include on your CV. Mention your goals and
aspirations and how having this job will help you
achieve this.
e.g. I am a 17-year-old student currently
completing my Grade 10/11. I am looking for a
weekend job that will develop self-discipline,
customer service experience and transferable
skills that will be useful in the future.
Step 4:
Include any extracurricular activities you have
done at school or hobbies you have.
This shows hiring managers that you are
responsible and take initiative to go above and
beyond.
e.g. I was captain of the soccer team in
Grade 9 -10. My team made it to national finals for
netball in 2017 OR I am learning another language
to help me communicate with a diverse group of
people.
Step 5:
If you do have work experience, make sure to
include this in your CV.
If you do not have work experience, start
volunteering in your community/school.
Make sure your experience is in date order. At the
top of this section you should include your most
recent experience and work backwards.
Step 6:
Get references. This refers to people who can
verify the work you have done for them.
Before adding any references to your CV, ask for
permission!
Refrain from using family or friends as a reference
Step 7:
Do not add any photos to your CV.
Rather leave the pictures to LinkedIn, an online
social media site that allows you to have a digital
CV.
Make sure your profile picture on social media
such as LinkedIn is professional and not a selfie.
So ask a friend to take a professional photo pf
you.
Step 3:
Highlight any educational achievements,
improvements or projections for the school year.
e.g. Being in Top 10 of your grade, going from a
64% to a 75% in Mathematics or projecting that
you will get a 70% for English and why you think
you will achieve this.
Step 8:
Keep the formatting on your CV consistent.
Make sure only headings are bold. Use the same
font and size throughout. Use triple line spacing.
Step 9:
Proofread your CV when you are done writing it.
Ask a friend or family member to read it for you
to make sure there are no spelling or grammar
mistakes.
Step 10:
Beware of what you post on social media or keep
your accounts private.
Managers look at this when recruiting and you do
not want to miss an opportunity because of poor
content.
Handling rejection:
Not all the CVs you send out will be successful.
Remember:
‘Rejection is direction’.
So look for where you can improve and keep on
applying!