Curricula Vitae, Rsums and Application Letters

1
Curricula Vitae, Résumés and Application Letters

• Cliff Ogleby
• Or, how to make sure you get an interview

2
At the End of this Session

• You will know
• How to prepare an exciting CV
• How to write and address an application letter
• This should ensure you get over the first hurdle
  and score an interview!

3
The Curriculum Vitae (CV)

• Much more than the story of your life
• Is generally the filter for deciding who gets an
  interview
• Think of it as a Marketing Exercise

4
What to Include

• Emphasise the positive
• Accentuate your achievements
• Address the criteria
• Often the role of the covering letter
• Reference to a portfolio if relevant
• Engineers Australia now want students to prepare
  an E-portfolio as part of their course, to be
  used as part of students CV
• (NOT CVs, or CVs, the plural of curriculum is
  curricula)

5
What to Include

• Contact details for people who will provide a
  reference for either your character or
  achievements
• These will be contacted
• Relevant data like qualifications, address, other
  achievements, work history, community service,
  relevant travel
• I dont find interests like meeting people
  interesting

6
Grammar (er?)

• Bad grammar is seen as a sign of either
  carelessness (rarely) or ignorance (often)
• At best it is just laziness about having somebody
  who knows better than you checking it on your
  behalf
• If you exhibit laziness, why would I give you a
  job?

7
Spelling

• Hmmm
• Use the English (Australia) spell checker
• Our use of English is different to America in
  both spelling and grammar
• If using foreign words (like resume) make sure
  they are spelled correctly

8
Get the Names Correct

• Make sure you know how to spell the names in the
  advertisement correctly
• Address the application to the correct person
• If anybody gets Ogleby wrong IN THE BIN!
• A sign of both carelessness and disrespect
• So, if the personnel manager is Zarbefenio
  Istiansanovic make sure you get the name correct!

9
Reasons that Applicants are Rejected

• CV too loooooooong
• CV too short
• Criteria not addressed
• Poorly presented
• CV irrelevant, or missing strategic detail

10
The Covering Letter

• Your CV may be generic
• Although tailoring your CV to a specific job is a
  good idea
• The covering letter allows you to address
  specific criteria outlined in the advertisment
• It may only go to a recruitment company, not
  somebody connected with the organisation so it
  also needs to address their criteria

11
Summary

• Look around this lecture theatre
• Some of your friends here may be competing
  against you for the same job
• How will you make sure your CV gets you an
  interview ahead of them?