CV Writing
A CV is one of the most important documents you will create during your career so it would be prudent to invest quality time in producing a good quality CV. This document is often the first opportunity you may have in introducing yourself to a future employer.
The leisure & hospitality sector is a competitive industry, so how can your CV stand out from the crowd when you know that the job you are applying for is most probably going to attract a huge volume of CV’s?
Searching for a new job should be approached as a marketing campaign. You are the ‘product’ and your CV is the ‘product literature’. There is no ‘right’ way of producing a CV and different styles and formats appeal to different people.
Helpful tips:
Always include a profile at the beginning of the CV – this is your opportunity to write a paragraph introducing you. It should contain adjectives that describe you and your personality and key strengths. Think of this as the introduction to a book – it should want the reader to read more about you.
Include a section on key achievements. This will inform the reader about your tangible accomplishments and describe how you have used specific skills and competencies within your career.
Describe your work history using bullet points and try to make each sentence a strong achievement. (do not write out your job description)
Include your education and training at the end of the CV if you have a recent career history. If you are a graduate or just starting out in your career, include your education and relevant training courses at the beginning of the CV.
Include a section on your main interests – this allows the reader to get a personal feel of what you like to do outside of work.
There is no need to include personal details, i.e. marriage status, age etc. If a driving licence is important to the job, you may want to state that you have a clean driving licence.
Remember to keep the CV to no more than 2 pages.
If you decide to invest in a CV writing company – make sure that they truly understand what career you are seeking and spend at least an hour with them so that they can get a feel of who you are, what your unique selling points are, your career ambitions, your career and personal achievements, your personality traits and the kind of company you want to appeal to.
Always get other people to review your CV and ask them for their comments, would they want to see you for an interview after reading your CV? Constructive criticism is so important.
