On the Blog: CV Writing Tips & Advice
To improve your job search, CV, and LinkedIn profileWelcome to Giraffe CVs’ blog. Each week I share new tips and strategies to help you to ace your job search and elevate your career. If you prefer your tips in podcast form, head on over to iTunes and subscribe to The CV Confidence Coach podcast. If you enjoy the podcast, please leave me a review!
Back Up Your Profile Before LinkedIn’s DeskTop Update
In September 2016, LinkedIn announced a redesign of its desktop (non-app) user interface. The announcement noted, “This is the largest redesign since LinkedIn’s inception.” The design update is expected to bring the desktop experience closer to what users of the...
read more
Formatting Your CV for the ATS
The first set of ‘eyes’ on your CV may not always be human. I’m not being rude about recruiters. I’m talking technology. Technology is transforming the recruitment process, making it quicker and easier for recruiters to identify the best candidates for open positions....
read more
Informational Interviews: A ‘How to’ Guide
When you are considering a career change, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the unknown quantity of what may lie ahead. You may be attracted to a particular career path or industry, but feel hesitant about committing to the journey when you are uncertain about the...
read more
Ultimate Guide: CV Punctuation and Grammar
A recent survey from Match.com reported that while 71% of the 5,000 single respondents were judging potential dates on their teeth, 69% were fretting about their grammar. Dating or not, your punctuation and grammar can invite a positive or negative first impression,...
read more
Should you upload your CV to LinkedIn?
Browsing LinkedIn, I’ve noticed some LinkedIn members who feature their CV as a downloadable file on their profile. Some have uploaded it as a media element under their Summary, and others under Publications. I do advocate adding rich media on LinkedIn to brighten...
read more
Nail That Interview – Digestible Nuggets For The Seriously Impatient
This week I'm delighted to feature a guest post by Tim Vincent, author of NAIL THAT INTERVIEW. It seems the younger you are, the less time you have and the more inclined you are to prefer nuggets of wisdom rather than frameworks or structured plans. So I shouldn't be...
read more
How Biscuits Can Improve Your CV
Biscuits can help all sorts of situations, from tough negotiations through to revision sessions. They bring a comfort factor to the trickiest of scenarios, geeing people up and helping them through. Writing your CV is no exception. A biscuit or two (in moderation) can...
read more
40 Career and Life Lessons from a New 40-Year-Old
I’m almost 40! How did that happen? I’m not crying yet, though some people have warned me it’s a possibility. Instead, I’m quite excited about hitting the big 4-0, and feel now, more than ever before, that I’ve hit my stride. Life is exciting, and I’m ready to grasp...
read more
How to Proofread Your CV
When you’ve finally finished writing your CV, the desire to ship it out and be done with it can be overwhelming. I get it - you’ve spent so long looking at your screen that you can’t contemplate looking at it anymore. With glazed eyes and a tired mind, you can think...
read more
Keep Your CV Real by Keeping Your Language Real
When you are writing your CV, there are plenty of tried-and-tested language guidelines to follow, ensuring you produce a career document that meets expectations and delivers results. These range from minimising adverbs and avoiding clichés to starting bullets with...
read more
What is a skills-based CV and why shouldn’t you write one?
Also known as a functional CV, the skills-based CV is a bit of a departure from the usual format used by job seekers. The skills-based CV typically uses a profile along with a prominent and detailed skills section on page one, with a brief, line-itemised career...
read more
How to customise your LinkedIn address
Your public LinkedIn URL is the address you can share to direct others to your LinkedIn profile. It can be found underneath your profile picture in Edit Profile mode. Unless you customise the URL, LinkedIn will present a default address with your name followed by...
read more
Jobseekers: Want to hear that hotline bling? Do this.
Come closer. Lean in. I’m about to tell you a job search secret that will boost your employability and make your hotline bling. In the job search, the time you have to set out your stall and impress a target employer is extremely limited. Your suitability is evaluated...
read more
Your Email Signature Can Bring a Truckload of Professionalism to Your Job Search
If you are planning a job search anytime soon, your personal email account is likely to get a whole lot busier. You’ll be sending a tonne of emails to recruiters, gatekeepers, and those within your existing network to secure your next position. If you haven’t already...
read more
Five Online Tools to Ace Your Job Search
Once upon a time, a job search was a very physical and arduous process. It often involved a visit to the library to scour the papers and a physically-demanding trek from one prospective workplace to the next, making enquiries and handing over CVs. No longer, thank...
read more
How to Be a Contender, Not a Contestant for Your Next Role
In your job search, do you ever feel that you are taking part, but not really competing? If so, you may have fallen into the easy trap of being a contestant, when your heart’s true desire is to be a contender. It may seem like I’m splitting hairs, but there is a...
read more
A personal website is not beyond your reach
Personal domain names are increasing in popularity, with jobseekers using the sites to share their CV, professional portfolio, videos, podcasts, blogs, and more. These sites also usually link to social media platforms the jobseeker is using and is keen to share with...
read more
How to list languages on your CV
In today's global work environment, language skills are a draw for employers. Detailing your proficiency in desired languages can stand you apart from other similarly-qualified candidates. When detailing languages on your CV, consider relevance to your target...
read more