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!
Should you drop your career back story?
Everyone has a back story, right? But, does the recruiter or hiring manager need to read about it on your CV? It depends. When you are starting out, your CV will be made up of any experience you can lay your hands on. This initial experience is the foundation you...
Photo on your UK CV? Yes or no?
I would estimate that one in every 20 CVs I review features a photo of the subject. These CVs are often from new or recent graduates, and picture them wearing a full mortar board and gown. I can see the logic – after all nothing says ‘graduate’ like the iconic mortar...
Seven tips to bring back job search mojo
Are you a jobseeker who has lost the thrill of the chase and who is having a serious case of the motivational wobbles? Don’t worry, it happens to the best of us at one stage or another. Even if you pride yourself on being an ambitious, go-getting, and determined type...
Why your CV and LinkedIn profile MUST tally
Would someone who decides to search for you on LinkedIn, having read your CV, be able to quickly identify your profile from the search results? Once they have clicked through, would they be clear and confident that the profile relates to one and the same person...
Three ways to use Google Alerts in your job search
Google Alerts is a handy, free, and powerful tool that can make a big difference to your job search. Quick to set up, and easy to use, Google Alerts can keep you informed of emerging news in relevant areas, sending updates straight to your inbox. Knowledge is power....
Seven ideas for an effective LinkedIn background image
One of LinkedIn’s underused features is the background image. This banner image sits at the very top of your profile, behind your profile image, name, and headline. This used to be a Premium feature, but has since been rolled out to free accounts. Yet not everyone has...
Curriculum Vitae of the CV
As a CV writer, I am naturally interested in the history of the CV, and loved reading the National Career Service’s infographic on the evolution of the CV from its early origins in 1482 to its present day. Taking the theme further, I wanted to add a little more depth...
Social media and your job search – Tony Restell tells all
On the podcast last week, I was delighted to interview Tony Restell, social recruiting entrepreneur and founder of specialist social media marketing agency Social-hire.com. The topic was social media and the job search, and I asked Tony how candidates can best...
Professional networking alternatives to LinkedIn – what they are and where to find them
When it comes to using social media for professional networking, there’s little doubt that LinkedIn is a force to be reckoned with. Data from Hubspot would suggest that LinkedIn is 277% more effective at generating professional leads than Facebook or Twitter. It is...
Engage your network with these 11 LinkedIn status updates
We all know that LinkedIn isn’t Facebook or Instagram, and that the casual updates which suit the other platforms won’t work here. Recognising this, it can be hard to work out exactly how to engage on this professional platform. Stumped for what to say and nervous of...
Evolving your CV as you evolve
Last month, I received an email from someone I had worked with five years ago, back in 2010. The individual requested a CV update service, and I was happy to oblige. At the first contact, I suspected that using the word ‘update’ was simplifying the situation, and I...
What would your CV look like in a parallel universe?
This week’s blog is inspired by an eclectic combination of Sliding Doors, the late-90s romcom starring Gwyneth Paltrow and John Hannah, and the eminent Professor Stephen Hawking. Sliding Doors. It’s a great concept. The film plays out the two very different paths that...
Advice for jobseekers, inspired by the eternal city
Although I have been back a few weeks now, my Italian adventure is still on my mind. We had such a fabulous time, enjoying everything the country has to offer. The warm welcome, the food, and the sights. Did I mention the food? In Rome, my family enjoyed referencing...
Kick-start CV content creation with these nine untapped information sources
When writing your CV, sometimes the hardest thing can be knowing where to start. You can stare at a blank Word document for what seems like eternity, devoid of ideas that will turn the shiny white backdrop into a stunning presentation of your credentials and...
Nine things that take less than nine seconds
Last week, our friends at Find Share Connect shared some sound and actionable CV advice on Facebook as part of their #CVSpringClean. Alan and Dan rounded up the day by reminding followers that 8.8 seconds is the time it takes for a person to look at your CV. This fact...
The Easter Bunny’s guide to CV eggxcellence
This week, I was lucky enough to touch base with the Easter Bunny as he bounced by on what is undoubtedly his busiest week of the year. I took the hopportunity to ask the long-eared, cotton-tailed chocolatier about his top CV tips. It’s always insightful to hear from...
Is your email address talking you out of an interview?
You’ve written a fantastic CV and covering letter (or even had them professionally written for you), your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date and fully optimised to reflect your current job search, your approach is focused and targeted, and yet you’re still not getting...
Dos and don’ts of dates on your CV
Behind the marketing message of your CV, there is always an element of a timeline, requiring you to remember and present a series of dates. Dates can make or break a CV, and further or diminish your suitability as judged by a recruiter. Here are some handy dos and...