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!
Your LinkedIn headline – are you missing an opportunity to stand out?
Have you noticed that right at the top of your LinkedIn profile, next to your headshot, there’s a 120-character headline? No? You’re not alone. If you’re like the majority of LinkedIn users, you will have simply let the site populate your headline with the default...
Infographic: Recipe for CV Success
You don't have to be the Naked CV Writer or a Domestic CV Goddess to cook up a tasty interview-winning CV, here’s a foolproof recipe to feed one or more talent-hungry recruiters. We are often asked about the ingredients for our interview-winning CVs and thought this...
Guardian Careers name Giraffe CVs as a top 10 Twitter account for careers advice
This morning I received a little tweet from @GuardianCareers that resulted in a huge smile: Giraffe CVs have been recommended by Guardian Careers as one of their top 10 experts on Twitter to help you get ahead with your career. Having searched for advisors who are...
Smart tips for interview success: Part 3 – After the interview
This week concludes our three-part blog series: smart tips for interview success. Our third and final blog in the series focuses on what you can do AFTER your interview to position yourself for success. In case you missed parts 1 and 2 in the series, you can link to...
Smart tips for interview success: Part 2 – At the interview
Following on from last week's blog, this week we continue Giraffe CVs' three-part blog series: smart tips for interview success. This week’s blog, part two in the series, focuses on what you can do during your interview to position yourself for success. We consulted...
Smart tips for interview success: Part 1 – Before the interview
Once your professional and compelling CV has worked its magic, and the recruiter has called you up, the next stage is the much anticipated and often dreaded interview process. Preparing for, participating in and reflecting on the interview process raises a number of...
Top 5 CV space eaters: what’s eating up valuable space on yours?
Are you wondering how on earth you can use your CV to sell yourself when the basic elements take up so much space? When I’m writing a CV, space is at a premium. I have to be totally aware of what is important and absolutely ruthless about what is not. With...
How to feature temporary work on your CV
At this time of year, many businesses take on additional staff to handle seasonal demand above and beyond their usual level of trade. This equates to great news for many jobseekers looking to increase their income at an expensive time of year and gain some key...
Projects on your CV – how much detail should you give away?
The Experience section of your CV should clearly identify the value you can bring to a new employer by highlighting tangible results rather than dull descriptions of duties. The advice is always to quantify your achievements and be specific about the work you...
Overcoming the ‘cringe’ factor: 7 modesty-busting strategies for writing your own CV
Writing your own CV often engenders a slight-to-moderate ‘cringe factor’, a feeling that it goes against the very grain of your being to ‘big yourself up’ or self-proclaim your skills, experience and achievements. The popular refrain to this sentiment is, ‘If you...
Work your two page CV to show the recruiter you rock
With a two-page limit, careful planning is essential to optimise your use of space. Imagine you have some sand, pebbles and rocks to put in a jar. If you put the sand and the pebbles in first, you will never manage to cram in the rocks, they simply won’t fit. The...
Play your cards right to secure your dream job
Are you writing your own CV, but not sure how to play your cards right? Read these top tips to write an ace CV which trumps the competition and enables you to secure that all-important interview. Organise your hand Just as when you are playing a card game, one of the...
Supercharge your job hunt: seven benefits of a great CV
Consider your CV not as an expense but as a means to raise your game, your profile, your confidence and your salary. Here are seven reasons why investing your time, effort and hard-earned money in a great CV will pay dividends: 1. A GREAT CV creates the right...
CV Sanity Checklist
If you think you are nearly there with your CV, then well done – we know it’s not easy! Why not use these 25 questions as a simple sanity checklist to shape your final edit? Have you written your CV with your target audience’s needs in mind? Do the format, layout,...
Cover letters uncovered
In today’s competitive job market, a cover letter is not simply a polite introduction to your CV. It has a vital role in letting the recruiter know that you are willing and able to perform the role for which you’re applying. Never skip a cover letter – it could be the...
Graduate into a new job with a first class CV
The Association of Graduate Recruiter’s (AGR) annual summer survey 2013 has recently reported that graduates are facing ever greater competition for jobs, with leading UK employers now receiving 85 applications for each advertised job. Stephen Isherwood, AGR’s new...
Who does your CV say you are?
Who does your CV say you are? Does it reflect who you want to be? Print a copy of your CV. Now turn your printed version over, so the text faces down onto your desk or table. Now think about what your CV should be saying about you. Turn your CV over and imagine you...
Top Tips to make CV writing as easy as A, B, C
Writing your own CV can cause a headache, so I thought I'd share my A to Z of hints, tips and tricks of the trade to make your task easier. Happy writing! A is for Achievements. Make your career achievements SMART wherever possible – Specific, Measurable, Action...