CV Messages To Win Jobs

Advice on what to include and leave out when composing your CV, from career coach John Lees.

How far back should I go when listing jobs?

The main rule here is clarity of message. If you did a very important job 30 years ago that shaped your whole CV, you need to mention it. However, if your past contains few surprises it's probably not important to list every role you've undertaken since you left full-time education. Doing so often gives unnecessary emphasis to your age.

It probably doesn't make sense to provide detailed information about jobs you did more than 10-15 years ago, but don't make the mistake of leaving them out - recruitment consultants in particular get rather concerned about gaps in your CV.

Simply listing each role, organisation and dates will do for older jobs or you can go for a blanket statement, e.g. "1980-1988 Engineering Apprenticeship, followed by a range of positions as Electronic Engineer". In the event that an employer wants more precise details, you can provide it.

Should I include reasons for job change?

There is no requirement to give reasons for job change in your CV itself, and volunteering your reasons on paper usually means asking for trouble. However, do be prepared to answer this question at interview.

If you were dismissed from a role at any stage in the past you may be legally required to state this on an application form or if asked a direct question at interview. There is, however, no obligation for you to volunteer the information in a CV.

If you changed jobs because you couldn't stand your boss or hated the organisation then keep it to yourself - that information should never go anywhere near a recruiter.

Should I mention the fact I was made redundant?

Similarly, there is no reason to mention redundancy on a CV (although sometimes it's helpful especially if you only had a short spell in one job or a long job-search period). Do prepare yourself for questions about it at interview. Remember that redundancy is now an experience shared by people in all sectors and of all ages, and is not a social stigma or a sign that you are dispensable.

The best way to deal with it at interview is quickly, moving the conversation on to the future: "As you know, XYZ went through a restructuring process, and like many people at I was laid off this year. This has given me a good opportunity to rethink my career options and I am now very focused on the kind of job that would really suit me …".

How do I deal with gaps in my CV?

There is no point trying to hide gaps in your work history. It's one of the fi rst things a recruiter looks for. Make sure you cover each relevant period of your work history. If you don't, a recruiter may assume all the wrong things, such as a long and diffi cult job-search period or lack of focus and direction. Here are some of the main reasons why you might have CV gaps, and some ways of dealing with them:

1. Job-search periods - if you did any work at all, list it, but if you have a significant gap, which can only be explained by reference to job search, write as positively as you can, e.g. "an interesting jobsearch period where I became very clear about my working goals and had the opportunity to meet and investigate a wide range of organisations".

2. Undertaking temporary work - this may well provide tremendous opportunities to write about transferable skills and sectoral knowledge. Consider each temporary job as a piece of work experience. Write briefl y about what you got out of each role and how it has added to your employability.

3. Study - there is no reason to leave this out. If it was study around a subject that is not strictly related to your career, spell out the transferable skills acquired.

4. Travel - a great opportunity to write about what you did, what you learned and how you did it.

5. Family commitments - you may have had to take time out because of child care or because of other family commitments. Here again, being absolutely straight about what you did (and possibly referring to what you learned in the process) is far better than leaving a blank.

6. Career break - these are becoming increasingly common. Negotiating a career break and doing something interesting may be what makes you distinctive. See Chapter 4 for more on this topic.

7. Going off track - there are many ways of wandering off track, some of them listed above. Others might include periods of illness, serving a prison sentence or taking time out for other reasons. Start by being clear about what you have to say legally. Then do whatever you can to demonstrate, if the impact is negative, a simple message: that was then, this is now. Work even harder to demonstrate your ability and commitment.

Should I mention my current or last salary?

A number of recruiters and employers will tell you that they fi nd it useful to know what you have been earning, because it's a rough guide to whether the role is right for you. However, including your salary details on a CV can lead to problems. Doing so may immediately rule you out where an employer has in mind a signifi cantly lower salary than you have received.

Equally, if the prospective salary is a lot more than you are currently receiving, your current pay level may be taken as an indicator of your ability. On balance, it's best to keep salary information off your CV. Dealing with the question verbally once you have already got a certain way into the process gives you a far greater chance of resolving any difficulties.

Do I have to list the dates of each job?

There is great confusion in the marketplace at the moment about whether you should include dates against each job. Some employers believe that they should not seek this information. Others find it useful and believe they are allowed to seek such information, as long as they do not use it to discriminate on the grounds of age. Some employers will wish to check your work history anyway as part of a reference checking procedure, and may want to see original copies of certifi cates and qualifications.

You are not required to include dates of any kind in a CV. However, you run the risk of your CV being excluded if you do not include the start and end dates for each job. Our CV survey shows that 97% of employers still want to see information about the dates you were employed.

Normally this will be set out in years (e.g. 2000-2003), although for very recent jobs you may want to identify the actual start and finish months (e.g. March 2006-January 2007). Keep a record of your exact employment dates separately - it's useful for tax purposes.

How long employers are allowed to consider date-related information is a matter for speculation. The current interpretation of the law is that employers may ask for this information and you can supply it, but an employer must not use such information to discriminate against you unfairly.

My work experience is a jumble sale - what do I do?

This is where a lot of people begin. Their qualifications don't relate to their work history, their most recent job is a distraction and taken together the listed jobs seem to bear no relationship with each other. The problem is that if you haven't made any kind of sense of your CV, no one else will. Don't apologise in your CV or covering letter, but try to make the document itself make sense of what you've done.

Remember that people change jobs much more frequently than they used to and it's now far more acceptable to demonstrate variety and unusual backgrounds in your CV. If you are going to make sense of it, you will probably need to use a profi le-led CV (see Chapter 7), and possibly also a separate list of skills.

The main thing is to work out some kind of pattern or coherence; for example, you may discover that all of your jobs have been about motivating people or solving problems or providing excellent customer service. If so, bring that point out in your profi le and relate it to the kind of job you'd like to do next.

How do I deal with complex job titles and job functions?

Remember the likely reader. Explain unusual roles or titles in plain English, and briefly. Too many CVs lose their way because they use undigested jargon or get into overcomplicated terminology. Learn how to write simple straightforward English, e.g.: "Customer Service Advisor - my job was to provide speedy, efficient and friendly response to consumer complaints by telephone and letter".

Many HR staff would agree with the CV survey respondent who complained of "Increasing use of jargon - which usually indicates that the writer has failed to think about the reader and their need to understand".

What about overseas jobs?

There is no reason why you shouldn't gain brownie points in your CV by writing about work in other countries. It can provide supporting evidence of cross-cultural experience, language skills or breadth of experience. Do ensure that you make it clear where you want to work now, or an employer may assume that you'd rather pursue an international career. And do translate foreign job titles or terminology into user-friendly English.

This extract is taken from Why You? CV Messages to Win Jobs by John Lees, McGraw-Hill, £9.99, which you can purchase at www.johnleescareers.com, all good book shops or Amazon.

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