Category: CV

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CV – Power Words

Power Words are essential for your CV as the words the employer reads help them to create a picture of you and you need this image to be positive. If I tell you “Don’t think of a horse on a beach and a giant bell!” You first have to picture these images to not think about them – when you read this did you picture the horse, beach and bell, even though I told you not to?

This article is about “power” words and how words are turned into images by the reader. The key point to remember is that your CV needs to create a positive image in the employers mind, how can you do that?  

Why is this Important?

I agree, why is this important? Because creating pictures from words happens all the time. When you read a description about a character out of a book, as you read the authors description you start to create an image of this person, don’t you? An employer goes through the same process when they read your CV (your description) they create an image in their mind, if the employers picture of you is positive, you will be invited for an interview.

As you read this, preparing to write your CV, you have already started to notice how powerful words can be.  It’s not about using power words, it’s about which power words you should use, what skills and qualities will your new employer be looking for?

Take a minute to think about the job or career sector you are looking for work in, what skills and qualities will the employer being looking for? Write them down:

 

Skills and Qualities Needed for My Job and Career:

  • Think about all the skills needed:
  • What skills are needed for each duty?
  • What qualities do you possess that are needed for the job?

 

You now have a list of skills and qualities your employer is looking for, how many of these are essential? All the essential criteria from a job specification need to be added to your CV, as long as you possess them.

Re-read your list and notice the words you have written, which words can you change to make them sound more powerful? Do this 3 times; you can change a single word to a sentence if needed or the other way around.

“Being on Time” to “I am Reliable” to “I have Never Had a Day of Work”

“Good at Team Work” to  “An Excellent Team Player” to “Possessing the Ability to Increase Team Moral”

Keeping adding and changing the words and phrases you use until you have a large list of power words and sentences, from this you can choose the most powerful words and create your personal profile. If you feel you need some example Personal Profiles, use our CV Template Pack to ensure you know you have a good powerful CV to impress the employer.

To help you have a powerful CV we have listed below a list of Powerful CV Words for your use, once you have wrote your CV, use our CV Review for a Free CV Appraisal.

We have recorded the Power Words under headings to make things a little easier, but the words can be used across the board and is designed to start you thinking about words.

Creative

 

 Management Organisation

 
  • Edited
  • Imagine
  • Future Vision
  • Designed
  • Illustrate
  • Ideas
  • Describe
  • Picturesque
  • Representation
  • Vision
  • Observation
  • Examine
  •  
  • Advised
  • Analysed
  • Approved
  • Arranged
  • Achieved
  • Delivered
  • Expanded
  • Forecast
  • Negotiated
  • Offered
  • Presented
  • Rapport
  • Targets
  • Won

 
  • Administered
  • Arranged
  • Budgeted
  • Categorised
  • Collected
  • Compiled
  • Corrected
  • Redesigned
  • Incorporated
  • Identified
  • Organised
  • Logged
  • Maintained

 

 

Achievements

 

Team Work

 

Action
  • Accomplished
  • Achieved
  • Attained
  • Displayed
  • Established
  • Expanded
  • Founded
  • Identified
  • Implemented
  • Lead
  • Managed
  • Reduced
  • Solved
  • Processed

 
  • Assisted
  • Co-Operated
  • Communicated
  • Earned
  • Encouraged
  • Established
  • Facilitated
  • Listened
  • Motivating
  • Operated
  • Organised
  • Share Ideas
  • Together
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
  • Achieve
  • convene
  • Bench marked
  • Build up
  • Delivered
  • Ensured
  • Generated
  • Go For
  • Performed
  • Planned
  • Prepared
  • Targets
  • On Time

 

 

 

To finish with, you will need to use “opening lines” to add your power words to, here are several examples:

“Others say…”                                                                                

“I am…”                                                               

“My experience proves…”                                                                                             

“My ability to…”                                                     

“As you can see from my CV….”                                

“In addition…”                                                             

“I have learnt to…”                                                          

“Willing to….”                                                                

“Interested in….”                                                                

 

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How to Write a Powerful CV – Don’t Tell Anyone Else!

Google “how to write a CV” or “what is a targeted CV” and you will find thousands of links, information and advice to help you write your own CV.  It’s not about how many articles you can find, but which articles offer you the best information; today you will learn how to write a powerful CV, how to word your CV to emotionally excite the employer and how certain CV words make a big difference.

The Internet is a great tool for finding advice on CV writing and CV writing services which means all your job hunting competitors have access to the same resources, it doesn’t matter what resources people find but what you do with this information, what action will you take today to improve your CV?

Why does your CV not gain you interviews? It’s too standard; we have already read articles on targeting a CV now you will learn how to “word” your CV and words make a big difference.  First start by using some excellent CV Templates, your CV has to sound positive and needs to be good visually.

Positive Word’s                                                                 

Let’s look at these examples, which examples impresses you the most?

“I am a good team player” or “I am an excellent team Player”

You can see how a little word makes you feel different; these two statements say the same thing, but one sound’s much better then the other.

“I try my best” or “I put a 100% into everything I do”

“I can meet targets” or “Increasedcompany profits” Now these two sentences sound completely different, but mean the same thing (achieving targets increases profits) all you have to do is re-frame the first line into a new frame, making your CV even more powerful

“I can come up with good ideas” or “highly creative and innovative”

After reading these few examples above you will notice how to quickly improve your CV, in a minute a will share an even bigger secret that will double your chances of gaining an interview offer from your CV application.

First, we have a little exercise for you, in the table below you will see a list of common CV words, all you need to do is re-write the word in a more positive way.

Common Word or Phrase

Positive Replacement

  • I work well with others
  
  • I am reliable
  
  • Enthusiastic
  
  • I have experience of
  
  • Knowledgeable with IT
  

As you are sat down, reading this article on improving your CV you can start to think about all the ways this article can help you improve your CV. For some you will feel so excited about writing your CV you will want to start right away, before you start to write your improved CV, I will share one last secret:

Increase your Interview Offers

Everyone knows that a CV is designed to gain you job interviews, as the employer reads your CV they will create an image of you in their mind if they like this image you will receive an offer for an interview. In a forth coming article I will explain in more detail how this happens, for now just think about when you read about a new character in a book, after a brief description you have a visual image of the person in your mind –it happens the same way when an employer reads your CV, they make an image of you in their mind.

To double your chances of gaining a job interview use examples instead of words; an example or real life experience will evidence that you have the skills and qualities needed for the job role.

Let’s get you started with an example “I am an excellent communicator” A well used statement in a CV; you can easily add a little meat to the bone and increase your positive image in the employers mind:

“As a mentor in a local high school, I am able to change my language when working with teachers or pupils to gain instant rapport, I build on this rapport my listening and showing empathy while at the same time giving my professional opinion, leading to positive outcomes” 

This small statement highlights your communication skills and much more without mentioning the word “communication” by reading this statement the employers is given a fuller picture of your experience, skills and qualities creating a fuller positive picture in their mind.

General CV’s have already stopped people getting interview offers, you now need to target your CV and add detailed information about your skills and qualities – you need to keep the employer interested! “Leading to positive outcomes” the employer will ask themselves “how many outcomes, what type of outcomes, outcomes with the pupil or teachers?” to find out they need to invite you for an interview.

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Free CV Review

CV Review

All job hunters from cleaners to accountants can benefit from a free CV review.

If you possess a good CV, you will already be gaining job interviews and most likely would never think to search for a CV review.

If your CV does not generate job interviews then something needs to change quickly, your first step is to check if your CV can be improved. Often CVs only need a little tinkering or re-designing, these small changes often lead into an increase of job interviews and job offers.

Free CV Review Service

As a free service offered by many CV writing companies, you should quickly take advantage of this great service. Warning – if any CV writing company ask for a deposit or your bank details then do not trust them, this should be a free service.

CV Template

If you need a CV creating from scratch, CV templates can help to get you started. The secrets of employment comes with a free CV pack containing CV templates, Personal Profile Templates and Key Words, Hobbies and Interest Templates and Employment History Templates, helping you create a CV in minutes – all you need to do is add in your contact details and education.

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Do i Need A Web CV?

Web CV

Technology has changed the way we search and apply for vacancies, in the past we would type a CV and post it out to employers, the mail would take several days to arrive and in some instances would be lost on route!

These days using the world wide web, job searching has speeded up. We can find a vacancy and contact the employer instantly via e-mail (or in some cases using a social network site)

CV

Currently, we e-mail employers with our CV attached as a PDF document and record the cover letter text in the body of the e-mail. Job searchers are using the Internet to evolve the way we job search and Web CVs are becoming more popular, especially in ITC, Media, Performing Arts and Catering Industries.

A Web CV is your CV online. By creating a one or two-page website you can design a creative-looking CV to catch the employer’s eye.

Unlike standard CVs you can also scan in your qualifications/certificates and upload these to your Web CV. For Creative and Performing Arts careers, you can add videos, photos and reviews, proving you have the skills, qualities and experience the CV states you have.

Web CV

A Web CV, like any other CV, needs to be brief, to the point and MUST be targeted to the industries that interest you. A Web CV is easy to update and can be used as a working web document. Don’t add your contact details to your Web CV, for security reasons, as anyone can have access to your online CV.

When applying for jobs, on your phone or in an Internet cafe, you can quickly e-mail the employer with a link to your Web CV. To make your website safer you can use a password-protected website, remember to add the password when you send your Web CV link to an employer.

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10 Tips for a Perfect CV

10 CV Tips for creating a perfect CV

1. Use a CV writing service.

View your CV as an investment, if you can afford it you should consult with a professional CV writing service.

A professional service should be able to target your CV to a specific industry and job role, a targeted CV worded to catch the employer’s attention will significantly reduce the time it takes to find employment.

If you can’t afford a full CV writing service, templates for targeted CVs are included in the Secrets of Employment E-book.

2. Have your CV appraised for free.

A CV appraisal is normally a free service and can be a good opportunity to test out different companies’ services.

When sending your CV for a review ensure that you explain what job role your CV is being used to apply for. Once you receive the appraisal, don’t be afraid to ask any additional questions about their comments or suggestions.

3. CVs should be a maximum of two pages.

A little bit of information that is often told but not always adhered to! Most employers only spend 30 seconds skimming through your CV looking for certain criteria, having a CV that is 4 pages long makes this job more difficult.

Keep your CV brief and to the point, remember the CV is designed to gain you an interview. It is during the interview that you can recount the nitty-gritty details of your vast employment history.

4. Break up the CV text.

Employers can receive up to 300 applications for every advertised job – an arduous task for the most committed recruiter! Using Headings, Shadings, Bold, Bullet Points to break up the CV text, making it easier for the employer to read or “skim” through.

5. Use Font size 11 or 12.

A simple but often overlooked detail – The text has to be easy to read, employers can spend all day reading CV’s – let’s make it easy for them! If you’re struggling to fit the text on one or two pages, use font size 11 but no less. Avoid the use of unusual fonts – Arial is simple and easy to read.

6. Target your CV.

You need to have a targeted CV; a targeted CV is a CV written for a particular industry, job position and company. You may like to save a generic CV which can then be edited for specific roles using job specifications and company information.

7. Always send a Covering Letter.

Candidates may spend hours on their CV only to undo all their good work by neglecting to enclose with it a Covering Letter. Research undertaken by Employment King indicates that many companies will not even read CVs that are received without a Covering Letter. Some CV writing services offer free Covering Letter letter templates with every CV.

8. CV text should be concise and to the point.

An easy mistake to be made with CVs is the temptation to include masses of information, CVs are more difficult to reduce than they are to increase.

Everything you have undertaken in your working life is a selling point, on the CV you need to intrigue the employer, leave them wanting to know more. Include around 3 bullet points for each job and start by recording the duties you did that are needed for this new role.

9. Match your skills.

Once you have applied to a job advert, most employers will send you a job specification. Read the job specification and highlight the “Essential Criteria” these are the main skills the employers is seeking.

These criteria must be visible in your CV or you shall not secure an interview. It goes without saying, a record that you have these skills on your CV, this way you have nearly guaranteed yourself an interview.

10. Feedback.

Remember – there is no failure, only feedback.

If your CV does not secure you interviews, you need to change it either yourself or through a CV review service such as that provided by Employment King.

You should not be afraid to ask employers for feedback, this is considered to be a standard part of the application process and can stand you in good stead for future applications and how you can make yourself even more employable.

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What is a Targeted CV?

A targeted CV

Many unsuccessful job seekers in fact will not have heard of targeted CVs, having just one CV. Often this CV is of a good standard and records the job hunter’s employment and education history. So, why do you need a targeted CV?

A targeted CV will make you more marketable.

If you’re applying for several job roles, which many job hunters do to help increase their chances of gaining employment you need to create a targeted CV. A targeted CV is a CV aimed at an individual job role and company; research has shown that targeted CVs increase offers of interviews.

First write your general CV, or if needed ask a CV writing service to write one for you. A general CV should record your contact details, personal profile, employment history, education, hobbies and your references.

Once you have a CV, read the job specification for the job you are applying for. The job specification will tell the job hunter what key skills and qualities are essential for this particular job role in this particular organisation, if you possess these essential requirements RECORD them on your CV-it’s these skills the employer is looking for, so many job hunters record information that they feel is relevant, where as the interviewer does not.

The personal profile is often the first section on the CV the employer will read, this is the section on your CV to really sell yourself. Look at the personal profile as a “sales” paragraph, why should the employer interview you? What makes you stand out from the other applicants? Before you write your personal profile, re-read the job specification and only record your transferrable skills needed for this opportunity.

How long does an employer spend reading your CV?

Need a CV writing service?

An employer can receive over 300 CVs for every advertised job role, for any organisation that is a large amount of CVs to read and time is money! In many cases employers will spend 30 seconds “skimming” through your CV quickly looking to see if you have the essential skills and qualities needed for the job role. If you do, the employer will put your CV through to the second round of the application process, spending more time dissecting your CV, helping the employer decide which 6, on average, applicants to interview for every one job position.

Unhappy with your job?

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How to get rid of gap’s in your CV

Do you have a CV with gaps in your employment history? Don’t worry, so do many other job hunters. Some gaps can be easily explained, while other normally longer gaps may not be so easy to explain.

The secret to writing a CV is to keep the CV positive, especially when explaining employment gaps. If you can not avoid the gap in employment, you should record an explanation rather than just leaving a long gap.

If you leave a gap, an employer reading your CV, will notice your employment gaps and may come to their own conclusions why you have the employment gaps.

How to get rid of gaps in employment.

1. On your employment history only record the years of employment rather than the day, month and year as this will quickly delete any small gaps of unemployment between jobs.

2. Record if you have had time off for becoming a parent or taking a gap year to travel-you can even record what skills and qualities you have gained from this experience that you can use in your new job.

3. If you have had a custodial sentence and completed any qualifications while in custody, you can record the qualifications and governing body. This will look like you have attended a training establishment. You don’t need to record criminal convictions on your CV, when completing an application form you have to answer honestly the question “do you have a criminal record” Remember with many industries you don not need to declare “spent Convictions” for more information visit the Nacro website.

4. Many people at one time throughout their career have a long term illness, leaving them with an employment gap. Explain that you have had an accident or illness and you are now completely recovered and ready for continuing with your career. I recently worked with a client who had recovered from cancer, while having treatment the client became a mentor for other cancer patients, from this he gain a wide range of skills that he could add to his CV.

5. Have you been unemployed for several years? Many job hunters find a large unemployment gap hard to explain. To overcome this type of employment gap you need to highlight any positive activities you undertaken, this could be voluntary work, attending a short course or a hobby that has given you transferable skills that will be useful to your next employer.

Need help? Use a professional CV writing service.

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How to write a good CV

What is a good CV?     

Only a CV that gains you an interview is worth having.

Your CV may look great; have a fantastic image and all the relevant sections. The CV may also tell an employer how amazing and wonderful you are, but if your CV does not gain you interviews then something needs changing.

Sell yourself through your CV

With many people who are applying for work, they will either have a CV that does not sell their skills and Qualities or a CV that records the skills and qualities they have, which are not relevant to the job role they are applying for.

Targeted CV

You need to target your CV to the industry you are applying for. To do this think about the skills, qualities and duties for the job role you are applying for. Read the job specification for the job role and ensure all the essential requirements are recorded on your CV. Take out any information that is not relevant to the job you are applying for. On average employers often “skim” through the pile of applicants’ CVs, spending around 30 seconds reading each CV; this is often due to the large volume of CVs applicants send for every advertised job. Once an employer has created a narrowed-down pile of the job applicants CVs, they will then spend longer dissecting each CV to ensure they interview the candidates with the most relevant skills, qualifications and experiences.

Writing a Personal Profile

A personal profile is on average 4-5 lines describing all your skills and qualities that are relevant to the job role you are applying for. This should be a “Selling” paragraph that shows you at your best. Often the employer will read the personal profile first, if they like the sound of you they will continue to read your CV.

Use a powerful opening line; the opening line needs to catch the employer’s attention. What have you done that will impress an employer? What do you have that an employer will want? “With over 10 years of experience in retail management working with the UK’s leading retail companies, I have been responsible for increasing profits year on year for the past 6 years.” As you can see the opening line above highlights 3 key points to impress an employer:

10 years experience

Working with the UKs leading retail companies

Increasing the companies profits

How to create ideas for your Personal Profile

A great way to get your creative juices working is to mind-map; get an A4 piece of paper and draw a little picture of yourself in the middle (this can be a Stick-Person) draw on some hair, eyes, glasses, etc to represent you, like you would do when you were 10 yrs old (this is to get into the mind of your inner-child and will help you to be more creative) Think and write down everything you like about yourself, everything you are good at.

Most people find this hard to do at first, but once you get going you want to be able to stop. Don’t be shy; no one is going to see this, write down every little thing, not just worked related but anything you are good at. You may have recorded a verity of work, hobbies and family related task, now think what skills and qualities that make you good at this task? And record all of these.

Keeping going until you have exhausted your brain. As an example – Cooking – good timing, multi-tasking, planning ahead, following a list/recipe, work under pressure, experienced, good pallet, etc

Once you have done this, your mind-map will be full (and hopefully overcrowded) with task, skills and qualities. Now think about the industry you are applying to, think about the job duties, skills and qualities needed.

Circle (in a bright coloured pen) all the tasks, skills and qualities you have on your mind map that are related to your job goal. You will find that often a certain skill or quality will have been mentioned several times throughout your mind-map, write these down as these can often be your strongest transferable skill and quality (your selling point)

You now have a list of your strongest skills and qualities that are needed for the job you are applying for, this is the basis for your personal profile. Turn your list into a paragraph, adding a strong opening line. Re-read and then edit your personal profile 3 times/or until you are completely happy with your personal profile.

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How to Write a CV

Having a CV (Or Curriculum Vitae meaning “Passage of Life”) is an important tool for all job searchers, as a CV records all your employment history and qualification on one document.

You can use your CV to prepare for interviews/interview questions, to assist you when completing application forms and for applying for work.

CV Image.

The layout of your CV is important, on average employers spend around 30 seconds initially “skimming” through your CV, this due to the amount of CVs employers receive for every advertised job role.

Keep your CV to 1 or 2 pages, use Headings and Breakers to split up the CV text, making it easier for the employer to read.

What to put on a CV

Contact Details.

Record your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address. Ensure your telephone (and especially your mobile) number is correct, due to the number of times individuals change mobile phone companies and numbers, people often forget to update their CV.

Also, use a professional sounding e-mail address.

Personal Profile.

A personal profile is a paragraph around 4-5 lines recording all your key skills and qualities that are needed for the job you are applying for. This is often the most important part of the CV, as this is often the first section on the CV an employer looks for and reads. Ensure your personal paragraph shows you in your most positive light.

Employment History.

Start with your current or last job and work backward; record the company you work for (company name) date you worked there (just add the years you worked as this will help delete small periods of unemployment) job title and duties.

Keep your duties brief and relevant to the new job you are applying for. Often people will record information they felt was important, where you need to record the information and duties your potential new employer wants to know about.

Qualifications.

Record the education establishment, years attended and qualification achieved. Record qualifications achieved at school/college/university and qualifications achieved in employment.

Hobbies.

To end your CV record what you enjoy doing in your spare time, if possible record information that again is relevant to the job you are applying for. Never record “socialising with friends” as this is often mistaken for “drinking with friends”

Record any Volunteering experience as many employers enjoy see this very positively as it shows, commitment and dedication.

References.

You can either record your references, or record “references available on Request” As most employers will only ask for your references during or after the interview section of the application process.