The document provides tips for effective curriculum vitae (CV) writing and job interviews. It discusses the importance of a well-written CV in standing out from other applicants. Key points include tailoring the CV to each job application by highlighting relevant skills and experience, keeping the CV concise at no more than two pages, and ensuring there are no spelling or grammatical errors. The document also provides guidance on professional conduct during interviews, such as being prepared with research on the company, dressing appropriately, maintaining eye contact and a positive attitude.

1. EFFECTIVE CV WRITING
TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN JOB
HUNT & INTERVIEWS
BY MOHAMMED RAFEEQ
(Founder jobsRmine.com)

2. What will you learn by end of speech?
 Importance of CV
 Ways to write CV
 Where to find jobs
 How to face interviews

3. Some stats about CVs
 On average, each corporate job offer attracts 50+ resumes.
Of those candidates, 4 to 6 will get called for an interview, and only one will get the
job
 Average time spent looking at a CV is <30 seconds
 One in three employers rejected candidates based on something they found about
them online
 68% of employers will find you on Facebook
 76% of CVs are ignored if your email address is unprofessional like
lostfan9@gmail.com, ineedajobnow@someemail.com
 Few spelling or grammar mistake(s) and your CV will be chucked in the bin
 35% of candidates who apply for jobs are actually qualified for the role
 68.7% of resume errors involved missing accomplishments.

4. Here’s what recruiters say will get
a resume rejected
 Impersonal Applications (No Hiring Manager’s Name) - 84%
 No Thank You Note After Interview - 57%
 Resumes Aren’t Customized and Tailored - 54%
 No Cover Letter - 45%
 No Follow Up With Employer After Interview - 37%

5. What recruiters say they look for on a
resume:
 Job Experience - 67%
 Cultural Fit - 60%
 Cover Letters - 26%
 Prestige of College - 21%
 Marks /Grades - 19%

6. What recruiters want from job seekers:
 Resumes Tailored to the Open Position - 63%
 Skill Sets Listed First on a Resume - 41%
 Cover Letters - 40%
 Application Addressed to the Hiring Manager - 22%
 Links to Personal Blogs, Portfolios, or Websites - 16%

7. What is a CV?
 What is the purpose of a CV?
 To inform the employer about your education, work experience,
skills and interests
 To ‘sell’ these qualities and to persuade the employer to invite
you to interview

9. First impressions count…
An employer will only read your CV for 30 seconds before deciding
whether
to interview.
They will be checking for 3 key things:
1. Are you qualified to do the job?
2. Have you got commercial experience?
3. Are you passionate & enthusiastic about the job

10. It’s all about you
CVs are an opportunity to show an employer why you are an ideal
candidate
for the job.
A good CV will:
 Stand out from the crowd.
 Draw attention to your relevant skills, experience, achievements and
potential.
 Create such an impression on the employer that they will not be able to
turn you down for interview.

11. What to do in a CV
 Use a standard font size in.
 Include recent and relevant work experience (paid or voluntary).
 Be consistent in your layout.
 List your skills and achievements and back up with evidence.
 Keep it short (maximum 2 pages).
 Proofread for spelling, punctuation, grammar and meaning.

12. What to do in a CV
 Use positive action verbs such as “organised, delivered,
accomplished, achieved”.
 Include a statement about your career aspirations and what you have
to offer the employer.
 Be honest but positive (negatives can always be turned into positives).

13. Things not to do in a CV
Do it in a rush.
 Leave gaps in employment.
 Lie.
 Include irrelevant personal details such as marital status.
 Simply write a list of duties under work experience
(remember you are selling yourself!).
 Use flashy or large font.

14. Things not to do in a CV
 There is no single way to write a CV. It is your document and can be
structured and presented as you wish within a basic framework.
 The important thing to remember is that this is the first impression
an employer will have of you.
 It is your marketing brochure through which you are trying to sell
yourself.

16. Write Meaningful Objectives
“To work in a professional environment which provides opportunities to
learn and enhance my professional skills. To leverage my analytical,
professional & technical skills to make a sustainable, long term
contribution to the organization”
VS
“Seeking an entry level software engineer role anywhere in India”

18. 5 Cs for a Good CV
 Clear – well organized and logical
 Concise – relevant and necessary
 Complete – includes everything you need
 Consistent – don’t mix styles or fonts
 Current – Up-to-date

19. What should be on a CV?
Start with contact information
 Full name
 Permanent mailing address
 E-mail address that won’t expire
 Phone numbers
 Education
 Honors and Awards

20. What should be on a CV?
 Professional Experience (employment)
 Publications and presentations
 Extracurricular and volunteer experience
 Certifications and licenses
 Professional affiliations
 Professional activities
 Research
 Added qualifications

21. Prove Your Ability
There are four main things employers will look at in CVs:
 Education - ability to think clearly, analyse and assess information,
draw conclusions, work independently, research
 Work experience - ability to get on with people, work under pressure,
meet deadlines
 Leisure interests - ability to plan and organise, cooperate with others,
compete, lead, work hard to achieve results
 Specific skills – e.g. driving license, computer skills, foreign
languages,
artistic skills

22. In Education Section
Most current schooling first (include your current educational work)
 Only include diploma distinctions
 Get the school’s names correct!
 Degrees/certifications are what is important – not time spent
 List Thesis/Dissertation titles

23. Sample Education Section

24. On Honors and Awards Section
 List most recent first
 Honors/Award Title – then date received
 Go back to undergrad but not before. – Only academic or professional
 Scholarships count

25. Tips on Professional Experience Section
 Includes anything you were paid to do or was extensive and regular
volunteer work
 Only list items relevant to academic work
 List most recent first
 If listing research, include the lab and director/principal investigator

26. Work Experience
 There is no need to list every job you’ve ever had – detail the most
relevant
 Don’t just list your duties – sell your skills. Which skills are relevant
to the position/company you are applying to?
 Dates, name of company, position and skills:

27. Tips on Extracurricular and Volunteer
Experience Section
 List most recent first
 This tends to be a long list – careful!
 It is better to have long-term items or very relevant items instead
of EVERYTHING
 Student organizations go here

28. Tips for Professional Section
Affiliations Activities
 Only those current
 Most current first
 Include all dates of affiliation
 Note any leadership positions
 Past and present
 Most current first
 Only those specific
to academic/research
 Should be school or university
sponsored
 Include your role

29. Tips for Research Section
 List most current first
 Make sure you indicate others you worked with
 Include grant funds if obtained
 Briefly describe here

30. Publications and Presentations Section
 Two options for listing
 Most recent – Order of publication
 Always bold your name in authorship
 Include submitted and/or pending publications or presentations
 Presentations may be large or small but pertinent enough to talk about
 Have copies of your pubs and/or presentation for the life of your CV

31. Added Qualifications Section
 Should be verifiable
 Include language fluency
 Cultural knowledge – maybe. Especially if you have had hands-on
experience
 Anything else special

32. What examples can you give from
your work experience?
If you have no paid work experience, give examples
from voluntary work or from your course

33. Matching up your CV with the
position/company
It is not ‘one size fits all’, you need
to tailor your CV to each position
you apply for.

34. Presentation of your CV
 The first visual impression of your CV is important
 For standard CVs, use plain white A4 paper
 Do not double side
 Keep your CV to two sides of paper
 Check your spelling
 Use bullet points and bold font but in moderation

35. Presentation of your CV
 Formatting – make sure it’s consistent
 Size 10-12 font (depending on font style)
 Clear font e.g. Arial, Calibri
 Focus on accomplishments
 Target your CV to that job/company
 2:1, not Two One or 2,1
 Use short, concise sentences
 Consider your audience

36. References
 Ideally, one academic and your manager
 Ask permission from your reference and let them know what position(s)
you’ve applied for
 Use relevant references if possible
 You can say ‘references available on request’ rather than including
contact details if you wish

37. Covering letters
 Never send a ‘lonely’ CV
 There are two types of covering letters:
 Speculative / accompanying letter

38. Speculative/Accompanying letter
 Should be three short paragraphs
 Opening paragraph – why you are writing
 Paragraph 2 – show knowledge of employer, highlight your skills
 Paragraph 3 – Refer to your CV and availability

39. Letter of application
 Used when asked to ‘apply in writing’ or ‘send CV and cover letter’
 1 side of A4 – similar to a UCAS personal statement
 Opening paragraph – motivation for the job
 Followed by background skills and experience developed through
study,
work experience and paid work
 ‘Matching up’ with job description
 What you can offer the employer

40. Where to Find Jobs

41. Where do candidates search for jobs?
 Career Sites - 27.35%
 Job Boards - 18.76%
 Referrals - 15.83%
 Internal Hire - 15.25%
 Agency - 4.52%

43. Networking
 Use your contacts from your work experience/course/friends
 Use social networking sites such as LinkedIn, upload a portfolio of your
work onto it
 Attend events, keep business cards and keep in contact
 Meetups

44. Alternative Routes

45. Postgraduate Study
 Masters/PhD
 PGCE to teach in schools
 Particular careers require additional study (e.g. music therapist)

46. Self-employment/Freelance
 www.upwork.com
 www.freelancer.com
 www.fiverr.com
 www.payperhour.com

47. Self-employment/Freelance
Advantages
 Choosing work you enjoy
 Freedom
 Earning more money
 Variety
Disadvantages
 Risks
 Long hours initially
 Funding
 Own arrangements for tax etc.

48. Self-employment/Freelance
What can you do to help make your business a success?
Research:
 How to set up a business and what to consider
 The industry
 Sources of funding/support

57. Interview Tips

59. What is the purpose of the interview?
 Meet 1:1 with an employer
 To learn more about the position
 To see if your skills and experience match what the employer is looking
for
 To get the job!

60. Do your research
 On the company
 On who you will be meeting
 On yourself! Ensure that you know your CV back to front (and
sideways)
so that you don’t get caught out!
 Print out their address, contact number, and a printout of the interview
confirmation email
 Figure out parking.

61. Timing
 Plan for traffic delays but do not be more than 10 mins early
 If you are running late, ensure to call ahead to forewarn and apologise

62. Etiquette
Switch your phone off
 Ringing phones are embarrassing and could have a detrimental effect
on the interviewer’s perception of you
Get their business card
 Now you have their details to send them a thank you letter
PREPARATION

63. Personality
 Keep it positive - Never speak negatively about present or former
employers, no matter how much of an ogre they may be!
 Maintain your poise and posture. Don’t slouch, yawn, or display signs
of nervousness.
 Do not cross your arms
 If you don’t know something, admit to it, but turn it into a positive by
saying you are easily trained.
 Don’t jump into the answer, listen to the question. Think about your
answer, but avoid lengthy pauses

64. Personality
Be Enthusiastic
It is not always the most qualified candidate who gets the position –
it can be the person who shows the strongest desire for the opportunity.
Tell them how excited you are at the prospect of being part of the team

65. Personality
Make Eye Contact
This is part of addressing people properly and will help you to appear
confident and approachable

66. Personality
Smile
Show you are interested and keen. Be open, Personable and friendly

67. Personality
Dress Well
Dress for the job you want, not the job you have. If you are unsure, please
ask your recruiter.

68. Participation
Let the employer drive the interview
Step in where requested – don’t interview the interviewer

69. Participation
Answer a question with a statement of experience
It helps interviewers to conceptualize you as an employee.
(i.e. On XYZ project I realized X was underutilized, so I shifted labor
around and delivered the project two days earlier with Y profit.)

70. Participation
Speak clearly and succinctly
Provide accurate detail but don’t ramble or tell long stories.

71. Participation
Ask a question at the end of the interview
It gives you a chance to really show that you’re interested
Ice Breaker Questions
 “I’ve been told about the position but I would like to hear what you
consider the most important aspects to be” - This will let you know what
the person interviewing you thinks is most important and what you
should emphasise about your background
 “Can you tell me what brought you personally to the company, and
what you like most about it” - This will bring the interview to a more
personal level

72. Types of questions asked
Tell about yourself
An opening for you to set the tone of the job interview and emphasize
the points that you most want this potential employer to know about you.
Don’t waste the opportunity by simply diving into a long recitation of your
resume. This also isn’t the time to mention that you love dancing
Competency based questions
 Tell me a situation where you handled a tough and angry customer
 Tell me a situation where you performed under pressure

73. Types of questions asked
What are your strengths
Discuss your strengths and competencies that qualify you for the job
What are your weaknesses
 Try to turn weaknesses into positive experiences that made you
a better professional, without giving out too much information
 Tell me a situation where you performed under pressure

74. When asked about money
It is likely you may be asked directly about money. The best way to
respond is
to state your current salary, then to state that you are open to any fair
offer.
This approach ensures that you do not price yourself out of the
opportunity,
and at the same time does not leave money on the table

75. The Last & important question(s)
 Close the Deal The end of the interview is your last chance to leave a
lasting impression and is often what is remembered most.
 Ask any questions you have that have not been covered during the
interview
 Ask the interviewer if there is anything you have not covered or clarified
about your ability to perform the role
 Ask for feedback to gain their thoughts around your suitability

76. The Last & important question(s)
If you are convinced this is a role you are keen on - let them know
 For example, “after learning more about the role and having spoken
with you at some length I just wanted to say I am even more excited
about the opportunity to join the organisation”
Ask what the next steps are
 This can often be a good indicator of how you have gone
Finally thank the interviewer for their time, look them in the eyes,
shake their hand and tell them you look forward to speaking with
them soon

77. After The Interview
 Send a thank you letter
 Makes a positive impression on the employer
 Thank them for their assistance
 Send it as soon as possible after the interview

78. ANY QUESTIONS?
mrafeeq@jobsrmine.com
Also Visit
https://blog.jobsrmine.com
https://www.jobsrmine.com/cvs/cv-and-resume-templates
https://www.jobsrmine.com/useful-job-search-infographics
https://www.jobsrmine.com/get-job-alerts-on-telegram-join-here