                       ESSENTIAL CV DESIGN

                                By

                            Paul Bocij




COPYRIGHT NOTICE

     This  guide may not be reproduced in part or  whole,  by  any
means,  without the express, written  permission of the publisher.
Legal  action may taken against any person found to be  infringing
the copyright of this guide without prior notice.  This guide  may
also  not  be  sold commercially without  the  permission  of  the
publisher.  If you wish to supply this guide,  please contact  the
publisher in writing.

INTRODUCTION

     This guide is intended to serve only one purpose:  to show in
precise detail how a CV should be compiled, written and presented.
This  guide  will  also show how any CV can be  tailored  to  suit
individual   needs,   either  for  specific  individuals  or   for
applications in a specific career area.

     Such information can be used in two ways: either for personal
use only,  or for commercial application (ie. starting your own CV
design service).

     Although the former is covered in great detail, the latter is
served only by a brief,  general section.  The reason for this  is
that,  apart from the actual commodity being sold, such a business
is  identical  to  any  other.  If  the  reader  lacks  sufficient
knowledge to begin a CV design business,  reference can be made to
the following:  your local reference library (which will not  only
hold  many books on the subject but will also have the  names  and
addresses  of  various  services  you can  use)  or  the  Manpower
Services  Commission  (who  will  be  able  to  provide  specific,
detailed information and other useful resources).

PREPARATION

     In order to achieve better results,  and to save time in  the
long  run,  you  should prepare a broad-based  "personal  history"
file. This should include as much detail as possible, with special
attention being given to exact dates and the full postal addresses
required for the finished CV.

     Work  out  a rough copy of your personal history on  some  A4
notepaper.  Space out sections carefully,  allowing for insertions
and  any additional notes you might want to add at a later  stage.
Use  only side of each sheet of paper,  so that the pages  can  be
spread out and referred to easily.

     Once  all of the details have been filled in,  and you  think
the history is complete, you can then make a final copy from which
to work from.  At this stage,  it is also a good idea to mark  the
information you think will appear on your final CV;  a highlighter
pen is ideal for this.

PRELIMINARY NOTES

     After  reading this guide,  but before starting work  on  the
final  draft of your CV,  you should prepare a rough draft of  the
CV. This will help you to judge overall appearance and content and
will allow you to make minor alterations simply.

     The draft can be prepared by using the personal history notes
you  compiled earlier.  It can be composed of little more  than  a
series of titles and headings, with spaces left to account for the
actual  details.  You can estimate how much space each entry  will
take up by simply looking back at your history notes.

     Once  the draft has been completed,  you can then examine  it
for  overall appearance.  The best way to do this is to  hold  the
draft at arms length. From this distance, if it appears attractive
and all of the sections seem to clearly defined, then it is fine.

RULES AND CONVENTIONS

     There  are no definitive rules and guidelines to follow  when
creating  an  effective  CV.  No formally  designed  rules  exist.
There are,  however, a number of conventions that have existed for
several years.  Employers,  universities and other institutes  are
used  to seeing CVs that have been laid out in a particular  style
and manner.  Conforming to this standard layout will automatically
enhance your application.

     Using  this principle of "conformity" and combining  it  with
proven  design and layout techniques will effectively  create  the
best possible CV.   Please remember that whilst it is usually best
to  keep to a standard CV format,  there may be occasions when  an
advantageous  effect  may be achieved by making part  of  your  CV
appear in an unconventional manner.  Because a limitless number of
variations exist, it is impossible to list them all.

     In this case, an example may serve to clarify this statement.
In 1987 a student applied for more than 100 jobs, using the "spec"
letter method and a "standard" CV.  From one hundred  letters,  he
was granted only one interview from which he did not receive a job
offer.

     Looking for a new and more impressive way in which to present
his CV,  he finally decided to alter the way in which he    listed
his previous work experience and qualifications.  Instead of using
the standard vertical column format,  he used a horizontal  layout
which made each qualification and previous job appear almost  like
a paragraph of text upon his CV.  With the newly designed  CV,  he
wrote  only twelve speculative letters and quickly  obtained  four
interviews - and a job.

                  CHAPTER 1: EFFECTIVE CV DESIGN

     There  now  follows  an in-depth analysis of  each  piece  of
information  to be placed in a CV.  Although generally  placed  in
order of appearance,  this may not be the case with each entry  in
this section.  Refer to the sample CV at the rear of this book for
more  guidance.

     Remember:  the CV should only ever reflect good points  about
the  author.  Every  effort  should  be made  to  either  omit  or
"disguise"  anything that may be seen as derogatory to  the  image
the  author  wishes  to present.  This may be  done  by  omission,
careful  selection of words or by  simple  misdirection.  Although
this  may  seem dishonest,  it is not necessarily  the  case:  the
reader  already  knows  he is seeing you  presented  in  the  best
possible  light  and  will therefore  make  allowances  for  this.
Furthermore,  you are strongly advised NOT to tell any untruths on
your  CV  - false representation is normally grounds  for  instant
dismissal, no matter when the misrepresented data is discovered.

TITLE

     The  words "Curriculum Vitae" should appear centered  on  the
top line of your page.  No punctuation should follow it. The words
are generally typed as shown but capital lettering may be used  if
required. The title may also be underlined.

SECTION HEADING

     This  section should be titled along the lines  of  "Personal
Details", should be centered and may be underlined.

NAME

     Your name should appear in the usual Christian Name - Surname
format,  together with any other Christian names.  Unusual English
surnames may be typed  in capitals.  Foreign surnames may also  be
capitalised and can also be underlined for added emphasis.

     Phonetic  spellings  of names should not  be  included.   For
example, "Maksymowicz" should not be accompanied with "(pronounced
'Macks-see-mow-witch')".

ADDRESS

     Your  address should be placed in the normal business  letter
format,  that is, without indenting consecutive lines. Your postal
code  must  be included and should be placed on a  separate  line,
unless your address is quite long and takes up too much space.

     Your county need not be included if you intend to use your CV
only within the confines of your own county.

     If  you  intend  to  use your CV abroad, you must include the
country. Use "United Kingdom" in place of "England", "Britain"  or
"Great  Britain".  If you live in Scotland or Ireland, add "United
Kingdom" to the end of your address.

     Commas may be used to follow street numbers. House names must
be  enclosed in quotes or italicised.  The  punctuation  preceding
your postal code may consist of either a full stop or a full  stop
and comma.

TELEPHONE NUMBER

     Your telephone number should include any necessary STD codes,
together  with  a verbal  description.  For  example:  "Nottingham
(0602) 418975".

DATE OF BIRTH

     The  heading  for your date of birth should be  spelt  fully,
unless this proves impossible due to lack of space.  Your date  of
birth should be recorded in figures. You may separate each part by
the use of either a backslash or a dash ( "/" or "-").

AGE

     Your  age should be recorded immediately following your  date
of birth as employers dislike having to calculate your age. Again,
this  should  be in figures and should not  include  fractions  or
descriptions. "Nearly 24" etc. is unacceptable.

MARITAL STATUS

     This may be an optional entry, especially considering school-
leavers etc.  However, if unusual circumstances exist, for example
if a school-leaver were  married, the entry must be included. Only
the entries "MARRIED" or "SINGLE" are applicable.

DEPENDENTS

     This may also be considered to be an optional entry.  Only  a
number is required; simply the number of children the subject has.
Further  details,  such   as names,  sex and dates  of  birth  are
optional within this entry.  The date of birth (or age) and sex of
each  child  are an acceptable minimum of detail  to  include.  If
these additions are made, children should be listed from eldest to
youngest.

NATIONALITY

     British citizens should omit this entry.  Foreign  nationals,
those with foreign surnames and those without full citizenship for
any  other  reason should make this entry to clarify their status.
The entry should simply reflect your passport details, that is,  a
Hungarian  passport  holder  (and  therefore  a Hungarian citizen)
would simply enter "HUNGARIAN".

DRIVING LICENCE

     Only full licence holders should make this entry. Provisional
licence holders should omit this entry entirely.  The entry should
include the status of the licence, providing it is favourable. For
example,   "FULL,   CLEAN"  is  acceptable,   whereas   "FULL,   3
CONVICTIONS"  is not.  Obviously,  if the licence holder  has  any
motoring convictions, the entry should simply read "FULL".

     Depending  on the use in tended for the CV,  those that  have
other  licences,  for  example  motorcycle  licences,  may  choose
whether or not to omit the entry. If the entry is included, it may
be placed in the "Further Information" section of the CV,  or  may
be  clarified  by  the use of correct  phrasing  in  the  "Driving
Licence" section. For example, "MOTORCYCLE LICENCE, CLEAN"

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

     The  correct  manner  in which to  present  your  educational
achievements  is not necessarily complex but may lead  to  awkward
decisions  having to be  made in certain  circumstances.  However,
you  may  use any suitable alternatives to  the  guidelines  given
here, provided they are logical and appear attractive on the page.

     You should have two headings: a main section title (as above)
and a column title listing dates,  establishment,  subjects  taken
and grades achieved.  Column headings should be something alike to
"Dates", "School/College Attended" and "Examinations Passed".

     The  dates need not be too specific.  Since the  majority  of
students  begin  the  academic year in September  and  take  their
examinations  in  the period between May and  November,  only  the
relevant years need be given.  Using the average secondary  school
education period,  your entry might appear as  "1980 - 1985". This
is  quite  sufficient as the reader will know you  mean  the  time
between September 1980 until around July 1985.

     The  full  title of the establishment must be given  but  the
address may be slightly abridged, omitting the postal code and the
town  or  city  (omit  the  city only if necessary and only if the
establishment is in the city where you live).  You may abridge the
address even further, so long as the reader would still be able to
locate the establishment from the information given.   The  reader
normally  assumes  that  the establishment is in the subject's own
city if the city is not specifically mentioned.  The most frequent
omissions are the suburb where the establishment  is  located  and
the  postal  code,  leaving  the  barest  possible postal address.
Telephone numbers for these establishments need not be given.

     The  establishments  must  be  listed in chronological order,
first to most recent.  Further education, if the entries  are  few
and relatively small, may also be listed in this section.

     The   subjects listed should be in descending order of merit.
For example, an average  student  would  list  'A'  levels  first,
followed   by  'O'  levels  and  CSE  examinations.   Most  people
generally list the highest graded subjects first;  'A's  to  'C's.
Those  who  have  only a few qualifications may list every subject
actually taken,  especially  since  some  employers  and  colleges
accept  some  "failed"  examinations  as passes.

     If  you  took  examinations  at  one  establishment,  but  in
different  years,  you  should note this in brackets next  to  the
subject.  If  you took five 'O' levels in 1984 and another two  in
1985,  the smaller number should appear like this: "HISTORY (1985)
A"  or  "HISTORY  A  (1985)".    You  may  also  prefer  to  group
examination  levels together by using minor headings  within  your
columns, such as "'O' Levels:". this is acceptable but  try not to
use too many such headings.

     Lesser  known  examinations  and  subjects  require  a  brief
explanation in brackets to accompany them. For example, the OND in
General  Engineering  would  require  something  like   "Subjects:
Computing,   Mathematics,  Engineering  Science,  Liberal  Studies
etc...".

     Subjects  taken  by any other form of study  than  full  time
attendance  at  a  college  or school  should  also  be  noted  in
brackets.  Eg.  "OND General Engineering (Block Release. Subjects:
etc...)"

FURTHER EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

     If you have  had  very  little  FE,  list  the  subjects  and
examinations  taken  in the "Education and Qualifications" section
(see above).  Use the guidelines given above to determine how  you
should present this section of your CV.

     Essentially, the only differences to the previous section are
that the section title will change and that,  rather  than  use  a
column  heading, such as "School/College Attended", you should use
"Establishment". This section may also include  courses  of  study
undertaken  during  employment, such as an employer's own training
course or day release courses.

     Graduates   and HE students should also list their courses in
this section. Degrees and other qualifications should be listed in
full,  together  with  brief  details  of  any   work   experience
undertaken.   An  example  of  a valid entry might be: "Nottingham
University BA (Hons) Combined Studies [Social Science and Business
Studies], 2:1". Note that work experience should also be listed in
more details in the Employment History section of the CV.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

     This section should be presented in a manner that is as close
to the presentation of the  last  section  as  possible.   A  main
heading  such  as the one above should be used, followed by column
headings of "Dates", "Employer/Establishment", "Position Held  and
Duties" and an optional heading of "Reasons For Leaving". However,
you   should   note   that  employment  is  normally  listed  from
last-first.

     The dates should be presented as described in the  "Education
and   Qualifications"  section  previously.    The   employer   or
establishment  should also be presented in this manner,  with  the
possible  addition  of  a  department title  if  the  company  was
extremely large or diverse.

     The  position  held entry should contain the formal job title
of  the  position  that  you  held.   A  brief description of your
duties should also accompany this and the following details should
also be included, if possible: cash handling experience, level  of
responsibility,  staff  management  experience  and the particular
work skill required.   For  example,  an  engineer's  entry  might
appear  as  "Machinist  and Foreman.  Supervision of several staff
and shop floor, production of precision metal components".

     The engineer obviously has no cash  handling  experience,  so
this is omitted.  Supervisory experience of both the workplace and
some members of staff is important as it demonstrates not only the
employee's  overall  ability but also the level of trust placed in
him by his previous employer.  The final  sentence  describes  the
actual work that he did, together with a strong implication that a
high  level  of  skill  was  required.   Machinists  are generally
time-served and fully skilled, an obvious point that does not need
repetition (for the reader).

     Training  courses such as the Community Project and  YTS  may
also  be  listed here as they are often regarded by  employers  as
being  more alike to real work than training.  Examinations  taken
whilst  on  such a course should be listed in the  "Education  and
Qualifications" section.

     If  there  are  fairly innocuous reasons for you to have left
your previous employments, you may enter the optional "Reasons For
Leaving" column.  However, this is a  very  tricky  area  as  some
employers  may be put off by your reasons, no matter how good they
were.  For example,  if  you  left  work  to  look  after  a  sick
relative,  an  employer  might  question  himself: "What if he/she
leaves us to look after this relative?" Only if you  are  strongly
confident  that  such a column will enhance your overall CV should
you include it.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

     The  format of this section is quite open and may be  altered
quite  freely to suit individual requirements.  Some entries might
include a great deal of dates or figures and thus columns  may  be
more  suitable  than  paragraphs  of  text.   In  other cases, the
opposite may be true.  The most common format of this  section  is
the use of brief sentences to describe each piece of information.

     If you have passed non-vocational examinations,  you may list
them  here.  Since  the format of this section  is  slightly  less
formal than elsewhere in the document,   establishments and  dates
need not be listed unless they directly concern the qualification.
For example, one particular examination in first aid must be taken
every three years in order for the holder to remain a first aider.
A  first  aider  would  therefore  give  the  date  of  his   last
examination with perhaps a brief sentence describing the fact that
it must be renewed.

     If  you  have any foreign languages,  you  should  also  list
these,  together  with an indication of skill.  You should  always
give an indication of your fluency using no more than four levels:
poor,  fair, good, fluent. For example, two language entries might
appear as:  "FRENCH: FLUENT, GERMAN: GOOD"

     You  may  also like to give an indication of  how  good  your
literary  language skills are by indicating how well you are  able
to  read and write the language in question.  This  is  especially
useful  if  you  intend  your  CV  for  secretarial  or   clerical
applications.   Other  useful  skills,  achievements  and  talents
should  be listed here also.  As a simple rule,  include  all  the
miscellaneous  information  you want the reader to  know  in  this
section.

ACHIEVEMENTS

     This is an optional entry and may be merged with the previous
section  if  only a small amount of detail needs to  be  included.
Your achievements may be big or small, their relevancy can only be
determined by you. Some people may wish to list the fact that they
captained  a local football team to a  championship,  others  that
they were a prefect in school.

     Providing the achievement listed is even slightly  applicable
to the general purpose of the CV,  it may be listed.  For example,
both  of  the  previous examples might be seen  to  demonstrate  a
talent for leadership.

HOBBIES AND INTERESTS

     Your  hobbies  and  interests often determine  the  level  of
interest  shown in you by an employer.  Although  unusual  hobbies
might  generate more interest than mundane ones,  employers  often
look  on  such people as  eccentrics.  However,  the  unusual  can
sometimes pay great dividends.

     For  example,  one  student placed her study  of  Campanology
(bell-ringing)  on her CV.  The personnel manager who  interviewed
her was so intrigued by this that he spent a great deal of time in
discussing  it.  The  result was that he got to know  the  student
slightly better than the other candidates and the student had more
time  in which to "sell" herself.  Needless to say,  she  was  the
first person to be offered a position.

     Hobbies are listed with a brief description, in the form of a
sentence   or  a  very  short  paragraph.   Activities  in   which
achievements   have  been   made  should  simply  have   a   brief
description of the achievement.  Other hobbies,  such as  reading,
may be clarified by describing the author's tastes,   for  example
you might state that you prefer to read science-fiction.   If  you
have little to say about a particular hobby,  include details such
as  length of interest,  proficiency or a description of what  the
hobby actually involves.

REFEREES

     This  is  an optional entry and is often omitted due  to  the
fact that most application forms (sent either in response to a CV,
or as the result of receiving a CV) will require this  information
to be duplicated.

     However,  offering  a set of referees at the commencement  of
any  dialogue often strikes a very good  impression.   You  should
have  two different kinds of referees:  business and  personal.  A
business referee may be an ex-employer, solicitor, doctor, priest,
teacher  etc.  This  kind  of  referee  must  have  some  sort  of
professional  standing and theoretically be able to have  his  own
credentials verified easily.

     Note: The reality of this is often quite different. Generally
speaking,  references are seldom taken up unless you are  applying
for a position which requires a high level of personal  integrity,
or one where a strict security procedure is enforced.  Examples of
this  might  be  a  position in a  security  firm,  or  one  which
undertakes defence contracts for the government.

     A  personal  referee  should also  have  some  standing,  for
example  a  priest or vicar,  and should be able to claim  a  good
personal knowledge of the CV's author.

     In all cases,  no referee should be used who knows the author
only  passingly  or  has known the author for only  a  very  short
period of time.  Many application forms require that any  referees
listed should have known you for a minimum of two years. With this
in mind,  it would be sensible for you to list only those referees
who have known you for a similar period of time on your CV.

     Ideally,   four  referees  (two  of  each   kind)  should  be
submitted.   You  should  include  their  full  names, full postal
addresses, telephone numbers and  professions.   Remember  that  a
referee  is  useless  unless he responds to all enquiries promptly
and positively. You should always ensure that the selected referee
is approached before his/her name is  given  to  anyone  and  that
his/her  permission  is  given for you to list him/her.  You might
also use this opportunity  to  discover  whether  or  not  his/her
reference will be favourable!

CHAPTER 2: GENERAL GUIDELINES

     Use  only  high quality white, A4 paper.   Paper  quality  is
normally  denoted by a weight measurement known as GSM (the weight
of a sheet of paper 1 meter square). A CV should be  presented  on
80-90  GSM  paper.   Copier  paper  is usually acceptable for this
purpose and can be very economical when large  quantities  of  CVs
are  required.   The  entire  CV must be typed - no handwriting is
permissible.

     Headings  must always be consistent.  Section titles must  be
uniform  both  in style and  presentation.  For  example,  if  one
heading  is printed in bold and centered on the  line,  all  other
headings must be identically set.

     Spacing  out the contents of the CV is especially  important.
Allow good margins all around, leaving a little extra on the left-
hand  margin (to allow for the reader inserting it into a file  or
folder).  Suggested margins are one inch for the top,  bottom  and
right, with one and a half inches being used for the left margin.

     If possible,  your CV should be spread out over two pages  to
give the impression of substantiality and  comprehensiveness.  The
page(s)  should not be crammed with text but must be  well  spaced
out.  A page with no blank space at the end of it is often seen to
imply arrogance.  With a packed one-page CV,  the author is  often
seen as being either too lazy to spread the work out properly,  or
too miserly to pay for an extra sheet of paper.  Another  argument
against  a one-page CV is that the reader might often think "Do  I
want an employee whose entire life can be summed up on one side of
one sheet of paper?"

     If your CV is too short, go over the previous section and see
if you can include any of the optional entries,  remembering  that
they  must be convincing and not obvious "fillers". You could also
make a few more entries in other sections, perhaps including extra
details about an existing entry, or entering information that  you
were  slightly  unsure  of.  If  all  else  fails,  go through the
addresses on the CV and enter them all in full.

     If  your  CV still fails to spread out on to a  second  page,
remember that an allowance of space must be left at the bottom  of
the   page,   to  give  the  reader  the  impression  that   other
achievements are still to be recorded.   A two-page CV should also
leave  an allowance of blank space at the end of the second  page.
One-third of the page is usually left for this purpose. As for the
one-page version,  the space is used to create the impression that
future events and achievements are yet to be recorded.

     If your CV is too long, you can try to pare away  unnecessary
details,  perhaps even whole entries. If it is still too long, you
may like to combine some sections  together.   Read  the  previous
section again to see which sections may be combined properly.  The
removal  of  the extra sections will gain you several lines as the
spacing between sections and the lines used for the  headings  can
be reclaimed.

     Try  not  to go on to a third page as this too  is  sometimes
seen  as being arrogant.    All sections and all entries  must  be
spaced out neatly to make sure that the reader is not "swamped" by
dense  text.  This  spacing will also impress the  reader  as  the
particular pieces of information he is interested in will be  easy
to find.

     Try  to  avoid the use of fancy typestyles, graphics or logos
on  your  CV.   Again,  this  often implies arrogance but the main
reasons to avoid such a style are: a) it distracts the reader from
the actual content of the CV and b) the reader might  assume  that
such  tactics have been deliberately used in order to distract him
from the fact the CV is either not really impressive  or  contains
inadequate, inaccurate or even falsified information. On occasion,
a  stylish  CV has been known to make a good impression.  However,
this tactic would be used according to individual taste and  would
run  the  risk  of alienating the majority of employers (who still
prefer a traditional presentation).

     Needless  to say,  your CV must contain no spelling  mistakes
and be typed without errors.

CHAPTER 3: TAILORING A CV FOR A SPECIFIC CAREER

     The  guidelines  given  previously will help you  to  make  a
perfect  GENERAL  CV.   There  are  times when you might alter the
presentation of your CV in order to target it  specifically  at  a
particular   reader  or  profession.   This  will  then  become  a
TAILORED CV which should produce better results when used  in  the
correct situations.

     The basic method of tailoring your CV is simply to go through
your  entire text,  playing down potentially damaging  information
and emphasising potentially helpful details.

     A few important examples are in order.  Imagine the case of a
young  man  applying  for a vacancy as a clerk  in  fairly  modern
office. He has five 'O' levels, usually listed thus:

BIOLOGY  A
ENGLISH LITERATURE  B
ENGLISH LANGUAGE C
MATHEMATICS C
COMPUTER STUDIES  C.

     Considering  that he wishes to work in an office,  we  assume
that his duties will largely include calculating figures,  reading
or  writing reports and quite possibly using a computer  terminal.
In view of this, his 'O' levels should be presented in a different
manner:

ENGLISH  LANGUAGE  C
MATHEMATICS C
COMPUTER STUDIES  C
BIOLOGY  A
ENGLISH LITERATURE B

     The   first   three  subjects  are  placed  in  this order to
demonstrate that the author has all of the skills he assumes  will
be required. Biology is then listed as it is a science subject and
should  help  to  demonstrate  that  he  is  capable  of  logical,
organised thought  (and  therefore,  the  implication  is,  work).
Although it could be argued that Literature indicates a good level
of   comprehension,   the   science   subject  implies  scientific
analytical skills.

     The  same  student lists his hobbies as:

MUSIC
READING
SPORTS.

     His  hobbies must also be rearranged to give a more  targeted
response. They are now placed in this order:

READING
SPORTS
MUSIC

     When  describing  his tastes in reading,  he  should  mention
whether or not he reads any non-fiction, such as computing guides.
Placing  reading  in the most prominent  position  reinforces  the
ideas  he has tried to promote by altering his 'O'  level  entries
and gives an "intelligent" impression to the reader.

     The  sports entry mentions that he piloted the local  amateur
team  to victory in a competition.  This gives the  impression  of
having  leadership qualities.  An employer will be  interested  to
know  that  he  will not have to look elsewhere  for  a  potential
supervisor.  He  will also feel reassured that the author has  the
ability to motivate others and has both the personal qualities  of
determination and confidence.

     Music is placed last to balance this section of the CV and to
"humanise"  the  author  again  after giving  him  such  a  coldly
scientific image.

     In the "Employment History" section, the student shortens the
majority  of  entries  but  lengthens  an  entry  concerning   his
involvement  in  his  college magazine.  This  emphasises  to  the
employer  that  the  student  has  at  least  a  small  amount  of
experience  of  working under pressure and working  in  an  office
environment.

     From the specific examples given above,  it can be seen  that
tailoring  a CV for a specific purpose requires little  more  than
concentrated  and logical thought.  Remember that just as  certain
aspects are emphasised,  there may be occasions when entries  will
have to abridged, altered or even deleted.

CHAPTER 4: TAILORING A CV FOR A SPECIFIC INDIVIDUAL

     Tailoring  a CV to suit a specific individual  satisfactorily
varies  in  difficulty,  from  very  easy  to  almost  impossible.
Generally, the older the author, the easier it is to do.   As when
tailoring  a  CV for a specific career,  the basic process  is  to
simply  work through the standard CV and to alter certain  aspects
of it.

     The  most  worked upon section is generally  the  "Employment
History"  part,  and  we will concentrate on it for  this  reason.
Again,  the  use  of examples will help to  illustrate  this  more
effectively.

     A   young  man  has  just  left  school,   fresh   from   his
examinations.  In  order  to  distinguish  himself  against  other
students, his CV must make him appear to be a better candidate. In
this case he spends a great deal of time on the design and wording
of  his  CV in order to make the extra expenditure of  effort  and
work apparent.

     In his "Employment History" section,  he is rather limited in
that he has never held a full time job. In this case, he lists the
several paper rounds he has held,  a Saturday job he worked at for
several  months  and  the  small amount of  time  he  spent  in  a
commercial  environment  during his "Work  Placement"  at  school.
These  entries  extend  that section of the CV  to  a  respectable
length  and show that the student has had at least a small  amount
of work experience.

     These amendments to the CV,  together with the apparent  time
spent  in  preparing it should give the student at least  a  small
advantage over his co-applicants.

     In  another case,  a man has been unemployed for a period  of
years,  having held only casual or temporary jobs throughout  this
time.  By listing these jobs individually,  it makes him appear as
an inconsistent, and therefore, unreliable worker.

     The amount of space taken up by these entries also draws more
attention  both  to this and to the fact that  there  are  several
"gaps"  where  the man was unemployed for long  periods  of  time.
The  solution is simply to condense all of these entries  down  to
one single encompassing reference.

     In  the  "Dates" column,  instead of listing  the  period  of
employment for each position, he simply puts something like "1980-
1986".  In the "Employer/Establishment" column,  he puts "VARIOUS"
instead of attempting to list employers individually.  Finally, in
the "Position Held and Duties" column, he condenses his experience
into a few simple sentences.  For example:  "Various part-time and
casual  posts,  mainly  in the  building  trade.  Duties  included
personnel management, cash handling and general labouring work."

     This entry effectively "disguises" the gaps in employment and
transforms  the liabilities of the previous multiple entries  into
an asset.  There is a slight danger of appearing as a "Jack Of All
Trades"  but this is usually outweighed by the greater  impression
of experience that it also produces.

     Remember that the aim of the CV is to get the candidate  into
an  interview  situation - once there, there is the opportunity to
salvage  something  from  any  of  the   damage   caused   by   an
inconsistant employment history.

     Looking  at the "Hobbies" section,  it is seen that this  man
has listed his home computer as his main  hobby:

     "COMPUTING: I OWN AND USE MY OWN HOME COMPUTER."

     The  entry  is  changed  to  demonstrate  that  even   whilst
unemployed,  the  author has managed to do something  constructive
and has not been idle:

     "COMPUTING:  I AND OWN AND USE MY OWN HOME  COMPUTER,  HAVING
TAUGHT MYSELF TO PROGRAM IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT LANGUAGES."

     Again,  the  entire CV is examined to see if similar  changes
may  be  easily and convincingly made.  The result is  a  CV  that
effectively  removes  any  blemishes  in  the  author's   history,
emphasises positive points more strongly and creates a  favourable
impression.

     To  summarise,  as in the previous section,  a great deal  of
careful  thought  is all that is needed to create  a  CV  tailored
exactly to a specific individual's needs.

CHAPTER 5: PROFESSIONAL CV DESIGN SERVICES AND MISCELLANEOUS

     If you have any great difficulties in producing your own  CV,
there are several sources of help that you can turn to.

     If  you have designed your own CV and merely wish to have  it
typed  out  for  you,  look in your local  paper  for  secretarial
services  who will do this for you for a small  fee.  The  average
price charged for this service is around 4 per page.

     If  the  entire prospect of creating your own  CV  seems  too
daunting,  you  can turn to a professional CV design  service  who
will produce a CV for you from scratch. If you have a consultative
appointment, or if you fill in the company's own information form,
you  will generally pay more than if you just supply  the  details
directly.  The appointments and forms can sometimes add up to  25
to  the  cost  of the CV.  The cost of having a CV  made  up  from
information you supply costs anything from 5 to 30.

     Remember  to  have more than one copy of the CV made, in case
one is damaged or lost.   Most  companies  supply  two  copies  as
standard  at  no  extra  cost.   However, make sure of this before
ordering.  To make copies to send  to  employers,  you  need  only
photocopy a good quality master copy of the CV.

     Colleges,    polytechnics   and   universities   often   have
advertisements on their boards for cheap CV design services. These
are usually operated by students or by typists working from  home.
Alternatively,  look in the Business Services column of your local
newspaper or in "Exchange & Mart" for advertisements offering this
service.

PRODUCING A CV FOR PROFIT

     The guidelines contained in this manual are all that you need
in order to produce professional,  high quality CV's for your  own
use.

     To  offer  a  commercial CV service,  you will  need  only  a
typewriter (or wordprocessor) and some basic business knowledge.

     Prices  should be gauged by what your opposition charges  and
by what value for money they offer.  A rough figure for a complete
service would be 20.

     There  are  several  ways in which such  a  business  can  be
operated.  One way is to allow people to apply to  you,  enclosing
their  details  and payment.  You then produce the CV  and  return
several copies to them.

     Although  this  method is quick and simple,  it does  have  a
number  of drawbacks.  One of these is that the client may not  be
satisfied with the finished product because you have not  included
information  which  he considers to be important.  This  might  be
because you abridged the CV when you compiled it,  or perhaps even
because  the  client did not supply the information in  the  first
place.  Similar problems can occur if you include information that
the client wanted to play down or omit altogether.

     The  solution is to design a standard form which each  client
completes  and returns to you.  The form would include all of  the
formal  categories  and sections of a standard CV but  would  also
make  allowances for additional information.  The  categories  for
additional  information  could be defined as a section  where  the
information  is for your use only and will not appear on  the  CV,
and one where the general information IS to be incorporated in the
final CV.

     This  standardised system would allow CV production to become
more efficient. For example, you could create an outline form on a
wordprocessor and literally "fill in the blanks" for each client's
CV. Similarly, when you mail out the standard form, you could also
include a leaflet explaining how the CV will appear, perhaps  even
including  a  sample.   This  reduces the chances of any complaint
since the client would have a very clear idea of the appearance of
the finished product.

     As a brief aside,  the information form could also be used to
remind clients of your terms and include payment details or  other
instructions.

     There  is  the  possibility  that a  client  might  use  your
information form and sample CV to design his own CV.  However,  if
the client intended to do this from the outset,  he would probably
never  have contacted you in the first place.  There is  also  the
argument  that  the  client would not have  the  benefit  of  your
experience  and  would  almost certainly be unable  to  produce  a
finished CV as attractive as yours would be.



                              ENDS.



AUTHOR'S NOTE

The   author   of  "Essential  CV Design" (ECVD) is an established
freelance writer and computer consultant. ECVD was produced  using
the  knowledge,  advice  and  experiences  of  several  government
organisations, including FE colleges and the MSC. Additionally,  a
number  of  private  companies  also assisted in the production of
this guide.

ECVD   may   be  reproduced free of charge by charitable  and  non
profit-making organisations providing the following conditions are
met:

1.  The  guide  must  not  be  sold for profit without the express
written permission of the author.

2.  The  "Author's Note" section must accompany the guide and must
be reproduced in full.

3.   The  guide  must  be credited to the author.  A line such as:
"Reproduced with the permission of Paul Bocij" is sufficient.






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