Ah, the CV. The two little pages that are the source of so much anxiety and could be the difference between securing that lucrative job and spending another few weeks on FlexiStudents.ie looking for something, anything that could rescue you from the sheer banality of unemployment and watching Jeremy Kyle in your pyjamas. It is one of those lovely things in life that if you invest a bit of time into it, it will really pay off. So, here we go…
1. Presentation is half the battle
CVs by definition are definitely not the most interesting reading material in the world, so you need to make it as aesthetically-pleasing as you possibly can. There are CV templates in Microsoft Word 2007, as well as hundreds of free samples and templates available online. It’s recommended to have plenty of “white space” around your page borders, and make sure there’s plenty of room between paragraphs so it’s all nice and neat. I like to include my name and e-mail address/phone number in the footer of each page as it looks professional and organised (even if I’m not).
On this note, please make sure you have an appropriate e-mail address to provide; futuremrsrobertpattinson@hotmail.com isn’t going to impress anybody..
2. K.I.S.S- Keep It Short and Simple
Write out a rough draft, including everything you think should be included in your CV. Then subtract all the wordiness, leaving only the most important details such as how you doubled sales in the first week of your last job (if only), and all that you have accomplished in your work-related life.
Read and re-read it until you know it off by heart, asking yourself what impression each and every detail gives to a potential employer, and where possible edit out or change anything that will not show you in the best possible light. Don’t worry if you have to leave some positive things out- you can bring them up in your interview to show that there’s more to you than meets the eye.
3. Structure & Layout is Key
- Personal Information- name, address, e-mail address, phone number, and date of birth; this is not mandatory because of new ageism laws but it’s still a good idea.
- Education, with your most recent qualifications first. It might seem strange to include school exam results and so on but what your employer is looking for is progression in your education and abilities; an average Junior Cert followed by a decent Leaving Cert and a 2.1 degree will show work ethic and a determination to work hard and succeed in all you do.
- Work Experience- One important thing here: never leave a time gap in your employment history. Gaps are suspicious and could suggest to the employer that you have something to hide; it’s much better to be upfront and get it out of the way, and they’ll appreciate your honesty.
- Voluntary Work- this can be a good way to detract from a lack of actual work experience, and will always look good to a prospective employer- if you don’t have any voluntary experience to put down, go out and get some!
- Skills- languages, computer skills, driving licence, etc.
- Interests and Achievements- Try and show a range of interests, and use this section to back up what you’ve said previously; if you say you’re a people person that enjoys working as part of a team don’t list your only hobby as sitting in silent meditation in a dark room. The employer wants to know that you have other interests and are connected to the rest of the world. More and more employers now are looking for something called “Emotional Quotient” or EQ, which shows how in touch you are with the feelings and emotions of yourself and others- this might sound like rubbish but people with a higher EQ tend to be more successful; it’s all about balance and getting the best out of people.
- References- Choose wisely; ideally you want somebody that has authority and sounds like a boss, and that is personally familiar with your work and achievements.
If you’ve seen the post advertised online or in a newspaper, sit down with the ad and make sure that your CV covers all the qualities they’re looking for. It’s a very good idea to have a basic CV saved on your computer that you can tailor to suit each individual job that you apply for. Use action words like organised, planned, developed, achieved, etc. and strategically place key-words that will reinforce the image of yourself that you’re trying to portray. But don’t be tempted to stray too far from the truth, because…
4. Lying is not worth the trouble it will cause
Some people lie on their CVs. It’s a well-known fact. They do it to hide incompetence, to gloss over mistakes they may have made or maybe just to make themselves sound that little bit cooler. Although obviously you want to present yourself as best you can with your CV, it’s really not worth making things up to get yourself an interview if you’re only going to trip over a question about something you completely fabricated, humiliating yourself and losing any hope of getting the job.
5. Spell-check until your computer explodes
This one speaks for itself, guys. Picture the scene: A manager wearily lifts the first CV from a stack on his desk after a hard day’s work, and there, glaring at him are the words
“GRADUATE OF UNIVERSITY COLLAGE DUBLIN”
It just doesn’t bear thinking about.
After you’re sure the spelling and phrasing is perfect, ask as many people for feedback as you can, whether it’s your parents, housemates or ten-year-old sister. If you know someone whose job includes hiring and firing that could proofread it for you, even better. As a final small but important point, make sure that your choice of font and size are suitable; two sizes of font are enough (one each for headings and body) and a minimum of size 10 because anything less than that hurts my eyes and is just ridiculous 
We hope you find these tips on building a great student CV useful, and that it helps you land that next top student job! What are your top tips for a stunning CV that you might like to share?
Alice Martin is a third year student at Dublin City University
