Overview

CV stands for curriculum vitae, which is Latin for 'course of life'. It is a summary of a person's experience, education and skills. Basically it's a mini biography. A CV is different from a resume, which is usually only one to two pages long and formatted so the person reading it can scan through it quickly.
A CV can be up to eight pages long depending on a person's experience and accomplishments. For students it will be much shorter, but it is the first impression a recruiter will have ' so it needs to count!
When it comes to hiring, employers are like shoppers, searching for the stand out product amongst countless applicants.
Students need to create a CV that will sell and they are the product!

The following sites offer free CV templates:

Career One

http://career-advice.careerone.com.au/resume-cover-letter/sample-resume/sample-resume-chandler-macleod-a/article.aspx

Life Hacker

http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2014/08/download-275-free-resume-templates-for-microsoft-word/

Designs

xdesigns.net/2013/07/free-creative-resume-cv-templates

For any chance of getting their CV noticed and winning that job interview, students need to wow an employer enough for them to want to meet. The lure is the cover letter. That is a brief letter of introduction that highlights the unique qualities that prove this person is ideal for the advertised position.

When Writing a Cover Letter, Students Should

• Aim to make it as personal as possible
• Address it to a 'real' person ' not 'To Whom It May Concern'
• Tailor it to a specific job
• Avoid the temptation of sending off a generic 'one-size-ft-all' letter

Apart from having the all-important contact information at the beginning of the document, there is no universally accepted standard for writing a CV. They come in many shapes and formats, however most employers say that a simple layout with headings and a clear font is best. There are a few basic rules that shouldn't be ignored.

Encourage students to look at the CVs of friends or family, or take a look at examples from websites. (Job search websites will often deliver good advice on what to do and what not to do.) They will soon get some idea of what is effective and what will suit their own style. Students can experiment, however, keeping it simple and letting the words do the talking is often the most effective.

Get the basics right Look out for spelling and grammatical errors. Make sure your contact details correct, a spelling mistake in your name or a wrong digit in your phone number is a bad start and your career will stall before it even had a chance to begin!

Employers are not mind readers If you have the right skills for the job, tell them about it! These skills don't have to be work related. They may be skills you have developed in school, at your sporting club or as a volunteer.

No gaps! Make sure there are no large gaps in your employment history. If you took time off to travel, do a short course or look after a sick relative, put this in your timeline. Also, make sure you add any work experience you have done.

Be concise - less is more Keep things relevant and carefully consider the information you add. A potential employer probably doesn't need to know about all of the sporting clubs you have been involved with since you were five! Tailor your CV to different applications.

Pay attention to formatting

• Make it reader-friendly ' your CV might be at the end of a high and tiring pile!
• Use consistent font and size - if you use bullet points don't switch between dots and stars
• Stretch the margin rather than having sentences tumbling onto a second page
• Keep your document to full pages - don't have two lonely sentences on a page to themselves

Personal Profile

• Add a very brief summary of who you are and why you're applying for the job.
• Alter it slightly for each job you apply
• Make it snappy, to the point and interesting
• Keep it to five lines or less
• Avoid cliches !

Action words

Use active, positive words to make a strong impression. Action words add that extra kick to help you stand out from the crowd.

Instead of writing:

For my final year assessment, I had to come up with a set of 10 recommendations to a government organisation to improve the environment around the River Torrens. This project was finished on time and was awarded an 'A' grade.

Try this instead:

Devised and prepared a set of 10 recommendations to a government organisation to improve the environment around the River Torrens as my final year assessment. Completed this project on time and achieved an A grade.

Up to date

Review your CV regularly and keep it up to date and relevant.

Fine tune

Read your words aloud. Ask a parent or friend to proofread your document to make sure it flows and makes sense.

Things that should never be done on a CV

There are some things that should never be done on a CV, and believe it or not, they have been! If students avoid the following mistakes they will avoid looking careless and unprofessional.

DON'T

• Exaggerate your skills or experience
• Leave out important information
• Be vague about your job history
• Explain why you left your previous job (if you did so under dubious circumstances)
• Tell little untruths (lies)
• Include unrelated information
• Include irrelevant photos
• Use unsuitable design
• Make spelling mistakes and grammatical errors
• Provide incorrect contact information
• Include a referee without their knowledge
• Send your CV with coffee stains and grubby marks

THE ONLINE APPLICATION

Online recruitment systems are a popular way for employers to filter through potential employees, particularly in larger companies where there may be many applicants for a single position.

When applying for a position online, students need to take the time to ensure they are prepared:

• Download a sample job application form as a guide to the sort of information that they will need to provide
• Have their updated CV and cover letter ready to upload and saved under and appropriate file name (for example, Janesmithcv.doc). This will allow the employer to find it easily
• Make sure they carefully follow the company's instructions, whether that involves filling out a profile, uploading files or taking an online test

Overview

Presentation is the style in which people display or present themselves. Appearance is a form of communication. Students are at an age when they are exploring their identity and expressing their individuality. A major part of their identity is in the way they dress and present themselves. The appropriate look can be a major confidence booster, especially for young adults.

Clothing has an effect on both the wearer and the observer, and the right look needs to ft the context of the occasion. Your students need to understand that some forms of a individual self expression might be inappropriate for some occasions, such as career-related activities.

Appearing in thongs, a T-shirt, or tight revealing clothing may not create a favourable impression no matter how hardworking, intelligent, accomplished or suitably qualified the wearer. To give your students the best possible chances of feeling confident and being taken seriously, the following tips will help guide them through presentation and grooming.

If the shoes aren't right, the look isn't right. Make sure that shoes are clean and polished and in good condition. Muddy heels and scuff-marks are bound to let an otherwise great look down. If shoes are comfortable and stylish, the wearer will walk into a room with confidence.

Thongs or flip-flops are great for the beach but not for any career-related activities, and platform heels are probably best left to the nightclub. Matching socks may go unnoticed, but mismatched socks certainly won't!