Writing a CV

When applying for a job a good, precise CV is of the utmost importance. Essentially a CV is a marketing tool than has components of the following
• Your Life History
• Your Job History
• Your Achievements
• Your Skills

This is the point at which you promote yourself. Imagine the CV as being a brochure that will list the benefits of a particular service. The service being your time and skills! When writing a CV look at it from your employers point of view. By this you have to be creative because it is your CV that needs to find its way to the interview process.

Networking and interviewing are essential for your job hunt and your CV is just the first step in the job search. However a CV will be your first contact with potential employers and will open the door. If you are invited for an interview you would then be in a position to explain and expand on what is in your CV.

A CV is an essential tool in your job search. When applying for a vacancy you generally first have to send your CV to present yourself to the prospective employer. (http://www.cvtips.com/)

A common aspect in teaching is that teachers often have gap years where they have done study or gone travelling. If this is visible in the CV, 'What happened in the gap period?' the employer will ask. As stated above, people leave their jobs to pursue higher studies. If that is the case, do let your employer know. In this context the gap will be seen as a benefit. If this is not the case, and you have just been in between jobs for a gap of more than one year, you might say that you have helped your father, uncle, bother, friend, etc to set up their business (be sure you have the details ready as you will be asked for it); you may also say that you have volunteered to work for some cause that your family, community, or friends created (again be ready to give details); you can say you wanted to be with your family for sometime before you started working again (be sure you have plausible reasons - like grandmother sick or wife/husband having a too demanding career which neglected the children who were young at the time) (http://www.cvtips.com/gap_history_CV.html).

The following websites are a reference point where you can obtain information on CV’s including samples.
http://www.cv-service.org/
http://www.free-resume-tips.com/resumetips/curriclm.html
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/cvsamples/a/cvsample.htm

Interactive CV
With the growing concentration on technology, why not use technology to create an interactive CV. Using music (such as crescendos to emphasise important points) and use pictures to make your CV highly visual and personalised. Remember yours is the CV that needs to stand out so this way you can place in picture of people who have influenced your and your passion.