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25/01/08 CV For Tech: Opening Statement
SINGAPORE - Part I (see all parts). I’m going to spend a few posts dissecting my CV online. As we come to the end of our Graduate Training Scheme we have been encouraged to fine-tune our CV for optimum internal circulation. In August, the cotton wool wrapping comes off and we have to apply for a job in the company and get an offer against all other internal & external candidates.
We’ve had some fantastic workshops from organisational psychologists to help us do this. While the big course is still to come, we’ve already had a great session on career development - tearing up our CV’s to do a complete remake of ourselves and learning about outward self-presentation. There’s a fine art to writing a good technical CV, and it is very different to the standard template people adopt as a starting structure in Transition Year for their work experience applications and never seem to ever lose. Lose it. The only way to lose it is to start from fresh.
With consultation I’ve got my sections down to:
- OPENING STATEMENT
- PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
- TRAINING & RESEARCH
- INDUSTRY AWARDS
- INTERESTS & ACHIEVEMENTS
Today I’m going to take ‘1. Opening Statement’ and continue through them next week. You can compare my new CV as I go with my old CV which I will replace afterwards.
OLD
Robin Blandford,
Howth,
Co Dublin,
Ireland.E-Mail: robin[@]bytesurgery[.]com
D.O.B: 08/06/83Throughout my education I have developed the skills needed as an engineer to plan, design and implement the technology of computer-based digital media processing and network-based digital media delivery. Possessing a combination of electronic, signal processing, network, software, hardware and web-engineering technical knowledge enriched with multi-disciplinary activities offering real responsibilities, time-management & leadership skills. I have the insight to understand, discriminate between and make use of new digital media developments as they arise giving flexibility in a rapidly changing area.
My contact details are not important, they will not make a difference to me getting the job or not. Every candidate has a home so why do I need to waste their time telling them?
>> Move to footer, small font. Leave just the name in place, centred, big nice font.
My date of birth is irrelevant. It is now illegal in some countries to hire/refuse based on DOB. It’s my experience that counts, not my age.
>> Delete.
That big paragraph is great, but it’s wasting their time with a chunk of ‘copy & paste’ from a University brochure. I needed to cut it down to two sharp sentences.
>> Write a list of the keywords you like from your opening. Then rearrange them into 2 sentences.
NEW
Robin Blandford “Contagious enthusiasm to plan, design and implement. An engineer with the insight to understand, discriminate and adapt new technologies.”
If the resulting version is a little smarmy and possibly a turn-off to you… hang on, wait until it is coupled with the next section (next post), it works very well. Getting memorable attention early is a really important part of the process.
Note: I just spotted that CV is VC backward. Interesting as it’s the reverse process of finding which company you’re going to invest your time in.
-Robin-
(Image Credit: Sunday afternoon on Siloso Beach, Sentosa Island, Singapore. The London Underground doesn’t have a stop like this on it! By Author.)
Tags: application, curriculum vitae, cv, cv for tech, graduate, technology, young
4 Comments
Looking forward to the series of posts, been thinking a lot in relation to my own CV recently considering everything I do.
Also noted that on reading the post there’s only 8 days between us age-wise.
Hey good stuff!! 8 days - wow ;-) heh!
28/01/08 Robin Blandford [ByteSurgery] » CV For Tech: Professional Experience - Digital Media Engineer
[...] 2005 « CV For Tech: Opening Statement CV For Tech: Professional [...]
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