Making the most from your CV.
At ETPM, we see thousands of CVs in a variety of formats, some good, some bad, and some ugly!….
What makes a good CV?
Well, we’ve taken the time to put together some Top Tips to help you, and us, in getting your CV noticed and holding the correct information to meet the many Client requirements we receive.
The ETPM list of Do’s and Don’ts for effective CVs:
Do:
- Be clear and concise – Keep the details brief and to the point.
- Word Format – Use word format for your CV, instead of PDF. Word Format is preferred by Recruiters as it is easier to move the CV to client preferred format and across the board, easier to upload and more compatible with most Database programs.
- Fancy Fonts – Always use simple, easy to read Fonts, such as Arial.
- Accurate spelling and grammar – Spell Check is your friend! (We use it often!)
- Always use your name as it appears on your passport – this is what we will use on our Database and put forward to Clients, so its important that all documents match.
- Details such as Home Address, Contact Telephone numbers, Nationality, Home Airport etc. are very important to include on your CV – Many clients come to us with a position that needs to be filled with 12 – 48 hours’ notice which doesn’t leave us much time for excessive administrative work. So, if we already know where you live, which Visas you may have or need for specific countries and most importantly, can get in touch with you quickly and easily, we’re half way there and a big step closer to getting you on that job!!
- Job Detail Work Grid – Use a work grid to give a more detailed explanation of your employment history.
- References – Always provide 2 or 3 references.
- Availability – Keep us updated on your availability for work. Likewise, if you have changed career, retired or simply don’t want to be working through a Recruitment Agency anymore, let us know.
- Be Organised! – Recruiters love candidates who are organized with their CVs and Certification. Make sure you have all your certificates up to date and ready to send to recruiters, at short notice. Have each certificate saved with your name and certificate name, in the title… for example… Surname, First name – BOSIET – Expires 010121
- Sending Files – Send your CV (in word format!) and your certificates (in PDF!), as individual attachments. Don’t scan all your certificates together in one attachment.
- Summary Introduction – Email us saying hello and a snapshot about yourself. Don’t just send a CV and nothing else.
- Social Media – Keep an eye on the ETPM LinkedIn page! We often advertise urgent positions there. Always read the job requirements properly and the details on how to apply. Comments such as ‘Interested’ or ‘Read my CV’ will almost never result in success.
Don’t:
- Emails – Don’t bombard your Recruitment Agencies with daily emails of your CV.
- Being Unfriendly – Being demanding, rude or using aggressive language in the body of your email, will not make a Recruiter employ you faster. Quite the opposite in fact.
- USING BIG LETTERs – Keep the font clear and simple. Using CAPITAL LETTERS, big bold fonts and lots of colours, makes for a less attractive CV and often can’t be uploaded to databases.
- Out of Date Certificates – Only provide your current and in-date certification!
Pictures – Many candidates like to include a photograph of themselves on their CV. This is ok! Don’t use pictures of each vessel you have worked on. They take up too much space on the CV and can make it very difficult to upload to our databases.
