Would anyone like to review my CV and cover letter?

MrXpert

If anyone has the time please read my CV and example cover letter. Tell me what you think and how I can improve it please.

I have changed my name and various other personal info such as telephone numbers, address and company names. It's not that I don't trust you lot but you never know who else maybe lurking, spammers or even companies that look to steal info from forums.Types of jobs I'm looking at are entry level 1st line posts

CheesyBread

WAY too long.

Keep it to one page, and a second page for references. I know it's REALLY hard to do that but I've felt its a must.

nhpr

The only suggestion I would have regarding your CV are that your introduction seems a bit long and some of it could probably go in your cover letter. About a sentence is more common across the pond (though that might just a cultural difference?). You can also probably drop the line about references being provided on request. It's like listing that you're fluent in English on your resume: it's a given.

Also, your cover letter is almost a biography. Keep it short, focused, and to the point. The cover letter's purpose is to summarize your resume and get an HR goon to look at it. All the other details would be filled in during an interview.

MrXpert

nhpr wrote: »

The only suggestion I would have regarding your CV are that your introduction seems a bit long and some of it could probably go in your cover letter. About a sentence is more common across the pond (though that might just a cultural difference?). You can also probably drop the line about references being provided on request. It's like listing that you're fluent in English on your resume: it's a given.

Also, your cover letter is almost a biography. Keep it short, focused, and to the point. The cover letter's purpose is to summarize your resume and get an HR goon to look at it. All the other details would be filled in during an interview.

lol! :Di'm smiling at your comments, they did make me chuckle!thankyou. the bit about my letter seeming like a bio.hehe! I see what you mean though it does go on quite a bit but when I wrote it I felt i should explain things cos i was worried someone may read my CV and wonder why i have jumped from sales to IT then back to sales and had others in between. I must try to find a happy middle ground in my letter.

I'll examine the opening objective on my cv and retry to rehash it and will remove the references on request bit. That's a good point you brought up there too about it being a given.

MrXpert

more comments needed please?

thomas130

I would'nt really go into detail about the jobs that are not IT related.

mainly because they won't be any use to the job your applying for and it looks like you just sent your E-mail without really focusing on the job your applying for.

pham0329

Personally, I think your cover letter is way to long. I lost interests/got distracted after the first paragraph because there were too much fluff in it. Get to the point...who you are, what your skills are, and why they should hire you.

Also, as the above poster said, I don't think you need all those customer service jobs in your job history. This is probably just me, but I think there's too much spacing in your resume.....and the formatting looks like you typed it up in notepad!

advanex1

I would end my cover letter with a "Very Respectfully" not "Yours Faithfully" and they are right, the cover letter is ridiculously long as well as the resume itself..

Something about the format of the resume turns me off as well, could be that every word seems bolded, there doesn't seem to be alot of separation between a job title and the duties in it..

I'm a little confused by your education... What is "A Level Mathematics" and "8 GCSE's"

MrXpert

advanex1 wrote: »

I would end my cover letter with a "Very Respectfully" not "Yours Faithfully" and they are right, the cover letter is ridiculously long as well as the resume itself..

Something about the format of the resume turns me off as well, could be that every word seems bolded, there doesn't seem to be alot of separation between a job title and the duties in it..

I'm a little confused by your education... What is "A Level Mathematics" and "8 GCSE's"

A Levels and GCSEs are the norm for education over here in England. They've been around for donkey's years. Everyone knows what they are...it's agiven...at least over here.

I take your points about the size of the cv and letter and that will be changed and the formatting needs sorting too.
Yours faithfully is the correct way of signing off a letter to a person you do not know i.e. Dear Sir/Madam will end as Yours faithfully. At least this is considered the norm over here but I appreciate other countries may do things differently.

Thanks for your help