CV Tips

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Did you know, C.V. stands for ‘curriculum vitae’, which is a Latin expression meaning ‘the course of my life’? A C.V. offers you an opportunity to showcase your skills and achievements, employment and education history and and any other relevant information that would make you the right person for the job.
A good website that can help guide you through creating a C.V. is Careers NZ website: https://www.careers.govt.nz/tools/C.V.-builder

Things you should put in your C.V. are:
Contact Details
This should include your full name, address, phone number (include the number that people can best contact you on) and email address.
Tip! Do you have a cellphone message that goes straight to the “beep” or says “Hello, Hello…? Are you there?” making people think that it’s you answering and not a recorded message? Is your email address ‘numba1playa’or ‘STonA4life’? You should have a clear identifying voicemail message and creating a ‘work appropriate’ email address for employers.
Personal Profile
A summary of who you are, and why you think you would be great for the job. Keep it only 2 or 3 sentences long.
E.g.: “Motivated, reliable and committed, with a keen interest in learning and developing new skills. E.g. Organised, with great communication skills. Values working with people and strives to always provide a positive customer experience.”
Key skills and qualities
Bullet points your key skills and qualities. This is how employers to find out if you are a good fit for the job.  For example:

• Honest and reliable with good communication skills when dealing with customers and fellow team members.
• Good time management and organisation skills.
• Able to learn new things quickly.

Ideally also include some example to show what you mean by that skill. E.g. if you were applying for a job in a pet store:

• Animal handling skills – responsible for a dog and cat at home, as well as my neighbours animals when they are away.

Personal achievements
These can be related to:

• Awards, competitions, certificates of achievement in school subjects.
• Sports teams, or other clubs you’ve been involved with.

• Awards or achievements in previous jobs you’ve had.

Have a look at other areas of your life as well, do a good brainstorm of achievements, then pick a few to list in this section.
Education and training

• Education: State what NCEA level you are currently, and from there all the levels you have completed so far, with the years. Start with the most recent first. Don't give an explanation of what you have passed or failed. You can include subjects you studied. E.g. ‘Currently completing NCEA level 3 [subjects]. NCEA level 2 completed [subjects studied]. NCEA level 1 completed [subjects studied]’
• Training: think about the skills you may have learnt through things you have been involved with, for example from: extramural activities (e.g. hobbies, courses), volunteer work, internships, unpaid work experience.

Name who provided the training and when you did the training.
It’s okay if you don't have much training at this stage.

Employment History/Work Experience

• If you’ve had jobs before, start the list with your most recent one first.
• If you haven’t had a job before, change the heading of the template to work experience and include work experience such as volunteer work and casual afterschool/holiday jobs.

Interests and hobbies
Make a short ‘interests’ section. This is about showing an employer what you like to do outside of work. Have a think about what interests might be more appropriate than others to note down for the job you’re applying for. I.e. if you’re applying for a job in a bookstore, and have an interest in reading fantasy novels and biographies, note that down! If you’re applying for a job at an automotive store and enjoy working on cars and fine-tuning their performance, note that down!
Referees

• Referees are people who can ‘back up’ what you’re saying in your C.V. about your skills and qualities.
• A family member can’t be a referee, but a teacher, coach, former employer, or any other adult (like a family friend) that knows you well can be!
• Have a chat with the person first that you’d like to use them as a referee, and let them know when you apply for jobs so they aren’t caught by surprise when they get a phone call asking about you.  
• On your C.V. state the referees relationship to you e.g. your teacher, your coach, your ex-employer, family friend etc. 

Last steps!

• Check spelling and grammar and that all the info you’ve listed is correct.
• Ideally get someone else to read and double-check your C.V. and cover letter.

So what do you do when you have finished your C.V.?
There are a number of websites that advertise new jobs – Seek and TradeMe are two that are frequently used by employers. 
These job ads will tell you the date when your C.V. and cover letter are due and who to send it to.

Make sure that you get the due date and the person's name right.  Imagine employing someone who can't even spell your name properly!
Before you hand in your C.V., edit your C.V. and cover letter to match the same sorts of qualities and skills the employer wants to see (as long as you really believe you can actually demonstrate those skills/qualities).

Do I need an intro to my C.V.?
Yes! Many adverts will ask for a ‘cover letter’ to go with your C.V. This letter is a chance to make a good impression to your employer and get them interested in reading your C.V.. If your cover letter is boring, they may not even look at your C.V.
The letter should:

• Be set up as a business letter. Search for business letter templates online to get an idea.
• Addressed to a specific person if possible rather than “To whom it may concern”.
• Be one page long at the maximum – get to the point
• Name what position you’re applying for.
• Say why you would like the position with this particular employer.
• Show you have an understanding of the skills require for the job.
• Briefly showcase that you have matching skills and experience to what they want.
• Provide recent examples of things you have been doing which would show the employer that you are the right person for the job!
• Show that you are genuinely interested and enthusiastic about this specific opportunity.

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Job Interview Tips

So you sent in your CV, completed an application form and have now been contacted for an interview.......WOOHOO!!!! While job interviews can be really nerve-wracking, they are a necessary part of life – and the more interviews you have, the better you’ll get.

Preparing for your interview is an absolute MUST! Here are our tips:

• Have a couple of copies of your CV (curriculum vitae), certificates and references in a folder.
• Read the job description (if you have one) and know exactly what it requires.
• Find out about the company. You can do this by reading their website, or if you know someone who works there, you can ask them.
• Write a brief list of all your main points you want them to know, including skills and experience that will suit the job.
• Practise with a friend, family member or even in front of the mirror. The more practice you have, the more relaxed you will feel.
• Pick your outfit carefully. Look clean, tidy, and well-groomed.
• Get your clothes, notes and questions ready the night before so you won't have to rush around before the interview.
• Know the place and time of the interview and the name of the person who will be interviewing you. Remember it may be more than one person.
• Arrive early. This will give you time to relax and feel confident.
• If you would like to take friends or family with you to the interview, you need to arrange this with the person who will be interviewing you

Typical interview questions. Be prepared to answer questions like this

• Why do you want to work here?
• What interests you most about this job?
• Have you done this type of work before?
• Why should we hire you and not someone else?
• What skills and experience can you bring to this job?
• Tell me about yourself, your hobbies and other interests?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• How well do you work with other people?
• What did you enjoy about your last job?
• Why did you leave your last job?
• Why have you been unemployed for so long?
• What level or wage or salary do you want?
• Who can we contact for a reference?
• When can you start?

Employers may ask you to give examples of times when you've used particular skills, for example, problem solving, writing skills and team work.

Some questions you might like to ask are:

• Could you tell me more about the job?
• Who would I be working with?
• When are you likely to hear who gets the job?

During the Interview

​This is the chance you've been waiting for! You get to sell all your good points to an employer. Here are some things to remember during the interview:

• Your body language: Make eye contact, try not to fidget or mumble.
• Listen carefully to the questions asked and give clear and direct answers.
• If you do not hear or understand a question ask the interviewer to repeat or rephrase it.
• Be honest and open
• Remember to thank the employer for the interview.

After the Interview

​Keep applying for other jobs while you wait to hear from the employer. If the employer doesn't contact you as agreed, phone back within a week. If you weren't successful this time, ask the employer for ideas and advice on how you could improve for your next interview.

Turning down a Job Offer

You may have decided that after being offered a job that it is not the job for you - either because you have been offered a job from somewhere else, or it is not the right thing for you to do at this stage.  Thank the organisation for the offer and politely turn it down.  You may end up going back to them later for another job opportunity – so make sure that you leave the door open for yourself.

If you didn't get the job

Just keep swimming!
If you didn’t get the job, don't give up! It’s normal to feel disappointed when you don’t get a job – especially if it was the one that you really wanted. Use what you learned from your experiences being interviewed and try to improve on your interview skills each time you have one. As they say - practice makes perfect!
Remember to keep feeling confident about who you are and the skills and experience you have - there is a job out there for you!

 

Job Hunting

How to search and apply for jobs
Finding a job – especially one that you enjoy – can be sometimes be pretty tough. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try though!
Check out our checklist below for finding and applying for jobs!• Is there somewhere you can use the internet regularly?

• Do you have a professional email address (e.g. maybe your full name, rather than St0Na4lyfe@email.com ...)
• Have you registered with job websites (e.g. Seek, Trade Me, Student Job Search)
• Have you registered with a recruitment agency?
• Do you check the local newspapers and community notice boards regularly?
• Have you been looking for vacancies in the windows of stores (with copies of your C.V. in hand)
• Have you asked the people you know, including family friends and on Facebook?
• Have you narrowed down exactly what kinds of jobs you are keen on (e.g. full-time, part-time, office work, etc.)?
• Have you started searching for appropriate jobs?
• Have you made a list of particular jobs (advertised now) and noted down the application due dates?
• Have you tailored your C.V. and written a cover letters for each of the jobs?
• Has someone given you feedback on the cover letters, spell-check and edit and our C.V.?
• Have you told your referees about your job applications so that they are ready for a call?

If you get the job
Your first time reading and signing an employment contract can be pretty daunting and confusing!
The Employment Relations Service provides some basic things you need to know as an employed young person. This includes what your rights are as an employee and what you are entitled to, in terms of pay, leave, working on holidays and much more. Click here for more info. You can check out their FAQ’s online, or call them with questions on 0800 20 90 20 during 8.30am – 5pm.

Youthlaw is another awesome option for legal guidance. Call on (09) 309 6967 or free call 010 and follow instructions. Click here to check out their website.