How detailed do i need to be on my C.V.?

At the age of 28 i am writing my first CV, having always got jobs in the past through word of mouth. I have always worked in catering %26amp; am applying for further work in catering.


The thing is that i cant remember exactly when i started various jobs years ago %26amp; cant remember which subjects i got which grades in at school.


Does it matter if i guestimate employment dates a little %26amp; do a broad generalisation of my results eg '9 GCSE's grade A-C in English, maths.....etc' '4 A levels, grade A-E......'


as i am sure that the fact a have an A in GCSE Geography is pretty irrelevent 12 years down the line in an unrelated job??????


Am i being hopefull?

How detailed do i need to be on my C.V.?
I don't think the dates need to be exact but you need to be detailed about your education and experience by giving a description of what you did as part of your job.Don't give too much detail on irreverent things like hobbies and interests as it just makes the c.v long and your interviewer will become uninterested.Good luck!
Reply:I dont think they d dare much about your school grades, mate. I d just put the school and the end year..also the employer would be interested how long you spent in the job and who u worked for more then precise dates...
Reply:If your filling in your first cv it can be very difficult to remember all you have done so do the best you can ie 9 O levels at various grades Just put in enough to get you that interview then sell yourself as much as you can ,Remember to smile if you have made a mistake. it goes a long way
Reply:You should list your qualifications and where and when you got them, all the qualifications you have. An employer would look at ''9 GCSE's grade A-C in English, maths.....etc' '4 A levels, grade A-E......' and think that if you can't be bothered to list each one, then they can't be bothered with you. If they look at your cv and it lists different subjects with the grades next to each one, it looks better and is easier to read. For instance:





GCSE's


Maths - A


English - A


Science - B etc........





Generally as far as work experience is concerned, you should have a short paragraph of what your duties were. Don't include the reasons for leaving, let the employer ask you in interview. You don't want to give them any reason to bin your cv, especially when shortlisting!!





Guess dates that you can't remember, chances are that ones from years ago won't be checked and a potential employer would understand if you got it slightly wrong, being so long ago.





Also, you should always start with the most recent job first, not the other way around.





Good luck!
Reply:To start with a CV should be neatly put together and easy on the eye to read through . Set it out with headings and separate sections for School , Work History , Personal achievements and hobbies ,and referees. Try to provide an original document each time , not photocopy of photocopy !!


As for details just enter on education what you are confident is accurate , at interview if asked you can explain.


Work history may be a bit different because a number of companies will use this detail to follow up for references .So rack your brains and be as accurate as you can be.


Again you will need to explain at interview


Good luck
Reply:Dont specify too much on the exams you earlier qualifications (i.e GCSE and A levels) as in real terms these are just letters and numbers and dont mean a massive amount to employers. I would just put the year, what level it was and how many exams you passed (i.e: 1997- GCSE's: 9 A-C grades and so on). Be more specific on work related employment and training, list dates of employment/ training plus briefly list the main points/ responsibilites in those tasks. For employemnt i am sure the exct date will not matter but try to be as close as possible, give amonth and a year, it wont matter if it isn't too exact but try to give a genuine idea of how long you were in each position. Do a short personal statement explaining why you like working in that industry and also a bit about your interests outside of work as this can give them an insight as to who you are outside of work. Keep it brief, the whole idea of a CV is to give employers and overview of you, your employment and related experience. Remember it is not a nbecessity to put you age or race onto forms as this is no longer required under discrimination laws. Also dont forget to lis 2 or 3 genuine referees (usually has to be at least one employment related reference and one personal reference). Good luck.
Reply:One of the primary differences between a CV and a resume is the details. Be sure that dates are correct, not necessarily to the exact date of the month, but certainly the month and year. If you opt to include exam results, the results MUST be accurate. . .period! If they discover inaccurate exam results, they may jump to the conclusion that more stuff contained in the CV is fabricated. The devil is in the details!!!





Best of luck to you!!


JT
Reply:Your CV needs to be precise.





Every Exam AND the EXACT grade needs to be listed - you will be asked to produce the exam certificates to HR/Personnel when you are appointed. And every job (with start and finish dates) NEEDS to be listed, along with any gaps accounted for - it is acceptable to write unemployed in the gaps with the start and finish dates.





I have been asked to sift through CVs/Completed Application Forms for various jobs, and was told to throw/discard all the ones that didn't have the exam grades listed and had gaps in the employment history.
Reply:Guestimates don't cut it , you need to go back to you school and get transcipts of your grades, keep the original for yourself so that you know from now on.





It also depends on what kind of jobs you are applying for.





In catering as in any food related industry I would think most employers would want to see what educational certificates you 've acquired, indicating your level of expertise.





You also should be able to give at least approximate dates when you worked for what employer , his /her name, address , phone number(they should be an integral part of your references as well).





Twelve years in employers want to see that you're still not on a beginners' level.





So instead of using a chronological cv, use a functional one which stresses your skills, your employment history and your education.
Reply:Jesus Christ!!!! How can you forget?
Reply:generally don't include your inside leg measurement ..:
Reply:|Make your first impression count


Your CV needs to make your relevant abilities and potential stand out immediately. The skills you have that make you perfect for the job need to be visible at first glance, so you may want to put your catering experience near the top and your schools results near the end. I think that in your case, a broad generalisation of results will suffice - 4 A levels in itself says that you were a good student! Try to use language that is active and animated. Describe your relevant work experience in words that show how enthusiastic you are about the job.





Keep it short


A good CV will never be more than a couple of pages of A4. If you write your CV well you can get that knowledge across in a really crisp, snappy way without missing anything out.





Check for mistakes


Check, check and recheck every single word and every punctuation mark, then give your CV to somebody else to read. If there are errors in your job application, how are potential employers going to know you won't make mistakes if they give you the job?








Remember that a CV isn't an official form. You can put in (or leave out) whatever you like in, in whatever order. If you're applying for a chef's job, then it doesn't really matter if you got an A in GCSE geography.








Showcase work experience


As with the qualifications, each rung on your career ladder should be laid out so that it clearly shows the most recent and most relevant parts first. Make the descriptions of your experience full of your achievements.








For instance, instead of just saying: "I was in charge of a team of 12 people", highlight what you helped those people achieve, for example: "I ran a team of 12 people and all of them obtained their NVQs in hygiene under my supervision."








Employers like to see quantitative as well as qualitative achievements. If you raised turnover by 50 per cent, then say so.





Edit personal information tightly


Most employers are looking for experience rather than personal details, so don't feel you have to put these first on your CV. If your hobbies have no relevance to the job vacancy, don't feel obliged to include them.





Before you send


Once you've written your CV, leave it for ten minutes and then go back and reread it. Always do several drafts, edit it down, keep rearranging it and rewriting until you're happy with it. Show it to a couple of friends and listen to what they say. If you know anybody in recruitment, ask them for their advice.











Above all, spend time on it. It may be only two pages, but when it comes to the job of you dreams, it could make all the difference...
Reply:Hi, Ive just gone through a similair thing to you,





With regards to the exact dates just put down the years you worked there or if split guesstimate the month. A decent employer is gonna be more interested in your skills rather than pin-pointing the exact day you left a company. Your right that an A in geography isnt really relevant in a catering role but an A in Home economics would be so just tailor your cv to waht the employer wants to hear.





Be specific and to the point, try and keep to one side of A4, essiantly if an employer has a lot of cvs to get through they are not gonna want to read 4 pages of you talking about a work placement you had in 1994 for a pony trekking company in south Wales.





This website is really good and gives you examples of good and bad cvs with lots of helpful tips-http://www.europa-pages.com/jobs/cv.html





Hope this helps Buddy





Good Luck, Germz
Reply:I dont think it matters to guesstimate employment dates or generalise your school results. In this case experience is more important than academic qualifications. On my CV I put for eg "Mar 2000 - Dec 2001" for job dates. I cant remember if it was the 5th I started or 10th I finished! Just make sure you sell your experience. There are lots of websites out there that will help you write a cv and also companies you can send them to and they will check them for you. Good luck!