A good Curriculum Vitae (CV) is your personal sales document. It can make the difference between getting an interview or being rejected at the first stage, so it's important to get it right. Whether you decide to consider a career at sea and apply to the SSTG, or endup considering an entirely different career, we hope you will find the following guidelines useful.
An application to the SSTG, accompanied by a good CV, may be submitted at any time of the year. Do not wait for your examination results or until the start date.
Remember that you never get a second chance to make a good first impression! Make it count.
Top Ten Tips
1. Keep your CV to a maximum of 2 pages if at all possible. Use short positive statements instead of long sweeping sentences.
2. Never bind a CV, use photographs, or decorate it with fancy graphics. You may think they look wonderful but employer's reviewing such CV's do not generally find this helpful!
3. Think about the general headings to be included. These should be tailored to your personal circumstances but will typically include the following; Personal Details, Education, Qualifications, Employment History, Other Experience and Interests, Health and References.
4. Always work in reverse chronological order (i.e. latest first) and lead with achievements.
5. Find something interesting or slightly unusual to include in the interests section. This section gives the employer a little insight into your personality yet far too many candidates just list a couple of sports and miss the opportunity to sell themselves.
6. Try to tailor your CV to the application being made. With modern computer systems a CV can easily be produced specifically for the application being made.
7. Leave out negative information. This may seem obvious but many applicants include negative comments about themselves in their CV's.
8. Do not include unnecessary, irrelevant or entirely inappropriate information.
9. Do not make claims or statements about qualifications and experience, or any other matters, which are not true. It won't help you in the long run and could get you into serious trouble.
10. Check for spelling and other typographical errors and get at least two people to check it. Ensure that dates, grades and other details are accurate. Do not rely on a spell checker.
And finally ….
Do not forget the all-important covering letter. This should include the category applied for and the reasons for making the application.
As with your CV, the letter should be brief, relevant, easy to read, and carefully checked for spelling and grammar.