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28. November, 2012 CVs, Finding a job
This article has 5 comments

Wannabe Hacks CV workshop

by Jonathan Frost

The Hack’s CV clinic returns, with our very own Caroline Mortimer’s CV. Please have a read, and go over it with the infamous red pen. What would you change, what do you like, and can you spot the inevitable “deliberate” typo?

Please keep comments constructive, and get in touch if you want your CV under the hacks’ microscope. On a practical note, make sure you check the flip side of this CV!

Open publication

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TeoBeleaga
TeoBeleaga 5pts

Despite information being concise, your Education bit takes up too much space. How about you bring those lines closer together and have more space left for your experience? 

johncthompson
johncthompson 5pts

@wannabehacks bit of a spurious exercise. CVs should be customised for each job and your covering letter is in many ways more important

NatalieClarkson
NatalieClarkson 5pts like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

Few thoughts on your CV: In your skills section you've put "liveblogging/data journalism". These are pretty different skills and different parts of journalism, so probably shouldn't be put together like that.

 

With your work experience, you've put some of the things you're doing currently way down your list, even on to the second page. I've always been told that things you're presently doing should be right at the top of your CV so that a prospective employer can pick it up and see straightaway what your most recent experience is.

 

Also, at the end of your list, you've grouped three of your placements together, which I think was a little confusing, it probably would be better to have these on your experience list as three separate entries - you could do this by reducing the amount of space that your education takes up.

 

And one final little thing, the style of how you've written the dates of your experience is inconsistent. Sometimes you write "Apr-Jun 2011", sometimes "September- November 2011" and sometimes "October 2010 - August 2011". I'd say pick one way of writing it and stick to that, it just makes it look nicer!

nicki_
nicki_ 5pts

 @NatalieClarkson About the dates as well - is shows editors you can be consistent in regards to style guides.

nicki_
nicki_ 5pts

 @NatalieClarkson * it

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Wannabe Hacks is a living, breathing journalism resource. All our content is produced by aspiring journalists. Our aim is to offer an insight into the different routes into journalism, provide in-depth commentary about the big issues and stimulate discussion around what matters to you.

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