5 tips for writing the perfect CV…
Whether
you’re thinking of applying for your first role as a Trainee Animal Keeper, or
perhaps you’re looking for a customer service role - making sure your CV stands
out from the crowd is key if you want to join the best visitor attractions and
conservation charities, regardless of the role you’re applying for!
So,
here’s some top tips for ensuring you give the best possible first impression…
1.
Roar about yourself!
Your CV
is the first tool at your disposal to market yourself to employers, and help
you get to that all-important interview stage. You’ll want to make sure your CV
is well presented and clearly structured with section headers, highlighting your best
qualities in a clear and concise way. There isn’t a specific recipe that you
must follow with the layout of your CV, but focus on having a clean and tidy format,
with the most up to date and relevant information near the beginning.
A lot of
zoos and tourism attractions also favour application forms, so it’s imperative
that you are able to market yourself in an impactful way, using as little words
as possible, as you are likely to be limited in terms of space. Remember
– quality over quantity!
2.
What to include? No monkey business!
As a rule
of thumb, your personal details should be on the header of your CV, making it
as easy as possible for the employer to get in touch with you. So, remember to
include your most up to date name, address, telephone number and email address.
Under your
personal details you can begin listing your employment history, starting with
your most recent employment and working backwards from there. Give thought
about the job you are applying for and the skills and knowledge required for
the role, as you can cleverly link this to your work history, providing a great
insight into the relevant experience you’ve already gained.
Next up
is a great opportunity to enlighten the employer with your personal
achievements, highlighting the value you can add to the organisation. Ensure
the experiences are relevant to the role you’re applying for, and have been achieved
in recent times - if the employer reads about something impressive you did five
years ago, they might wonder why you haven’t done anything more since then!
Following
your personal achievements, this flows nicely into listing your education and
qualification history. List your education from your most recent qualification,
including the full title of your qualification, place of study and results
gained, including any modules or projects of relevance.
3.
Hobbies and interests
Employers
are keen to learn about your hobbies and interests to find out more about the
type of person you are. It should be kept short and to the point but can
include any extracurricular activities you enjoy, whether that’s volunteering
at your local animal shelter, to strolls along the beach with your animal
companion. Zoo’s are passionate about providing guests with unforgettable experiences,
and they are always on the lookout for sociable, cheery people - so this
section is key to getting your personality across!
4.
References
At the
end of your CV, you may want to include the contact details for your
references. However, unless they have specifically been requested, you do not
need to include these in your CV. A simple ‘References available upon request’
should suffice, to close off your CV.
5.
Check, check and check again!
When you think you have finished your CV /
application form, and you have read it for what feels like the billionth time,
make sure you ask somebody else to read it for you, as they will be more likely
to uncover any errors, or highlight any areas that could potentially be
improved.
One final point to remember is that your CV or
application form is likely to form the framework for any interview you may
attend. Be prepared to answer any questions to elaborate on any of the
information you’ve provided, so just be sure to be comfortable with your application
before submitting it, ensuring that its contents are both honest and accurate.
So, if you’re ready to start applying for jobs
at some of the UK’s most popular zoos and tourism attractions, stop monkeying
around and click here to view the latest opportunities!