Here's How: Prepare Your Curriculum Vitae [Paperback]

Acy Jackson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Here's How | Publication Date: January 11, 1999

Strategies, examples and worksheets in this book show you how to write a powerful CV for any job in any field. It offers step-by-step guidance, explains what to leave in or out and how to work round complications, such as career changes, lack of experience and more.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (January 11, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0844266310
• ISBN-13: 978-0844266312
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #539,937 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Outstanding Guide to CV Preparation, April 6, 2002

By 

Gregory McMahan (Tottori, Japan) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Here's How: Prepare Your Curriculum Vitae (Paperback)

In this time of traumatizing economic upheaval, every advantage in the competition for jobs, no matter how slight, matters. As such, how one presents oneself is often more important than what one presents to the public. Jackson's book, Prepare Your Curriculum Vitae, gives the intelligent job seeker an advantage in the job search in two ways. First, it prepares the reader emotionally for the task of charting one's life and career via detailed documentation of events and achievements. Second, it clearly and skillfully guides the reader through the mechanics of putting one's best foot forward on paper. As such, the book combines an emphasis on content with important dimensions of style to give the job seeker a crucial and badly needed advantage in the competition for jobs.

The first chapter, `Getting Started: The Emotional Dimension', offers excellent, quality exercises to put the reader in the proper frame of mind to write an outstanding and noticeable CV. A strong and successful CV is the product of considerable time and effort devoted to personal reflection. As such, the chapter helps to build a positive and realistic attitude toward CV preparation, and makes the writing process much easier to perform. After making an honest attempt to do the exercises in the first chapter, I was truly amazed at my own perspective, and what I as a person had accomplished. Before completing the exercises, I had held my accomplishments in very low regard, and I had the general impression that I did not know anything and had not done anything of true significance or value. As such, I see the first chapter as a psychologically beneficial means to boost both self-confidence and self-esteem.

Given the format and structure of the text, the second chapter on electronic resumes should have logically followed the chapters on drafting and preparing CVs and the chapter of sample CVs. The real work associated with CV preparation and writing begins with the third chapter, `Listing Competencies and Skills'. Here, in a five-step process, the text encourages the reader to identify his or her competencies and skills. For each competency and skill, the reader learns how to make both broad assessments and exacting statements about his or her level, or degree, of proficiency. The reader finally reviews his or her competencies, and then chooses which to state on the CV based on individual career objectives, position sought and the degree of importance of each competency. The fourth chapter immerses the reader in the preparation of working drafts. After presenting the contents of a typical CV to the reader, each portion of the CV, from the objectives and education to the interests and references, are subjected to a three-step process of draft, revision and final version. Once each part of the CV is completed, the entire CV is stylistically assembled in a way most pleasing to the potential viewers of the document. The fifth chapter gives the reader the usual advice regarding the polishing of the final draft of the CV. Chapters six and seven go through the mechanics of writing effective cover letters and other correspondence associated with job seeking, and provides numerous, detailed samples of each type of correspondence, as well as the successful distribution of your CV. Chapter eight offers numerous examples of CV organization and style across all disciplines at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels. Four appendices round out the book, and offer information on abbreviations, a list of action verbs used in resume preparation, contact information for selected professional organizations and societies, and a select list of books on style in writing.

The book repeatedly emphasizes that care should be taken to describe accomplishments in clear, concise terms, and that the content of the CV should be slanted toward the particular objective in mind. The text also stresses that because the CV serves simultaneously as a calling card and as marketing, sales and promotional material for the individual, it pays to be a strong advocate of oneself and one's accomplishments.

Apart from some minor organizational problems, the book is an excellent source of information and inspiration for those who have no previous experience writing CVs. More experienced and advanced individuals can still use this book as a basis for CV preparation, albeit at a faster pace than those new to the endeavor. No graduate student or professional should be without this important and invaluable text.

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A OK book, May 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Here's How: Prepare Your Curriculum Vitae (Paperback)

The other "CV" book "The Curriculum Vitae Handbook : How to Present and Promote Your Academic Career" by Rebecca Anthony and Gerald Roe cover more materials although this one provided some pratcical tips, such as Tips for Producing a Scannable Curriculum Vitae, 3 Listing Competencies and Skills Step I: Competencies Step II: Credentials Step III: Skills Step IV: Levels or Degrees of Proficiency Step V: Review and so on. I found this book helpful, although if you only have the budget to buy one CV book, I'll probably recommend the other one..