advice plz carer on cv hlp

Replies

By chenrezig

Re: advice plz carer on cv hlp
Wed 18 Jul 2007 19:08

Before I gave up work to care for my father I worked for a company that had a contract with JCP to get people back into work. When I left I took all my personal stuff I’d accumulated over the years.

Your first port of call should be your local jobcentre, if you haven’t already been there. You will find their number in the phone book - you will have to phone first to make an appointment with an adviser. See if they still have booklets called “The Job Kit - Your Job Search Guide”, or “Job Club - Members Workbook”. These might not be available any more but its worth asking as they are a good basic introduction to job search - and they are free. Depending on your age and how long you have been out of work there should be extra help available -again a good adviser will know this.

This is a prompt list that I used to help do CV’s:

Name and Address:
(Including postcode)
E-Mail:
Optional

Personal Profile:
Use short phrases, what you can offer the employer, make them want to read on. Use it to give a positive picture of yourself. For example - "hard worker", "organised", "team player", "methodical", adaptable". Four lines on a CV are okay.
Key Skills/Experience:
Write down any skills or achievements from your working life, any areas of expertise eg "good communication skills", "able to work to deadlines", "computer literate", "eye for detail".
Training/Qualifications
Any training at all, even if a certificate was not awarded. Did you have any informal training at work or in a voluntary capacity? If you are on the ‘net have you done any online courses?
-As far as Caring Duties - think of all the jobs you did I.e. planning, time management, managing household accounts, problem-solving skills, organising others etc - all these are transferable skills. Have you done any voluntary work at all while caring, if you have maybe you could use it as a current “work” reference?
Career to Date:
Company - Name of company/firm you worked for.
What company does - what does it do or make - eg insurance /manufacturing/travel?
Date Started - date when first started working for company
Date Left - date last worked for company
Position - what was your job title, what did you do there?
Duties - description of what you did in your work eg filing, assembly, supervising
(Repeat for other jobs)
Education:
School - school you attended
Date Started - Date you started at school
Date Left - Date you left school
Qualification - Any CSE's, O'levels, A'levels etc (remember to include any thing that is grade C or below - it is still a pass!) If you did not get any certificates, still put down the standard of the subjects you studied eg whether they were CSE, O'level etc -they still count!
Spare Time Activities and Hobbies: For example, reading (type of book), football - watching or playing?, swimming?, music - what type?
Details of references are available on request.
(don’t put names and addresses of referees - these can go in a cover letter applying for the job)

Some links that might be useful are

www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk
Above has general info and a job search facility, but bit limited to say the least, no examples of CV’s but tells you what your adviser should be able to do for you.

www.direct.gov.uk
This one has useful info - some of which links back to the website but is a lot better laid out

www.learndirect-advice.co.uk
Plenty of info and a helpline

and a CV building tool on

www.learndirect-advice.co.uk

this is a commercial site but they have sample CV's you can check the layouts of...www.alec.co.uk

Lastly your local library should have a section on books relevant to CV's, letter-writing, interviews etc.

Hope this is not too much info for you

Good Luck and Best Wishes

Liz

By chenrezig

Re: advice plz carer on cv hlp
Thu 19 Jul 2007 14:26

Dear Fender62,

Re my earlier post, I have now found up a CD-Rom from work with various bits and bobs - I'll check it's still usable then post anyhtring else that might be of further help.

Best Wishes Liz

By fender62

Re: advice plz carer on cv hlp
Thu 19 Jul 2007 14:47

thanks chenrezig , i have completed the cv, what i need is
a brief carer's attributes, i have so far put-
physical and emotional care with
behaviour management, social skills-
not sure if that sounds ok any ideas of something better

By chenrezig

Re: advice plz carer on cv hlp
Thu 19 Jul 2007 20:34

You sound like you've made a very good start without me

I found a general CV that we used as a basis for a former client who was returning to work after caring - we tailored it to suit her but maybe give you a few ideas?

Caring for and bringing up a family
Responsible for household managment, forward planning and budgetry control
Care, management and support of four children
Effective time management and motivating others
Efficient logistics and organising others
Supplementing educational needs

employers often look for "key words" like effective, efficient etc so I'll put those on another post after this one

I've already started a list for me
PA/Carer for Father Mar 2006 to date
Accounts - bills, direct debits, bank accounts etc.
Advocate - help with communication and “translation”
Chemist - supervision of medication
Dietician - specialised dietary requirements
Gardener -
Health and Safety - on call 24/7, testing alarm call/key safe system/smoke alarms etc
Housekeeper -washing, ironing, cooking, shopping
Odd-Job/Decorator -
Petty Cash -day - to day bills, shopping
Secretarial Duties - letters, appointment booking/keeping
- maybe this will help as well?

If I was really stuck when doing a clients CV I would check out the learndirect site as they have some pages where they give job descriptions, and use some of the phrases there
link - www.learndirect-advice.co.uk

Amazing when you sit down and start thinking about all the jobs we do as carers and put it down on paper. Surprised we don't all have bad necks from all those "hats" we wear, lol.

If there are any more queries please post again I'd be glad to offer what help I can - though bear in mind I haven't done CV's for a year or more, mind the same general rules still apply now as then. Think I'd better brush up on my old work stuff in case there's any body else out there posts a similar message...

By chenrezig

Re: advice plz carer on cv hlp
Thu 19 Jul 2007 20:39

"Action Words"
Accelerated
Accessed
Achieved
Acquired
Acted
Administered
Advised
Analysed
Appointed
Appraised
Arranged
Assigned
Assisted
Attended

Booked
Broadened
Budgeted

Checked
Coached
Collaborated
Communicated
Competed
Compiled
Completed
Conceived
Conducted
Consulted
Contributed
Controlled
Co-ordinated
Correlated
Created

Delegated
Demonstrated
Designed
Determined
Developed
Devised
Diagnosed
Directed
Doubled

Edited
Effected
Eliminated

Enabled
Established
Evaluated
Executed
Exercised
Expanded
Expedited
Explored

Facilitated
Fostered
Formulated
Founded

Generated
Guided

Handled
Harmonised
Headed
Helped
Hired

Identified
Implemented
Improved
Increased
Initiated
Installed
Instituted
Instructed
Interacted
Invented
Investigated

Launched
Led

Maintained
Managed
Marketed
Mentored
Monitored
Motivated

Negotiated

Opened

Operated
Oversaw

Participated
Performed
Pinpointed
Pioneered
Planned
Prepared
Presented
Processed
Produced
Programmed
Promoted
Proposed
Provided
Purchased

Recommended
Recorded
Recruited
Reduced
Reorganised
Reported
Represented
Researched
Resolved
Restored
Restructured
Reviewed
Revised

Saved
Scheduled
Secured
Selected
Set up
Shaped
Sold
Solved
Structured
Supervised

Taught
Tested
Trained

Upgraded

Used
Utilised

Visualised
Won
Wrote

"Personal Qualities"
Personal Qualities-
self-motivated
creative
hardworking
reliable
innovative
organised
adaptable

Personal Strengths-
work well under pressure
eye for detail
enjoy challenge
good sense of humour
an effective, disciplined worker

Experience-
five years in sales management
wide experience of …
a good working knowledge of…
an excellent track record in…

Skills-
management skills
communication skills
organisiational skills
problem solving and decision making skills
design skills

"Positive Characteristics"
Able
Accurate
Adaptable
Adroit
Adventurous
Alert
Ambitious
Analytical
Appreciative
Articulate
Assertive
Astute
Attractive

Bilingual
Bright

Calm
Capable
Competent
Confident
Consistent
Co-operative
Creative

Decisive
Dedicated
Dependable
Diligent
Diplomatic
Dynamic

Educated
Effective
Efficient
Energetic
Enthusiastic
Experienced
Expert

Fast
Firm
Fit
Flexible
Friendly

Gregarious

Hardworking

Healthy
Honest
Humane

Imaginative
Independent
Informed
Ingenious
Innovative
Intelligent
Inventive

Knowledgeable

Literate
Loyal

Mature
Methodical
Motivated
Multilingual

Non-smoking

Objective
Open-minded
Organised
Outgoing
Outstanding

Patient
People-orientated
Perceptive
Persistent
Personable
Pioneering
Poised
Practical
Principled
Productive
Professional
Proficient
Punctual

Qualified
Quick
Quick-thinking
Rational
Ready

Realistic
Reliable
Resourceful
Responsible
Robust

Scrupulous
Self-assured
Self-confident
Self-motivated
Self-reliant
Sensitive
Serious
Shrewd
Skilled
Smart
Spirited
Stable
Strong
Successful
Supportive

Tactful
Talented
Tenacious
Thorough
Thoughtful
Trained
Trustworthy

Versatile
Vigorous

Well-educated
Well-groomed
Willing
Witty

Young
Youthful

"Positive Descriptions"
-positive statements to describe your strengths.

skilled at…
a skilful…
a degree of ability in…
very good at…
extremely good at…
exceptional at…
adept at…
an expert in…
excelling at…
with the ability to…
competence in…
an experienced…
a deft…
a talent for…
familiar with…
qualified to…

-for example-

I am skilled at facilitating the exchange of ideas
I am a skilful communicator
I have a high degree of ability on computer programming
I am adept at promoting policy changes
I am very good at handling a variety of tasks efficiently
I am exceptional at motivating large or small groups
I have a talent for budget projection
I am familiar with a wide range of software
I am qualified to assess retail training up to NVQ level 3

There's no worry about copyright to this material as the company I worked for closed a few months later when they lost the contract with the jobcentre -someone bid cheaper.

Best Wishes Liz