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• The Start of 2011
  9th Feb 2011
  OTJ Reruitment has seen an incredible start to the new year that bears out the continued growth in the market place from the later half of 2010. We look forward to providing our clients... more
• New Website Launch for OTJ - March 2011
  12th Jan 2011
  Welcome to the New OTJ website.  We hope you like it!   This new site provides a much more interactive interface with candidates and offers: Registration of your details on the... more
• 10 things to leave off your CV
  20th May 2011
  Everybody knows that in most situations, less is more. Job seekers do themselves a disservice when they send out CVs with too much information. Employers don't have the time or the patience to sift through... more
• Employer demand for UK workers : New High
  20th May 2011
  Employer demand for UK workers reached a new high in February with demand increasing by 18 points between January 2011 and February 2011, rising to the highest level since the index began in December... more
• LinkedIn News
  21st Feb 2013
  Tina Johnson (Otj Recruitment) has one of the Top 1% of the most viewed LinkedIn profiles of 2012! Connect to Tina Johnson now to find out all the latest jobs at Otj Recruitment.... more

Unless a job posting specifically asks for your picture (and very few jobs will), don't include it just for fun because your looks are irrelevant to your potential as an employee.

 

Unless your interests and hobbies have something to do with the job you're applying for, there's no reason to include them. In general, make any applicable connections between your hobbies and the job in your cover letter. Better yet, save them for the interview when you're asked what you like to do outside of work.

 

Most employers assume that if you're OK with sending out a CV littered with typos and mistakes, you'll have the same lack of concern for the work you do as an employee at their company. While spell check picks up most errors, it can miss something major -- did you work the late night shift? Or did you forget to include the "f" between "i" and "t"? -- so have several eyes look over your CV before sending it out to employers.

 

 

Similar to sending a picture with your CV, your height, weight, age, race or religion are all unimportant to an employer. Though it's illegal for employers to discriminate against applicants because of any of these factors, some will do so, regardless. Keep everything on your CV pertinent to the job, and you'll be fine.

 

 

Hiring managers don't need to know the details of every task you've ever done in every job you've ever had. It's just too much information, and usually half of that information isn't relevant. Employers want to be able to see at first glance that you're a great candidate, so pick out those details that are most relevant to the job for which you're applying and omit the rest.

 

Plain and simple, no one wants to hire a liar. Don't say that you have a master's degree if you've only earned your bachelor's; don't say you're presently employed at a company if you've recently been fired; don't list your salary history as 20 percent higher than it was. Everything you tell an employer can be verified, so play it safe and be honest.

 

No one wants to look at a CV on fluorescent paper, covered in crazy fonts and symbols. Use a font that is clear to read in black colour. Anything else will make your CV hard to read and chances will be high that it won't be read at all. 

 

Links to personal web sites, your photo-sharing site, or strange e-mail addresses can also be left off. Employers are less likely to respond to likes2party@email.com than just DMiller@email.com.

 

Never put anything negative on your CV. Don't include your reasons for leaving. If you left the position due to a layoff or you were fired, for example, bring it up only if asked. Never write anything bad about a previous employer. Don't explain gaps on your CV by stating that you were in prison for 10 years. Keep your CV all positive, all the time.

 

Employers are trying to determine whether you're a good fit for their organizations, so everything on your CV should point to your experience. Employers would rather see a summary of qualifications that displays your accomplishments and background than a generic objective statement like "To get a full time position at a financial institution".

 

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