New online tools to help young job seekers

MEDIA RELEASE

17 July 2012

New online tools to help young job seekers

A new online careers tool will help young people write their CV and pitch themselves to employers.

Know Your CV, developed by Careers New Zealand, is a free online, self-help tool that teaches people how to write their CV and cover letter. It is interactive with questions, drag and drop exercises, and videos. Know Your CV compliments Know Your Skills, an online tool which was released in November last year.

“Nine times out of ten having a bad CV will stop people getting a job interview. Employers can literally get hundreds of CVs they have to shortlist at a time and even a simple error, like a spelling mistake, can immediately put your CV in the employer’s bin,” said Careers New Zealand website content team leader Blair McCarthy.

“In the current job climate, getting your CV right is really important. Know Your CV will help people include the right things in their CV.”

Aimed predominantly at young people aged 15-24, creating their first CV, it can also help people at any age or stage of their career.

Know Your CV will show users:
• what information should go in a your CV
• which type of CV is the best for you
• how to write your cover letter.

At the end of Know Your CV users can tick off a checklist before they apply for a job.

Mr McCarthy said the response to Know Your Skills, since its launch last year, has been extremely positive. “We are pleased by the number of people who have said that Know Your Skills has helped them realise what their skills are.”

Some of the comments users provided after completing Know Your Skills included: “I thought I had no skills, so I was interested to see if I did. And I do, so it was really helpful. Thank you”; “I didn't really think to include my skills such as volunteer things I've done and helped out with so now I know that they are still skills and I can include them”; and “I know exactly what to do to apply for the job.”

Mr McCarthy said “Developing a CV is the next step after identifying your skills. We want people to feel confident putting together a CV, knowing what information to include and what to leave out. Know Your CV will give them a logical process to apply for work.”

At the end of each module there are links provided to help people job hunt and write their CV e.g. CV4Me (an online CV wizard) and the Skill Matcher online tool.

To see the Know your CV online tool, visit http://knowyourcv.careers.govt.nz. For the Know Your Skills online tool visit http://knowyourskills.careers.govt.nz

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