Resigning from your job is never easy - no matter how much you want to leave! Using a resignation letter will help to ensure you leave on good terms…after all, you may need your current employer as a future reference.

It’s completely down to you how long / short your resignation letter is. You could get straight to the point in just 1 / 2 paragraphs or maybe explain your reasons for leaving in a more detailed letter. NEVER use your resignation letter to tell your boss what you really think of them!!!

Before handing your letter in, check you’ve stated the exact date you will be ending your contract - details of your notice period will be found in your contract. Some recruiters will let you use your remaining holiday days to enable you to leave sooner, (if the need arises).

Made a mistake? Been offered better conditions?…Sometimes, after resigning, your current employer will offer you an improved package to entice you to stay at their company. Again, you’ll need a letter for this situation too.

For an example resignation letter, feel free to email us: enquiries@thecvstore.net. We can also check over your pre-prepared resignation / resignation retraction letters free of charge.

Transferable skills are skills you’ve gained throughout your academic / professional experience which can be ‘transfered’ to any other position. Example of transferable skills include: communication, presentation and management.

Transferable skills are particluarly useful for recent graduates or people with minimal work experience. You should disect information from your career / academic achievements / voluntary employment / hobbies to demonstrate skills such as:

• Your ability to interact with people from all backgrounds / levels of hierarchy
• Situations where you demonstrated a sense of tact and diplomacy to resolve concerns
• When you presented ideas in an objective way
• Your ability to build and maintain relationships
• Situations where you managed time and resources to satisfy demands / time constraints
• Your ability to delegate tasks
• Your ability to sell / promote ideas and / or products

References are requested by recruiters to obtain comments from people regarding your suitability for the position you’ve applied for.

Many people make the mistake of including references in a CV where they’re not needed. 99% of recruiters will request references at a later stage of the application process so stating “available upon request” is a good idea when writing your CV. Situations where this may be different is where a recruiter has specifically requested them, or for candidates applying for medical positions.

When providing references, make sure you’ve asked the people you’re using first and do not use friends and family - most application forms will state you’ll need a mixture of academic / professional references. Also, remember that references will be followed up, so don’t lie, or ask people to lie for you.

We often refer to ‘functional CVs’ or ‘chronological CVs’ and many people ask what these mean.

Chronological, in the dictionary, is defined as, ‘arranged in the order in which events happened; according to date’. This is the case for a chronological CV - detailing your employment and academic experiences in the order they happened - starting with the most recent.

Functional, in the dictionary, is defined as ‘designed for or adapted to a function or use’. Functional CVs tend to be used when someone has gaps in employment and / or wants to target a career change. Using a functional CV, allows the candidate to focus purely on relevant details rather than including irrelevant details to keep the CV chornological.

Translated, means ‘the course of one’s life’. Curriculum Vitae is commonly abbreviated as CV or C.V. in upper and lowercase and is a method of showcasing your academic and employment background. In the US, CVs, (or Curriculum Viates), are known as Resumes.