A curriculum vitae (CV) is an important document to spend time perfecting. This piece of paper is used when a person wants to advertise or promote their specific skills and training for professional and academic jobs and programs. Your CV is one of the first things a potential employer will see about you. Thus, it is important to spend time with the document. You want to make sure that the best sides of yourself are represented so that you have a better chance of being hired. If you are interested in outdoor-type positions like animal care and landscape, you need to highlight why you are the best person for the job using specific, confident language. The following are some ways to improve your CV.

Talk About Your Skills

A CV is not just a place to talk about the jobs you have had and the school you attended: It is also a chance to explain why you are a qualified person for the advertised job. Tailor your skills section to the mission of the organization to which you are sending your CV. If you are applying to work with animals, talk about everything from animal training to patience: These are qualities a person might need for this role- so prove you have them!  The best way to show an employer that they should hire you is to show them that you are qualified for the job: adapting your CV to show this is a vital step.

Keep the CV Focused

While a complete CV with little or no gaps in employment is favourable, you don’t need to heavily discuss every single job you’ve had in the past decade unless it’s relevant to the position you’re applying for. A CV should be focused on information that relates to the advertised job or organization. Thus, if you are interested in working with the animals at a zoo, you don’t need to write an essay on the summer job you had scooping ice cream. You want each piece of information on your CV to relate back to your skills and to be aimed at the current profession or program to which you are applying.

Use Descriptions

When you talk about your skills and employment history, be sure to use descriptions. This document represents you to an organization. Thus, you want to show the reader what you have done and how this relates to your job. Be as specific and as concise as you can. Use active verbs. For example, instead of saying that you “used to work on a farm” be specific and say exactly what you did (i.e. “Managed barn staff, performed basic care for animals, etc.). A bulleted list is a good route to go if you had a job that involved a number of relevant tasks. This will make your CV that much easier to read.7

Hooray, I’ve got the hang of this new technology, if I can, anyone can.  Have a go its great fun, follow me on LandForce Team.  Sorry too busy Twittering, to do blogging this week.

While a job working outside has many benefits, such as fresh air, sunshine, and exercise, it also carries some risks that need to be addressed. If you work outdoors or are about to start a job working outdoors, you need to be concerned with safety and protection from the environment.

If your job takes you anywhere around traffic, visibility is crucial. Wear brightly coloured clothes, preferably day-glow articles. Bright orange vests are very inexpensive and readily available. Day-glow hats and gloves are also good choices. If you are working in colder climates the hat and gloves can double as the protection from the environment. In addition, since your hands are likely in motion, the bright orange gloves will make you more visible to traffic. Even if your work takes you away from traffic and into the wilderness, you want to be visible to hunters and wildlife.

You also need to consider the proper footwear for the job you are doing. Work boots aren’t just for show; they provide a lot of functionality and protection. If you are working in muddy, wet, or slippery conditions, the proper tread can keep you from falling. In addition, the extra protection they provide to your feet and ankles are important. They can help keep you from twisting an ankle or getting injured from sharp materials or animal bites. Finally, they will keep your feet warm. Keeping your feet, hands, and head warm are important in cold weather.

Speaking of hats, in addition to visibility, protecting your head from the cold is vital. Most of your body’s heat loss is through the head. Keep it warm and you will be well protected. Gloves to protect your fingers from frostbite are also important. The proper glove can also help grip your tools and prevent fatigue in your hands from repetitive tasks. In extreme cold conditions, wear thermal underwear for maximum protection. Modern materials provide warmth without all the weight old fashioned cotton underwear had and also wick moisture away from the body to prevent hypothermia.

And last, don’t forget about protection from the sun itself. Skin cancer is a growing concern in today’s world, but is easily protected against. Apply a good sun screen any time you are going to be exposed to the elements for a long period of time, even on cloudy days. This simple procedure can save a lot of grief as you get older. Also, don’t forget your eyes. Wear adequate UV protection in the form of a quality pair of sunglasses.

Working outdoors can be enjoyable and healthy if you take a few precautions.

No I’m not going to post some humorous, anecdotal emails that I have received, but I noticed some funny email addresses in our Jobseeker intray today and I wanted to stress to jobseekers the importance of not having an email address starting BoozerPhil@, LazyK@, StinkyPete@ etc. Whilst these email addresses are great fun for communicating with friends they can become a bit of a liability if you supply them to Employers and are hoping for a job with them!Also I note there are a number of people that use ‘joint’ email addresses, i.e. MarkAndEmma@ or RickyBianca@. These too give a bit of a poor impression and it will be well worth signing up for your own email address just for applying to jobs.

In this current climate, you want to make sure you have all the positive points in your favour no matter how trivial.

There are loads of free email sites now; the obvious are Hotmail, Yahoo, MSN, Gmail/Google Mail. If you have a favourite service not listed then let people know by leaving a comment below.

Many times I have been accused of wittering or wittering on, meaning I talk too much, but I’ve never twittered, a twit yes, a nit-twit maybe.  I probably suffered from nits as a child.  I’ve heard birds tweating and probably twittering, although I dont think they need a PC, Blackberry or phone to do this.

 As a seasoned blogger now, I’m going to try twittering.  If you want to have a go google Twitter and get going.