Application/Cover letter and CV/Resume Format!

Fellow naijahotjobbers, I was privileged to be among a team of human resource personnel in Victoria Island, lagos recruiting for Senior Management posts. I posted the Advert here, I was solely given the responsibility to screen and prepare who would be called for direct interview. It was highly UNFORTUNATE to go through what a lot of people sent as application/cover letters and CVs; I was disgusted, angry, annoyed, frustrated, disturbed etc. name it. Little wonder a large number are never called for interviews/aptitude tests. A lot don't following instructions, they just post desperately and blindly their CVs, some CVs have spelling errors, wrong or terrible formats, irrelevant infos, I can't name them all. Out of over 30 CVs and cover letters (some without Cover/application letters required by the advert) I reviewed, Less than 5 qualified to be called for interview. "My people are destroyed for lack of Knowledge" going to school and graduating magna laude is different from knowing HOW TO apply and construct your CV. So I have taken my time to help out with a CV format, Application/cover letter, some dos and don'ts in a CV.

RESUME SAMPLE 1:

UCHENDU UGENYI
20, Peculiar street,
Ifako, Lagos.
08023754012
[email protected]
29th November, 1982

OBJECTIVE: To work with existing staff and facilities contributing the best of my ability and quota, so as to improve organisational objectives and achieve managerial goals and targets.

WORK EXPERIENCE: Mobil Producing Nigeria Limited (NYSC)
Ibeno, Akwa Ibom State
Department: QIT Operations (Crude movement) 2008

EXPERIENCE:
- Crude Accounting
- Crude Treatment
- Crude loading for Export
- Scrapper Pig Analysis
- Etc
COMPUTER KNOWLEGDE:
- Operationg systems of MS-Dos, Windows 98 and Windows NT
- Application programmes: Microsoft Office
- Programming Language: AUTOCAD

EDUCATION: University of Nigeria, Enugu
B. Eng (2nd Class upper) Chemical Engineering 2005

Government College Ijanikin, Lagos. 1998
West African Senior School Certificate (WASSCE)

RESEARCH: Design and construction of a single stage centrifugal Pump
(Final year project)

REFEREES: Dr. Mike Adetola
Tegu clinic
Ikeja, Lagos
0803---------
e-mail

Chief Moses Isoh
Jacob's Travelling Agency
Victoria Island, Lagos
0803----------
e-mail


RESUME 2

DENNIS CHIMA

2, Mill Plain Road, 08033510271
Apapa, Lagos. [email protected]
27th May, 1976

OBJECTIVE: To invest in work an enduring legacy and seeking self-development, advancement and improvement while enjoying job satisfaction.

EDUCATION: University of Benin, Edo state
B.Sc (Hons) Accountancy 2006

Methodist Boys High School, Lagos
Senior Secondary School Certificate 1992

EXPERIENCE: Meridan Finance Limited, Abuja
Account Department

Responsibilities:
- Extract monthly management account and monthly financial report
- Ensuring efficient risk management of assets and liabilities of the company
- Participate in ensuring that all control account, bank and cash balances and other subsidiary accounts are regularly updated and reconciled.
- Part of a team that ensures account compliance with both statutory and professional regulations as regards preparation, presentation and disclosure of company's financial information.

COMPUTER SKILLS:
- Microsoft Office proficiency
- Accounting Darkeasy package
- Peachtree Accounting package

PERSONAL PROFILE:
- Ability to work under pressure
- Good interpersonal skills
- Ability to work effectively in a team
- Integrity and Honesty
- Ability to meet tight reporting schedule
- Excellent Oral and written communication skills
- Self motivated and target-oriented

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS: Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN)
Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA) in view

INTEREST: Reading Motivational books.

Referees: Prof. Moses Isoh
Dean of Student Affairs
University of Benin
Edo state
Phone no:
Email add.

Dr. Kalu Ibe
Head of Accounting Department
University of Benin
Edo state
Phone No
Email add.

Bishop Femi Adebayo
Victorious Army Ministry
Festac Town
Lagos
Phone No.
Email add.


SAMPLE APPLICATION/COVER LETTER 1

Makinde John Shola
19, Abiodun Street
Ifako, Lagos.
08023754012
[email protected]
3rd of march, 2006

The Human Resources Manager,
A Team Oil Company Ltd,
P. O. Box 61709
Victoria Island,
Lagos.

Dear Manager,
APPLICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT
On Naijahotjobs, a job seeker forum of 28th february 2009, you advertised that you have a vacant post for experienced young engineers in your company.

I am a chemical engineer with skills and experience that meet your requirement.

Attached with this letter is my resume for your perusal.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Scanned signature

Makinde John shola

APPLICATION/COVER LETTER SAMPLE 2

DENNIS CHIMA
2, Mile Plain Road,
Apapa, Lagos.
08033510271
[email protected]
4th of may, 2006

The Advertiser,
P. O. Box 2949,
Sabo, Yaba,
Lagos.

Dear Manager,

RE: ACCOUNTANT

Your advert on Naijahotjobs of 27th may 2006 stated that you have a vacant position for the above post.

I have keen interest in working in the above position in your reputable company. I do believe that my qualifications, experience and skills meet all your requirement as stated in the advert.

Attached here with is my resume for your perusal.

Yours faithfully,

Scanned Signature

Dennis Chima

WHAT NOT TO PUT IN A RESUME
Don't include personal information such as:
- Your age
- Your marital status
- Your children's ages
- Your problems finding a job
- Hard-luck stories
- How difficult your life is
- Nationality
- Religion

Don't include detalis about physical shortcomings such as:
- Any type of negativity
- Self - ridicule
- That you've never had a job before

Don't include your height, weight or photo, scanned copies of credentials (unless this information is specifically requested by a prospective employer).

Don't ramble on about how much you used to make in your past jobs.

Don't mention family members and their employment or interests.

NB: Except the hiring company specify that you include any of the above you don't have to include them.
- CVs should not be more than two to three pages for experience individuals and one - two for fresh graduates
- Application/cover letters should be brief and not more than one page.
- watch out for spelling errors
- follow instruction very SQUARELY
- Make cover/application letter body of message or make it as attachment.
- MS word forwats are preferable except where excel or pdf is instructed
- PRAY AND BELIEVE GOD FOR THE BEST. Take charge and God bless you all. See you at the top.

Guy u try! Atleast am a beneficiary. Yeah see u at d top.well döne

u tried guy.

You're welcome brothers, God bless you.

thanks brother but must the signature be there? what if it an email cover letter?

Yeah, Scan your signature and it there.

faith ur just too sweet.wish we had more pple like u

@ esti90 that's was flattering; well, it's my Pleasure. Take charge and God bless you.

God Bless you faith for your good work. Cheers man

@ ogeneganiru, God bless you. Take charge.

Kai guy! da wz very gud of u

FAITH, that's is too much of you. keep the flag flying.... thanks

Thanks Faith Yetu, that will help alot of us. You are wonderful?

Faith, I am sure you meant well by putting these cover/application letters on here but they don't cut it when it comes to applying for jobs. I work in HR and I WILL NOT call up someone who sent that in to me. An application letter is for an applicant to tell me how they feel they meet the person specification for a role and let me know they understand what the job description clearly entails. It could be about 3 paragraphs but definitely not your life history or like you said pitiful stories. Pls don't ever put your email address or phone number on that top right hand bit of a formal letter, it is WRONG pls! Email cover letters DON'T need to have electronic signatures and I don't see any requirement for it as your email address is sort of the electronic signature in this case. Faith you did a noble thing by assisting but it's only nice we try as much as possible to make sure we are providing the right kind of advice when we offer to help. I don't care if you guys have a go at me but I just had to bare my mind on this. All the best with your job search guys.

May God bless you for your effort.

@aniomaman, that's the beauty of this forum, if you see any flaw, just point it out constructively as you've done. This will enable us reach a desirable and good conclusion on any subject matter.
@faith yetu, thanks for the info

VICTORIA ASCERTA

@ faith, pls what is d diff bw cover letter and appli2tiö letter?

Honeygal, use Google.

Honeygal, thanks for dat brilliant question, i was actually going to comment on that issue.

Cover letter (eg those one faith posted) is just a brief description of your skills and qualification(not more than one paragraph) to meet the job's criteria but application letter is a detailed description of your experience, background(not family, but education, experience, skills, reasons etc. Can be upto three paragraphs) for the job you're applying for. It is normally in your own handwriting.

Secondly, i have been to an interview where i used my name as the subject of my resume. The first question is, which one is your firstname? I mean, though the old format of CV writing is gradually fading, there are still coys who need a detail desription of your personal data to upgrade their data incase they employ you.

One luv.

@FAITH YETU & @ANIOMAMAN

INTERESTING AND BY AND LARGE U GUYS DID A LOVELY POST INCLUDING OTHER GUYS IN THE FORUM THAT POSTED...

I AM GOING TO SPEAK AS AN HR MYSELF FOR I CURRENTLY WORK AS AN HR WITH DOYIN GROUP AND ITS WILL INTEREST U GUYS THAT GENERALLY MAJORITY OF NIGERIA GRADUATES ARE THE CAUSE OF THEIR LACK OF IMPROVEMENT IN WRITING WHAT WE ALL TAG COMMON OR SIMPLE CV, APPLICATION AND COVER LETTER....

SIMPLY PUT @FAITH YETU YOUR CV FORMAT IS PARTIALLY INCORRECT FRM URSEF FOR THE BEAUTY OF SIMPLE APPLICATION & CV SHOULD NOT BE NEGLECTED FOR IT SHOULD BE AS BRIEF AS POSSIBLE DEVOID OF FLAWS AND OVERSTATEMENT WHILE THE COVER LETTER SHOULD BE AS STRAIGHT TO THE POINT....AND WHY SHOULD WORK EXPERIENCE COME BEFORE YOUR PERSONAL BIO DATA&EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICTIONS.....pls this should be avoided!!!

WELL I AM GOING TO CORRECT FORMAT OF CV, APPLICATION AND COVER FOR PERUSAL OF THE FORUM AND THOSE INTERESTED TO BE INFORM....

PLS TAKE NOTE OF THESE: CV SHOULD ALWAYS GO WITH UR AGE PLSSSSSSSSSSSS URGENT AND IMPORTANT AS DISAGREED BY @ FAITH YETU FOR A CV WITHOUT AGE IS NONSENCE! moreso application should be formal not experssing your competency or personality, it should just be straight to the point TAKE NOTE the guy with that asked d question and also the guy that wrongly answered the question!!!

CHECK d FORUM FOR CORRECT FORMAT OF CV, COVER LETTER AND APPLICATION....

THANX AND SEE U GUYS AT THE TOP

@Faith yetu plz i need your e.mail address you are good.

OK U CAN NOW CHECK FOR THE CORRECT FORMAT OF CV, APPLICATION & COVER LETTER FRM THE POST I JUST POSTED TO THE FORUM

BUT I NOTICE SOMETHING FRM THE POST THAT THE CV AND COVER/APPLICATION LETTER DID NOT AS IN WHEN ITS ON MICROSOFT WORD...OK!!! JUST TO TAKE NOTE FOR THE FORUM MEMBERS.

AND TO EMPHASIZE THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT FORMAT BUT ITS HAS TO BE PRECISE AND CONCISE DEVOID OF IRRELEVANCE AND INFORMALITY IRRESPECTIVE OF THE FORMAT OF THE CV.
"
"NO MAN IS AN ISLAND OF KNOWLEDGE" FOR I MIGHT BE RIGHT OR WRONG BUT WILL ALWAYS APPRECIATE IT IF THERE IS OR ARE ANY WRONG TO BE CORRECTED AND POINTED OUT SO THAT WE ALL USE THIS FORUM TO LEARN AND BENEFIT FROM EACH OTHER....

Cheers and see u guys at the top!!!

@situp, thanx 4 ur contribution but please type in lowercase for easy reading.

Well, well, well! All Critics here are constructive. I appreciate you all. Just make sure you're helping someone out that's all. Take charge and God bless you.

thanks Faith, you are really wonderfull, once again thanks for the great job

@ scotfield, it's always my PLEASURE. Take charge.

Well done o. Please convert this to pdf format and make it downloadable.

@ alutazik, I don't think I would have the time to do dat, I'm quite busy in the office. Take charge.

Faith dat is so wonderful of you. God bless you. Pls send your mail address to [email protected]

The attached doc is my cv,faith pls send your comment too. I wil be very happy

u ve really helped.thanks alot

Mr Faith nice work that you re doing here. More power(abi na grease) to ur elbow.

i ahve equally learnt something from there...before now, my marital status and religion was included in my CV...


GOD BLESS U MY FELLOW FURUMITES

u guys are far too kind. I am sayin GRACIAS BABY!

@ aniomaman, brighter contribution, but where do you put your phone number?

You're all welcome. God bless you all.