It is well worth investing the time and energy to create a good CV. Never underestimate the power of it. It is your chance to showcase your skills and experience, so it must be informative, relevant and word perfect!
1) The first thing to bear in mind is one CV does not fit all. You should have a standard CV that you use as a template and tailor it for each and every job you apply for. It's ok to add things in or take things out that aren’t relevant to a particular job but never invent things that aren’t true.
2) Choose a format and layout; have a look online at examples as there are many different types out there. Choose the one you like, bearing in mind it needs to be easy on the eye to navigate the information it contains. It shouldn’t look overly fussy but should have clean lines.
3) How many pages: in an ideal world it should be two but up to three is acceptable, anything longer will get lost in translation and can lose a person’s attention.
4) Font: some look very old fashioned and confusing whilst others look simple, clean and modern so choose wisely, always popular are Ariel and Calibri. Also, ensure your point font (size) ranges between 10 – 12.
5) Ensure everything looks consistent, any spacing, highlighting or titles should be the same throughout
6) There is no need to title your CV “Curriculum Vitae” your name is the best title you can have!
7) Your name should be followed by your personal details, ensure the right contact details are displayed otherwise you may miss an opportunity. It also makes it easier for an employer to have your name and number together for when they call you, rather than having to search for them.
8) Next should be a brief but informative personal profile or statement, which will bring your CV “to life”. It is a snapshot of who you are, what you can offer and a chance to highlight anything of importance. This will need to be part of your tailoring to a specific job and if they want something in particular skills-wise then highlight it here.
9) Career history: this outlines what positions you have held, where (company name) and when (the start and end dates). All your roles must be headed up in this way followed by the duties you performed. It must be in reverse chronological order because your most recent role will be of most relevance
10) Duties: the easiest way to present them is by bullet points rather than paragraphs of sentences, which can be hard to decipher. Make the bullet points factual, they are a great way for you to embody keywords into your CV so that an employer can skim read through to check you have the right experience. Make sure you tailor your duties to the job description, and they describe your duties as well as your skillset.
11) Your career history does not have to in include every single job you have done in your lifetime, for those with a long history usually the last 10 -15 years will be suffice
12) Do not include irrelevant information, use plain English and avoid waffle, slang and clichés. Try not to write and is if you are talking, it needs to be concise and professional.
13) Education: Like your experience, this should be in reverse chronological order. Include your institution, qualification dates and grades where possible. If a job role asks for some specific qualification make sure that is clearly highlighted.
14) Training: if you have completed any courses that may be relevant to the job you are applying for then you can include them with your Education or have a separate heading.
15) Hobbies and Interests: this is a personal thing. Overall they aren’t really relevant but there may be some job roles that they would be, so again this can be tailored for relevance.
16) References: are not really an essential, if you have the space then you can add in “available on request” or if your recent employer has personally written one for you then you could attach a copy to the back of your cv.
17) Now the content is finished you must check for mistakes, then double check and triple check! Mistakes will not make your first impression a good one. It doesn’t matter how much experience you have or if you are perfect for a job if there are careless mistakes or spelling errors you could lose out.
18) Then take a break! Once you have composed your CV template or spent time tailoring it then take a break from it and revisit. Read through it again with a fresh pair of eyes checking everything makes sense as it could be you have missed something, particularly when you have been tailoring.
19) Finally get someone to check it over for you. They may spot something you haven’t as they are not the composer, ask for their feedback, do they find it easy to read and understand.
So there you have it, you should now be CV ready and confident when applying for jobs. Your CV is your silent sales tool, follow these guidelines and it should develop a voice and shout out loud!!!
More Resources
If you want to invest in yourself to get the best results in the job market, make sure you look at our other blog posts and articles to help you. Start with these two and you will not go wrong! How to Find a Job and our Ultimate Guide to Getting Your Dream Job! Then we have some great shorter blogs on interview techniques and CV writing below. Have a look at all these and you will be set for any interview! Remember, 'Luck favours the prepared! We wish you all the luck and success with your future!
The Top 10 Interview Questions You Should ALWAYS Prepare For!
Research You Should Consider Before An Interview
Ultimate Guide to Preparing your CV
How To Completely Nail Your Zoom, Skype or any other Video Conferencing Interview!
What questions should you never ask in an interview?
How to Answer the Question: What are your Strengths?
How to Answer the Question: What motivates you at work?
Finding a New Job? - It's Time To Clean Up Your Social Media Presence
Also, remember if you are attending interviews you may get rejected, do not take this personally! A lot of things in life are a numbers game, meaning the more you get rejected the closer you will come to getting the job. It is simple maths, the more you do the better the chance of success. It is a healthy part of the process so read the article below and don't let rejection slow you down!
10 Top Tips for Coping With Those Soul-Destroying Job Rejections!