Taking time to prepare a good CV is the best way to make sure recruiters sit up and take notice of your application.
We have put together some suggestions to help you impress employers on paper as much as you will when you have an interview.
Our key tips
- Try to keep your CV to 2 pages and never go over 3 pages
- Don’t use unusual typefaces or gimmicks like exclamation marks
- The layout should be clear and neatly spaced so it’s easy to read
- Double check spelling, grammar and punctuation
- Avoid exaggerating any facts or information
- Consider preparing different CVs, each with a different emphasis if you are targeting different types of job or employer
Most recruiters and employers prefer the following order of CV content:
- Your contact details
- Professional qualifications
- Education
- Profile/personal statement (optional)
- Employment history
- Additional information ie Interests
- References
The 1st page
This should contain your personal details; name, address, phone numbers and e-mail, as well as educational details. Qualifications should be ordered to show professional development and shouldn’t go into too much detail about all your GCSE and A levels.
Finally on the first page include a Personal Profile.
This will encourage the reader to read on. It is a snapshot of what you do and everything you have achieved in your career, condensed into two or three sentences. Your profile should contain all of your USPs (unique selling points), giving a brief overview of your skills and experience, as well as the type of role that you seek. You should make it forward looking rather than dwelling on the past and you should be prepared to rewrite it for each job you apply for.
Employment History
This should be written in reverse chronological order and must concentrate on the most recent achievements. Start with your current employer, position and length of time in that role. Avoid self-opinion at all costs and concentrate on providing quantifiable proof of your achievements.
Try to use dynamic words such as; developed, implemented, supported, redesigned, created, managed, directed. And useful adjectives like; successfully, rapidly, smoothly and profitably. Avoid bland statements like 'good team player'. You should, again, quantify this by stating how big the team was, what was your position within it, what was its objective and how was this met?
Interests
Keep to a maximum of 3 and avoid anything controversial or too extreme. Fire eater and off-piste skier may make you seem exciting and confident, but may appear to a client to reflect a thrill seeker who takes risks and not someone to be trusted with authority. Be honest, your interviewer may have the same interest.
References
Put 'available on request' if you wish to preserve confidentiality or make it clear that you do not wish references to be taken up prior to job offer being accepted.