Whether you’re writing a CV for the first time or you haven’t had to write one in years. With competition for roles being so high it is maybe more important than ever that your CV is well written. This quick guide should give you the tools you need to write that all important CV.
What is a CV and what is it for?
The term CV is short for Curriculum Vitae. The purpose of a CV is to sell yourself and your personal skills to prospective employers therefore it is important that it shows your professional history, skills and qualifications in a clear and easy to read manner.
What should it look like?
Three words ‘Keep it Simple’. Keeping the CV simple and easy to read is probably the most important thing as a cluttered or difficult to read CV is more likely to get disregarded.
· Use sections and bold headings to help make your key information easy read.
· try to avoid ‘fancy’ fonts, you may think that these might help you stand out but in reality, these are often difficult to read and therefore may have a negative impact.
· How long should it be? Every one is different however here in the UK the standard tends to be 2 pages of A4. Depending on your experience this may sound like a lot or not very much at all. Therefore, it is important to tailor your CV for the role you are hoping get.
What should each section of your CV contain?
Space is on your CV is vital therefore it is important to get the right information in while not wasting space with unnecessary information.
Personal information
In the past the first thing you might have written on you CV was the title ‘Curriculum Vitae’ or ‘CV’ this might seem logical however it doesn’t tell the employer anything about you and therefore takes up crucial space.
The first things on your CV should be your name, your professional title and your contact details. This makes it clear who you are, what you do and how to contact you. If you are wondering what a professional title is, basically your job title. For example, Nurse Practitioner or Marketing Manager etc.
Summary Statement / Personal profile
This next section is sometimes referred to by various names such as Summary Statement and personal statement. Regardless of the title they all intend to tell the employer who you are, what are your goals and what you can offer to them and their business. Because of this it is one of the most important sections of your CV and therefore should be tailored to each role you are applying for.
Employment History
It is important that any potential employer can see what experience and skills you might have from your previous jobs, internships and work experience placements. Start with the most recent experience first, this provides your potential employer with your most recent experience first especially if you have a long list over a number of years.
When listing each role detail;
· The dates of the position
· Employer
· Job title
· Summary of responsibilities that this role involved
· Summary of achievements
Education and Professional Qualifications
Like your employment history start with the most recent qualifications and work backwards. So if you are a little further along in your career start with your professional qualifications. Again, keeping it simple and clear makes this information easy to read. List each qualification with the date and grade achieved. If you are listing grades from exams such as A levels or GCSE’s you may want to group them all together under the School/ college attended and the year you sat the exams rather than listing them individually.
Additional information
So far you have told the potential employer who you are, what experience and qualification you have. You can now add some additional information which you feel may help strengthen your CV.
Adding Hobbies and interest can help a potential employer judge how well you will fit in with their business and their culture. Especially if these hobbies and interest are relatable to the role or the industry you are trying to get into.
References
Most roles require references therefore if you have room list at least one referee on your CV. However it is not uncommon to add ‘references available on request’ to the bottom of your CV.
Some things you don’t need to include
Over the years somethings that used to be key points on a CV have become less relevant and, in some cases have been legislated against as being a barrier to your employment.
Since the Equality Act 2010 case in to force it has been illegal in the UK for an employer to enquire about your age therefore your age and date of birth are not required on a CV. Like your ages your marital status should not affect your ability to do a job and is again protected under the Equality Act 2010
For further information on your rights under the discrimination act can be found here.
https://www.gov.uk/discrimination-your-rights
Some key things to remember
· ‘Keeping it simple’ is the best approach maybe with the exception of writing a CV for a design-based role where the CV design itself can really showcase your creative skills.
· Where possible tailor the CV to the role you are hoping to get. Your CV can be the difference between getting to interview stage and not therefore making your CV as relevant as possible could really make the difference.