Making Your CV Work for You
Until your interview, you are only as good as your paperwork and perhaps telephone manner.
This makes your CV and covering letter crucial. They are essential tools in job searches. Like any marketing document, a CV should help you sell yourself.
Preparation:
Think about your skills, competencies, qualifications and experience.
What are your unique selling points and strengths? Think in terms of what you have achieved.
If you are replying to a specific job advertisement, review what key words and tasks were used in the advertisement. Which of these words applies to you? Use these words in your CV.
Do's and Dont's:
DO read any postings very carefully and make sure you fully meet the requirements
DO provide supporting information about how well you meet the requested qualifications
DO keep a resume to 1-2 pages unless it is a CV for positions in higher education
DO proofread your document carefully as typos will kill your credibility
DO use clear, strong and effective action verbs which requires careful attention to word choice
DO be clear up front about the specific position you are applying for and the key accomplishments that support your goal
DON'T just copy what someone else has written simply because you think it "looks good"
DON'T include your references on your CV
DON'T include your personal feelings about anything except to convey genuine passion for delivering what is needed
DON'T assume your technical CV can afford to be devoid of personality, metrics, and style
DON'T provide a great looking CV if you can't live up to the hype in an interview
Suggestions
We would also recommend the use of a CV expert to critique your CV or in some cases use an expert to have your CV professionally written. See our Critique and Expert services for more information.
If you haven't created a CV you can use our online Generator which will use your profile information to create a CV for you and email it to you as a Word document.
Structuring Your CV
We would also recommend the use of a CV expert to critique your CV or in some cases use an expert to have your CV professionally written. See our Critique and Expert services for more information.
If you haven't created a CV you can use our online Generator which will use your profile information to create a CV for you and email it to you as a Word document.
Structuring Your CV
A CV is normally issued as a 1 or 2 page document with a covering letter that highlights your specific skills and abilities and the previous experience you have to offer to the prospective new employer. To present yourself successfully you will need to think about what the employer is looking for in a candidate and arrange your most significant skills and experiences as early as possible in the CV to demonstrate how you meet the most important requirements of the job.
Your CV should ideally be no longer than 2 pages or 3 to 4 pages for CVs for contract personnel where there are more assignments to cover. The prospective employer will initially scan your CV for suitability and make a judgement as to whether they will read the CV in full within 30 seconds, so to ensure you have the most impact, it is advisable to follow this structure of presenting key points:
Your Full name
Your Contact Details
Your full address, telephone number(s) and email address.
A Personal Statement - (this is optional)
An employer will usually be impressed if you itemise a focused idea of where you would like your career to be headed. Although this is not essential, it is normally a good idea to include a statement along these lines.
Education/Professional Qualifications
List your academic successes. Include dates, type of institution, location and principal subjects and examination results. List your highest qualifications first. Remember to include memberships of professional bodies.
Technical Expertise/Skills Summary
Provide a bullet-point guide to the technical skills you possess and those you have been trained in. This will allow the prospective employer the chance to see immediately that you have the key matches to his vacancy.
Work Experiences
Provide a chronological list of company names from present or most recent job backwards, a description of each of their areas of business, a description of your duties and responsibilities at each, the key technical terms associated with your work and the equipment used, including specific computer system experience. Ensure that each section of employment is clearly headed up with the employing company name and your title(s) at each.
Other Responsible Positions
It is worth detailing any appointments you have held in professional organisations, whether they are related to your technical background or not. Employers like to see evidence that you have managed to command the respect of your peers.
Leisure interests
List a few of your principal leisure activities, so that the employer can get an idea of the sort of person you are. Be careful not to list too many however, as you could imply that your leisure pursuits are of higher priority than your job.
Referees
It is not advisable to state the full contact details of your referees at this early stage of application. It would be better to state "Referees available on request", allowing you to provide referees suitable to the application.
Points to Remember
Reasons for leaving jobs
We would not advise that you include reasons for leaving previous employment other than forced redundancy. The decision to move is a complex and emotive issue and your statement might easily be misinterpreted. It is best to keep the CV positive and factual and leave this topic for discussion in an interview.
Salary
It is advisable to omit your salary details from your CV . This is something that can be discussed at a more appropriate time, such as if you are granted an interview. Salary levels are dependent on many variables and they can be easily misconstrued, if you are not careful.
Work Experience
Include work experience that highlights your skills and cover any gaps in your experience with an indicative comment, as these are often questioned. Provide a factual explanation for the gap time. If you are a recent graduate with little work experience, consider skills learnt at university through group projects, your own dissertation or thesis project and any volunteer work etc. Any job will require skills that are not technically-orientated and will be dependent on the person involved, such as being able to communicate, meeting objectives, solving problems and fulfilling daily duties and responsibilities. Provide your honest opinion of your strengths in these areas - don't be afraid to assess yourself and to say you are good at something if it truly is one of your skills. Focus on how you can make a positive contribution to the new business with your personal skills.
Presentation of your CV
Finally, ensure your CV is written in a suitable font that is clear and easy to read. Use bold fonts to enhance particular points, especially those like skills summaries and educational achievements that are at the front of the CV. Carefully proof-read and spell check the document. When reading through your CV, try to place yourself in the position of an employer reading the document - does this CV really give you the information you want in the best possible way?
We've provided some CV templates below to help get you started!
CV Chronological
CV Traditional
CV Modern
CV Minimalist
