CV Writing Tips and Advice
Writing a strong and eye-catching curriculum vitae is the most important consideration when job hunting, as this is your first (and possibly only) chance to make an immediate impact on your potential employer or recruitment agent to get you through to the first round of interviews.
Treat your CV like an advertisement for you. It must be high impact, it must stress all your best qualities and experience and must sell you to the recruiter. There is no golden rule to writing a CV, but there are some general guidelines that will maximise your chances of selection for an interview.
Length
Recruiters are likely to receive hundreds of applications for any given position, and are often ruthless in culling their pile of CVs down to a manageable level. Applications that are too long, contain irrelevant information, or that are presented poorly could find themselves immediately in the rubbish bin. Make 'less is more' your guiding motto when preparing your CV and try to condense the information down to two pages.
Front page
Due to the highly competitive job market and the large numbers of applications recruiters receive, the current trend in CV writing is to make your front page as high-impact and attractive as possible. That doesn't mean it the needs bells and whistles of pretty fonts and colourful photographs (although a photo of yourself wouldn't hurt) it means your front page should clearly show who you are, and how your professional goals, skills and experience make you perfect for the job. Ideally, the front page of your CV should contain:
- Your details: clearly state your name, address and contact details. Including your date of birth is optional
- Professional profile: also called a personal statement, this is a brief paragraph outlining your career goals, what you've done so far to achieve them and what benefits you could bring to the company if placed in the position advertised
- Key skills: list these using bullet points underneath your professional profile and where possible include the exact skills required of the role advertised; if not many desired skills are listed in the advertisement, research the position further to find out what skills are needed - do this by speaking directly with the recruitment agent or with someone in the company who has knowledge of the role - you also may want to include the length of time you've possessed the skill
- Achievements: a bullet-pointed list of your best career achievements to date, with a focus on the benefits your performance has brought to past employers.
Employment history
This section might begin on the first or second page and should be written in reverse chronological order. Clearly state your employer, your position title and duties. In the 'duties' section, ensure you describe how your contribution benefited the company and clients. Recruiters are interested in how you can achieve results in your work rather than simply doing the work.
Key words
Be sure to include key words in your employment history section that apply to the position advertised. When submitting your CV to a job board or recruitment company database, these key words will crucial in putting your CV at the top of the list when recruiters search for candidates in their existing pools. Also, including 'action' words in your descriptions, such as 'managed' a team, 'led' a project, 'organised' a campaign, can also create a positive impression on your reader. Your most recent roles should receive the most attention, while earlier roles may be briefly summarised.
Work experience
The 'work experience' section is more of a necessity for graduates who may have little to no employment history. If this is the case, this section may be presented in the same way as the 'Employment History' section, listing the company, role and duties involved in your position (with an emphasis on your contribution and achievements within the company). If your work experience is outdated or irrelevant you can leave this section out.
Qualifications/education history
This section should take up minimal space. Simply state your place of study, your qualifications, and results (if they will work in your favour). Including your elementary school details and final year results is optional and perhaps only of relevance to graduates' CVs.
Personal qualities
List these as bullet points, focusing on positive qualities that are required of the role, such as 'self-motivated' and 'team-player' rather than general attributes, such as 'happy-go-lucky' or 'easy-going'. If you have space, you could even give an example of how you've demonstrated these qualities.
Interests/hobbies
This section is becoming less important as recruiters become more strapped for time to review CVs, however it may work in your favour to point out a few extracurricular interests. Showing that you pursue activities outside of work indicates depth of character, but ensure you limit these points to four or five bullets. Only include things that demonstrate your skills. Saying you like sport and music is ineffectual; however, managing a football team or playing an instrument well can demonstrate leadership, dynamism and commitment.
Referees
List two or three referees giving the company name and the referee's name, position, contact details and professional relationship to you. Preferably your referees will have been your superiors in your most recent positions. For graduates, give details of your lecturer, tutor and/or your manager in any work experience roles you may have undertaken. Always ensure you ask your referees' permission before including them on your CV.
Following these pointers will give you (and your CV) the best possible chance of securing an interview and with a bit of luck maybe even the job!
