CV WRITING TIPS
A guide to CV writing
If your CV isn’t up to scratch your chances of securing an interview
are practically zero and that ‘dream job’
will simply remain a
dream.
The most cited reason for dismissing a CV is down to layout; if your key
skills and achievements are not
readily apparent to the reader it’s
game over.
The person who reads your CV is going to spend less than a minute actually
reading before they start
scanning it for key information; if this isn’t
instantly apparent then they will move on to the next candidate’s CV.
There are conflicting views as to the best length of a CV; if you can put
all your relevant details on a single page
that’s fine; however if you
require three or more pages to clearly and concisely detail your key skills,
qualifications
and work experiences that’s fine too.
Always check your grammar and spelling, it’s worthwhile asking someone
to ‘proof read’ your CV for you;
always use a clear white background
and clean fonts and avoid using tables etc. this assists the recipient
in
downloading or scanning your CV.
The information the prospective employer wishes to see is; your personal
and contact details, your qualifications
and key skills and a concise career
history set out in reverse chronological order (last job first). Detailed
breakdowns of your degree modules or your prowess on the sporting field /
debating society are unimportant
at this stage so keep these sections succinct.
A Suggested CV Layout:
Name:
Contact Details: (home address, home / mobile telephone number, email address)
Education: (secondary / college / university / languages & proficiency)
Qualifications: (educational / professional)
Personal Profile: Three or four lines covering background and ambition – no waffle
Career History: - Start & End Dates – Company Name
Paragraph 1) Summary of company – size – type of industry – etc
Paragraph 2) Position held and brief description of responsibilities
Paragraph 3) Brief details of personal achievements and skills used
Key Skills Summary: Comprehensive list of all skills used – years/months
of
experience – level of knowledge