“The right CV is the best impression of you”
Always remember to “Check and double-check for SPELLING and GRAMMATICAL ERRORS
Your CV is your personal sales pitch. It is a little piece of you left behind to impress a potential employer. Your CV should create an interest in you in whoever reads it.
Your CV needs to stand out from the crowd. It must include just enough information to stimulate interest, but not so much that you bore the reader.
A good CV should contain the following details:
Personal details
Provide your prospective employer with as much information as possible, in as little words as you can. The important information to include is;
- Full name
- Address
- Contact details – telephone (maximum two) and professional email
Personal Profile
Your Personal Profile is a summary of you as a professional. It should
Summarise your career history
Area of expertise
Previous sectors worked in areas of interest
The sector you are looking to go into and why
Added value to the organisation or interest
Remember, do not write too much! Fifty to eighty words should be just fine.
Skills
This list spells out what you can do, a summary of applicable skills and can be either soft or technical or both. They must be relevant to the position you are applying for. For example, you can list the international languages you speak if you are applying for an international or language role, or your expert driving skills if you are applying for a related role. Generally, skills such as Microsoft Office proficiency can be listed regardless of the role.
Work History
Your work history is best written reverse chronological order (i.e. start with your current or most recent position).
The level of detail you include will depend upon the length and relevance of the positions you held, but in general terms, the last ten (10) years should have the most detail. We recommend this should include the following:
Dates of employment (from mm/yy to mm/yy)
Job title and reason for leaving
Name and location of the employer
Nature of Business
Purpose of Role
Key responsibilities (include any relevant information that is measurable or can be quantified and related to the role being applied for)
Key achievements
When completing this area of your CV, it is important to specify the nature of the work (e.g. temporary or permanent). Also, any ‘gaps’ should be highlighted, and appropriate reasons given (e.g. working holiday abroad/bringing up children etc).
Education and training
This is a summary of your educational and academic background. Again, use reverse chronological order. It is best to include the following information:
Dates (from mm/yy to mm/yy)
Establishment
Level/qualification
Grades achieved
List any other relevant qualifications –e.g. professional qualifications, NVQ levels, training courses attended
Do not list the courses you did.
Hobbies and interests
Listing personal interests can be helpful, particularly if they are relevant to the position you are applying for. Include team sports, club memberships, voluntary work, and evening courses etc.
References
Should be provided on request unless the job advert requires you to provide part of the application.
Sample CV
If you would like to see a good template for a typical CV please click here to download a copy.
For an in-depth and practical session to get a better understanding of how to create your CV and ensure you stand the best chance of being selected for an interview, you can book to a one on one session with a consultant.
Alternatively, attend our “Get Employed” session delivered by our career trainers, who have the necessary experience to help you with your CV, interview and presentation skill.