How to write your CV
Your CV is the first piece of information an employer sees about you. It's the difference between a good job application and one that goes straight in the bin. Here's how to make sure your CV stands out from the crowd.
Your tips on writing a CV
"A CV is more than a list of dry facts."
What is a CV?
A Curriculum Vitae (CV) – also known as a résumé – is a document that describes your education and employment experience. It's usually accompanied by a covering letter when you apply for a job. Employers use CVs to decide who to interview, so it's important that your CV shows you in the best possible light.
How long should it be?
Ideally, it should be two sides of A4. Remember that your CV is only the start – you can expand on your points in your covering letter and interview. But equally, you have to put enough information to help secure that interview.
What should I include in my CV?
A CV is typically divided into the following five sections:
1. Personal details: This is the easy part – just list your name, address, phone number and email. If it's relevant you could specify that you have a driving licence but avoid including extra information, like your date of birth, gender or a photo. Employers aren't generally allowed to consider gender, race or age when recruiting, so these facts are irrelevant.
2. Profile: This is a very brief section: just one or two sentences describing your main strengths and background. Remember to keep it relevant to the job in question, changing it as you apply for new jobs.
3. Education: List your educational achievements, beginning with your most recent and working backwards. You should include the name of your school/university and details of the qualification, including date and grade. If you have studied something particularly relevant to the job you're applying for, make sure you mention it.
4. Employment: Start with your most recent job and work backwards. For each entry, include the name of your employer, your job title and key responsibilities. You should also talk about what you achieved in the role. Keep an eye on the key skills mentioned in the job description and try to give examples of when you demonstrated those skills. Make sure you don't overlook any non-paid work, such as volunteering, committees or work experience, as these can also give you valuable skills, but do mention if a position was unpaid.
5. Interests and achievements - This section can really make you stand out from the crowd but don't make the mistake of thinking it's just a list of wacky hobbies. It's another opportunity to sell your skills, this time drawing on what you do in your spare time. Playing music to a high standard shows dedication, travel shows independence, sports can show teamwork... you get the idea. Keep this section fairly short.
How should I present my CV?
Employers can receive tens, or even hundreds, of CVs for a single position; particularly when times are tough and jobs are rare. A clearly presented CV will certainly attract attention.
Bear in mind that a CV is more than a list of dry facts – you also need to talk about your responsibilities, skills and achievements. It is vital to demonstrate how your experience is relevant to the job you're applying for.
- Use clear, simple language – be concise and back up your claims with examples
- Where appropriate, repeat key words from the job description to show at a glance that you fulfil a particular requirement
- Label your sections clearly to guide people through your CV and use bullet points to break up text
- Avoid gimmicks like fancy paper or creative fonts – it will just distract from the message
What should I do if I've taken some time out?
Employers don't like gaps in CVs as it looks like you're hiding something. If there's a period of time not covered by work or study then mention why. Above all, be honest. Any inaccuracies will be discovered by employers.
Do I need more than one CV?
A general CV that outlines your main experience is a good starting point and useful if you're job hunting through an agency. However, for individual job applications you should tweak your CV to make it as relevant as possible each time. For example, if the employer asks for customer service experience, then make sure any customer service experience you have is clearly shown.
Joanna Roberts
What next?
- Check out job sites like Monster or Reed for free CV templates – try out a few templates to decide which one is best for you.
- These 'work outs' from Direct Gov are a useful way of answering tricky CV and covering letter questions.They also have a CV builder.
- Do a spell check both on computer and with a dictionary – spelling mistakes can mean a CV goes in the bin.
- Ask at least two people to look over your CV and give you constructive feedback. Try to find people with experience of writing and reading CVs.
- Read our tips on how to write a covering letter.
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