How to Write A Great CV?

Think of your CV as a sales letter with you as the product.

 

It lets people who have never met you know how to contact you, find out what you are like as a person and understand what skills and experience you have.

 

Your job when writing a CV is to showcase your abilities, knowledge, experience and personality. You need to deliver that information in an easy-to-read document that any employer can look through and see how you’d fit in their organisation and the position you are applying for.

 

CVs are not easy to write but you know more about yourself than anyone else ever will, so you should always write it yourself and spend the time making it the best it can be.

 

A CV Should Be 2 Pages Long

Not Always. Back when applying for a job meant posting your CV to the potential employer, it was thought that by printing on both sides of the A4 sheet, it was less likely that any part of your CV would be lost in the in-tray.

 

Also, receiving a five-page CV puts people off as they don’t have the time available to sift through a long document.

 

Now though, things are a little different. Every recruitment agency and many companies have databases to store and search through CV’s, so in theory they can now be as long as you like. Databases don’t get bored of reading.

 

The two-page rule of thumb though is still not a bad idea. It forces you to be succinct and pick out the highlights of your career. This gives you something to expand upon when you’re at the interview. If you find you need an extra page though for all your great skills, don’t be afraid to use it.

 

What MUST be included in a CV

The following are a few headings to inspire you and most can be found on nearly every CV.

 

Personal Details: It may sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people forget to include their name, email, contact phone number and address. Usually these are clearly presented at the top of your CV. Curriculum Vitae is an unnecessary title. HR people know what the document is.

 

Personal Statement or Profile: This is your chance to sell yourself. It’s the first thing a prospective employer will read. So, if you are “outgoing” tell them, if you’re “meticulous” tell them! Some other great words/phrases to put in could be Accurate, Confident, Hard Working, Prompt.

 

QuickHint

Remember to always SELL your experience and abilities

 

For example: Hardworking Database Management specialist with experience leading a diverse team of professionals and delivering complex projects to tight budgets and deadlines.

 

Sounds a lot better than:

 

Database manager working on various projects across the business for the last three years.

 

Work experience: Create a list of your work story. -Add in each example of your work history with your Job Title, The Company Name and the dates you worked there (from and to). Write a few lines highlighting what you achieved whilst you were there. Put your most recent or current employer at the top and work backwards.

 

Achievements: If you’re awesome at something, tell people. List all of your relevant skills and achievements (backing them up with examples if you can) and make it clear how you would apply these to the new role.

 

Education: Your educational experience and achievements should be listed here. Remember to include dates, the type of qualification and the grade you achieved. Start with your top qualification (so if your highest qualification is a degree put that at the top). Then work backwards.

 

Hobbies and interests These are relevant. What you do outside of work gives you an opportunity to connect with your interviewer and find common ground at the interview. As an added bonus they can reveal sought after character traits employers’ value. Do you play team sports? Do you do voluntary work or anything that shows you have a sense of community? There are numerous ways to showcase how your interests can benefit their company. Use this place to allow them to learn more about you as an individual not just an employee.

 

Once it’s all written up, print it out and give it to a close friend or family member to read. Invite them to comment and then use their comments to improve the document. Do this every time you update or amend your CV too. It’s very easy to become blind to your own words.

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