cv writing tips
A CV provides key information about your:
- skills
- education
- experiences and
- personal qualities
It is your opportunity to make a good first impression on a prospective employer. Remember, yours isn’t the only CV that the HR department is going to receive, so help them to help you. CV's should be easy to read and typed.
Presentation
Presentation is vital so remember to:
- Use only one typeface.
- Use bullet points where possible.
- Keep the layout clean and organised.
- Limit your CV to a maximum of two sides of A4 – employers are busy and you shouldn’t over elaborate.
- Print your CV with black ink on white paper. Avoid decorative borders, colours, fancy typefaces and images.
- Double check your CV for spelling and grammatical errors and ensure it makes sense. It is always worth getting a friend or your consultant to review your CV before you send it out.
- Keep it simple!
Content
When writing your CV:
- Keep information factual and to the point.
- Give examples wherever possible to describe your skills, achievements and experience.
- Be honest – your CV represents you and if you get an interview you may have to back up what you've written.
- Provide all your work history and explain any gaps.
- Tailor your CV to each job application to highlight the most relevant information for that position.
Layout
- You should place the most important information (personal details, education, current job, relevant skills) on the first page.
- Start with your personal details followed by a personal summary of about 50 words highlighting your skills.
- Include details of your education and qualifications, including names of schools/colleges and results achieved.
- Then detail your work history in chronological order, starting with your present/most recent job. A brief description of responsibilities and achievements in each job can prove helpful.
- List any skills such as computer skills, foreign languages, etc, and any other training you may have had that is relevant for the job.
- Finally, list some of your hobbies and end the CV with a section for references. You do not have to list these and it is acceptable to state ‘References available on request'.
Checklist before sending:
- Ensure there are no spelling mistakes.
- Use clean white paper and never send a photocopy.
- Find out the correct person to send the CV to or you run the risk of it not being received.
- Post or email your CV depending on how the employer has asked to receive it.
Download our CV template
We have produced a simple CV template here which you can download and amend as appropriate for your needs:
