Writing your CV can feel like a daunting and time-consuming task. It’s not always easy to self-reflect, write about yourself, and try to sell ‘you’ as an employee. But getting your CV right is essential in securing that all-important job interview and helping you land your perfect job.
This beginners guide will help you cover all the CV basics and includes some tips on the best content to include!
What is a CV?
A Curriculum Vitae or CV as it is more commonly known is an in-depth summary of an individual’s professional and educational history used in the process of applying for job vacancies. Ideally consisting of no more than two pages, CVs are the first thing a potential employer will see.
How do you structure a CV?
How your CV looks at first glance will determine if the employer decides to read it in more detail or not. Keep it organised, succinct and try to inject it with your personality.
- Length
Keep it brief and easy to read by using clear spacing and bullet points. Two pages will usually suffice.
- Font Choice and Font Size
Choose something professional and clear such as Arial or Calibri with a font size between 10 to 12, although headings can be a little larger and should usually be bolded.
- Clean & Chronological Lay Out
Your CV should be in a logical order with clear section headings. When you list items that include dates, for example, work and educational history, make sure you lay these out in chronological order starting with the most recent items in the list.
- Spelling & Grammar
Nothing looks more unprofessional than spelling errors – so check your grammar and spelling thoroughly…and then check it again! Asking a friend to cast an eye over your CV can help spot anything you miss.
What should be included in a CV?
Not all CVs look the same. You may decide to include only some of these sections because others do not apply to your work history or your industry. Generally speaking, CVs tend to take the following format and include:
Contact Information
At a minimum, you should include your name, contact number and a suitable email address (why not set up a new, separate address for professional use?)
You may consider adding social media profiles, such as Linkedin, depending on the role you’re applying for.
Personal Statement
Consisting of a couple of sentences, a personal statement should provide information regarding what you could bring to the role and highlight your personal characteristics. This is your opportunity to sell yourself and show what makes you the ideal fit for the position you are applying for. This is the employer’s first impression of you as an individual, so you should showcase your personality. It will give the reader an initial idea of how you will fit into their existing team.
Key skills
You want to ensure your CV matches the role that you are applying for. Make sure you do your research and know the types of skills they require. State each of your relevant key skills as bullet points. This can often be a great place to add value to your CV by including things like computer software names you have proficiency in.
Employment History
This section shows when and where you have worked and covers responsibilities and specific accomplishments you’ve made during each of the jobs you’ve held.
Relevant experiences should be listed in reverse chronological order and look similar to this:
JOB TITLE – NAME OF EMPLOYER
TIME IN THE POSITION
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Rather than focusing too much on what responsibilities were in your previous roles, show what you achieved there and some of the skills you developed. Include specific details as evidence of your achievements if, for example, you helped to increase sales or boost website visits.
Note: Should I avoid gaps in my CV’s work experience?
Whether it’s through choice or forgetfulness, some people leave previous jobs off their CV resulting in a gap in their employment history. Were you a stay-at-home parent for a while? Include it.
If a potential employer must guess why there were employment gaps, they’ll likely suspect the worst.
Education History
Similar to your employment history, list your education experience and achievements in order of most recent first. Include the school(s) attended, dates of study, the type of qualification and/or the grade you achieved.
You may also include other qualifications in this section such as a driving license or Google Certificates, for example.
Additional Info
This section can be included to allow you to list additional information which may be relevant to your application and help you to stand out such as any professional memberships held.
This section often also includes your hobbies and interests. You may not always want to include these details but mentioning relevant ones could back up your skills and give you something to talk about in an interview.
CV Example
Below is an example layout to help you in writing your CV. Adding a skills bar or a pop of colour to your CV can make your application more memorable, but make sure to keep it relevant and professional.
We hope this guide has been helpful, but if you have any further questions or wish to discuss your CV and finding your ideal job, please contact us today.
