CV Writing Tips

Having a well written and well presented CV is key to landing the position you want, therefore spending that extra bit of time ensuring the key points are covered concisely but with enough detail to spark interest, is very important.

You should always think about the first impressions people will get when viewing your CV, as it is a fact that most clients or recruiters will not read each CV in great detail. It must therefore catch peoples’ attention, with an accessible layout and clearly show where your talents and interests lie.

After your Name and Contact Details, your CV should then cover your academic & professional qualifications, and your work experience.

It is also optional to include a short profile, describing your key skills & a brief overview of your work experience, at the top of the CV after Name & Contact Details. This should include points that will capture the attention of the reader and should be short and to the point. This should always be adapted to the profile of the role you are applying for.

Qualifications should include details of school, university and any professional qualifications attained, the grades obtained and institutions attended. These should be listed in reverse chronological order.

Work Experience:

Positions must be listed in reverse chronological order and you should always include the name of the organisation, the dates of your employment, your job title and, if you feel necessary, a brief overview of the organisation…industry sector etc.

Concisely explain the nature of your role, skills utilised and any achievements you deem important and useful for future employers.

The most recent positions should contain more detail as these will be more relevant to your job search, whilst older positions should be summarised. You should also be prepared to highlight different aspects of your experience and skills when applying for different roles, to draw clients’ attention to specific aspects that are relevant to each job role.

Interests & Achievements:

Now, when it comes to Interests, Achievements and the Personal section…do not fall into the trap of entering into too much detail. It is perfectly fair to include leisure interests and it is definitely worth mentioning any personal achievements that will show the type of individual that you are, but don’t be too keen on adding extras to this section to bulk it out...it simply isn’t necessary. This section should always be placed after your Work Experience.

Things to Avoid:

There are some points to avoid when writing your CV:

• Font Styles – it must be written in a legible text as no one will want to decipher your CV to get to your relevant skills and experience.
• Too much detail on school grades or positions that have no relevance to your current experience.
• Always check for spelling and grammatical mistakes – this should not be limited to purely using the spell checker and it is always advisable to thoroughly read through your CV before making the final draft.
• Bending the truth – If you have had time out from work then be prepared to explain what the reasons were, but do not try to cover this up as it will eventually come out.

All candidates will be thoroughly checked out before submitting to roles to ensure the quality of service we provide and therefore all information you provide us with must be accurate, or it could harm your prospects further down the line.