How to write your CV
You are here: Home
Career Tools How to write your CV
How to write the perfect CV
The aim of your CV
Your CV is your first opportunity to impress a potential employer, and it's aim is to secure you an interview. Sounds easy enough? But baring in mind employers may be sifting through dozens of CV's, you have around 10-15 seconds to gain their interest and stand out from the croud.
How to present your CV
The key to a good CV is keeping it clear, simple and easy to read.
Your CV should be no more than 2 sides of A4
Use a clear and easy to read typeface such as Ariel, Times New Roman or Verdana in 11 or 12 points
Use bold and increase font size for headers
Check and and re-check spelling, do not rely on spell checkers - proof read or get a friend to
Write in the third person and past tense - keep your content lean and don't over elaborate for example:
"I talked to people on the phone trying to get them to use our service. If they are interested I set up a date and time that is suitable for them and get our team to visit them.
Instead try:
"Communicated with clients by phone, arranged appointments and passed on to service team"
Content
Now you need to fill your CV with rich content, and keep it truthful!
Title/Personal Information
The title of your CV should be your full name
Underneath, include your address and contact details - telephone number, mobile number and email address
HINT: Avoid inappropriate email addresses - keep it professional!
You may also want to include if you are not a British citizen, or whether there are any restrictions on your employment in the UK
It may also be worth including your date of birth and if you have a full driving licence with access to a car
Personal Statement/Profile
This is a short statement at the beginning of the CV to help you sell yourself. Be positive and pro-active
This should summarise your CV in a few sentences - remember this is one of the first things a recruiter will read, so make it powerful and entice them to read on
Click HERE to see a few examples of good personal statements
Career History
Here you should show your career history in reverse chronological order (start with your most recent and work backwards). Your most recent/current position should be the one that is covered in most detail. Include your job title, name of employer, dates of employment and a breif description of your main tasks and responsibilites.
For jobs that are less relevant to the role you are applying for, it may be worth just listing the job title, employer and dates.
Education/Qualifications
Put your most recent qualifications first. You should only go as far back as GCSE results. Along with the results, include the date they were awarded and the school/college/university at which you attended. If you have reached degree level then you do not need to list individual GCSE's, only the overall awards (e.g. 2 A's, 5 B's, 3 C's)
You should also list any other specalist courses attended or qualifications you have received.
Acheivements and Interests
This is where you can note down any achievements you may have accomplished and interests that you have outside of work. This is extremely important as it gives you an opportunity to show yourself as an individual and get something of your personality over to your potential employer.
Mention any skills you've got, such as languages you can speak or musical instruments you can play.
Think about how your interests may be perceived by other people - captaining for your local football team can show leadership skills, but the likes of train-spotting may have the recruiter questioning your social skills.
HINT: Do NOT get carried away - keep this section fairly short, and remember you're not applying for a job as a footballer!
HINT: Don't use the old boring cliches here: "socialising with friends".
Referees
It is not crucial to include any references on your CV. You can always include a short note "References available on request". If an employer wishes to check, they can ask you for them at a later date.
If you do decide to include them on your CV, choose 2 – preferably one academic/work related and one to serve as a character witness. This can be anyone you know but not someone related to you, and it is better to choose a professional.