How to Write a Great CV

With recruiters spending on average only one minute looking at your CV before deciding whether to progress your application, it’s vital that you grab their attention. But how do you write a great CV?

1/ 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. Make sure these are clear at the top of your CV.

2/ Length

Your CV should be long enough to communicate clearly why you’re right for the role, but not so long the employer loses interest. The maximum recommended length is two sides of an A4 sheet of paper.

3/ Layout

Choose a clear, professional font or typeface to ensure that your CV can be easily read. Lay it out in a logical order, with sufficient spacing and clear section headings (eg: Work experience, education etc). Double and triple check grammar and spelling before you send.

4/ Personal Statement

Always start with a Personal Statement. It is an essential part of standing out from the crowd and is your chance to summarise in a paragraph (five or six sentences at most) why you are right for the role that you are applying for. It should touch on your expertise, experience and illustrate what you are offering without repeating other sections.

5/ Employment History

This is arguably the most important part of your CV. It shows prospective employers which roles your skills and expertise have come from.

The key word here, though, is relevant. If you have years of experience in roles similar or related to the job you’re applying for, you may not need to include three years of waitressing as a teenager. If you don’t have much previous experience, however, it may be useful to include roles like that, as there are a lot of transferable skills gained from such roles.

Start with your most recent employment. Include your job title, the name of the organisation, start and finish dates, and your key responsibilities.

6/ Skills

This is your chance to show how your previous experience has given you the skills needed to make you a suitable candidate. List all of your relevant skills and achievements (where appropriate give examples of how and when you used your skills).

7/ Education

List your highest or most recent one or two qualifications. You only need to include more if they’re specifically relevant to the role you’re applying for. If you have an undergraduate and postgraduate qualification in your field, it’s unlikely an employer needs to know what you studied at secondary school.

8/ Other Information

Help yourself stand out from the crowd by listing any additional information that will strengthen your application. This could include training, language skills, relevant awards or membership of professional bodies.

9/ References

You’ll often see the phrase ‘references available on request’ at the bottom of CVs. Nowadays, it’s widely understood that if a recruiter wants to see references, they’ll ask for them. This means that, in most cases, you don’t need a references section.

If you do choose to include one, or if the application asks you to, make sure you ask the people you’re adding before sending off your CV.

10/ Other Sections

A hobbies section on your CV is the perfect place to show some personality. For some roles, it’s important for employers to see that you have an interest in areas surrounding the role as well as helping to demonstrate things like interpersonal skills, curiosity or passion for learning new things.