CV Writing

CV Advice

Job hunting isn’t always easy, and when you do find the perfect job for you, you don’t want poor preparation to stand in between you and your perfect career. This section is designed to help you present your CV in the best possible way to prospective employers.

Your Curriculum Vitae, or CV, is your chance to make a great first impression on a prospective employer. By following these guidelines, you can significantly improve your chances of getting that important interview. Your consultant will work with you to ensure that you sell yourself in the best way possible.

A good CV should be well-written, concise, and ideally no longer than two pages (employers don’t want to trawl through pages and pages of text).

Include a Personal Statement at the beginning of your CV, concentrating on your strengths as an employee and your aspirations for the future.

When recounting your Work History, always list previous positions in reverse order (most recent / current positions first).

Your ‘Education and Qualifications’ section should include names and dates of schools and colleges you have attended, along with qualifications you have gained. Also include any additional professional training you have done (either independently or with previous employers).

As much as possible, try to avoid long sentences and paragraphs. Keep the information simple and to the point.

Sell yourself, but make sure that the information you include is factual and honest. Use your achievements and experiences with previous employers to demonstrate what you can do for your new employer. Where possible, support your claims with facts and figures.

You should avoid complex formatting, like shaded areas, stylised fonts and boxes. Stick to regular fonts such as ‘Times New Roman’ or ‘Arial’ as these are easy to read and look professional.

Do not include a photograph of yourself

Never state your reason for leaving positions, as this can be covered at interview stage.

Avoid including any information that has no impact on your ability to do the job ie Marital Status, Religion, Children etc.

Finally, use a Spellchecker before printing your CV. Ensure that there are no grammatical or spelling mistakes, as these create a poor impression.