First impressions count - and your CV will determine the first impressions that a prospective employer forms of you. It's vital you get it right, because a good CV will ensure you get noticed and ultimately secure you an interview.
There are no definitive rules to writing a good CV, but there are some basic guidelines you can follow to ensure your CV is presented professionally. So here are some general points about writing your CV - followed by a step-by-step guide to how to write each section.
Stick to the following to keep you on track:
For maximum impact your CV should follow a logical layout with headings and section breaks.
Use bold text and bullet points to ensure you highlight specific information.
Emphasise your relevant skills and experience, tailoring your information to the specific job application.
A CV should not exceed 2 typed A4 pages
A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE.
- CV Heading
- Personal Profile
- Key Achievements
- Career History
- Education and Qualifications
- Personal Details
- Proof Reading
- Visual Format
- Download CV Template
This guide takes you step by step through one of the CV layouts that we recommend to candidates. The first page of many CV's focus on personal details and education - however, it is your employment experience and ability to do the job that is most significant to recruiters and prospective employers. So this layout follows a style you may not be familiar with, but it presents your strengths and key skills in the most relevant and effective way.
CV Heading.
This should contain your full name and the title Curriculum Vitae or CV.
Personal Profile.
This is an optional section and can be used to indicate your career aspirations for your specific industry, and to convey in a positive way why you are seeking a career move. Be aware however that a poor personal profile can do more harm than good, so don’t try to be clever. Avoid terminology that has no relevance to your CV, for example, and steer clear of clichés and buzzwords. Use your personal profile to honestly reflect your skills, experience, attitude and behaviour.
Key Achievements.
Your key achievements form a key section of your CV. It needs to really engage your prospective employer - so use facts, figures and timescales to demonstrate that you are a competent achiever in your current and previous roles. Don’t be afraid to sell yourself, but substantiate your claims with solid evidence. For example:-
- As Depot Manager of the Slough Branch I successfully lead a team of 18 to increase profit on hired equipment by 10% year on year, an increase which was recognised as the highest on the region.
- Successfully inplemented and managed a complex depot re-location whilst maintaining excellent customer service and sales etc.
- Significantly improved absence results and staff turnover, reducing staff turnover from 30% to 3% etc etc....
- Achieved consistent high mystery shopper results of 90%.....etc
Using bullet points makes your achievements easier to read - remember to use strong words that demonstrate what you actually did, for example, organised, designed, formed, developed, significantly, successfully created and so on.
The achievements you select for this section should reflect a number of different competencies, tailored to the job for which you are applying. Don’t just focus on the financial and sales element of your position, and completely overlook your achievements relating to people management or customer service. Finally, compare your achievements to the results of your colleagues whenever appropriate to convey the real impact of your contribution - this adds a useful perspective to your achievements and enables the reader to more fully understand what you have to offer.
Career History.
Your career history is a summary of your employment history and your responsibilities in each post.
Start with the most recent or current employer, and if you had a number of different roles within the same Company, list the dates and then detail the specific roles and responsibilities below.
For every position held, summarise the key facts and figures below each employment entry - include details about the size of your team, turnover, square footage and the number of units for which you were directly accountable, if relevant. This is critical information and helps an employer or recruiter to correctly assess your level of experience.
For clarity, your key responsibilities should be bullet pointed - and remember to include any extra responsibilities that would make you stand out from your colleagues. Don’t make the mistake of confusing key responsibilities for a full job description. If you are a retail store manager, for example, the very nature of your role will indicate to a prospective employer that you have key holder responsibilities. However, if are a supervisor, the fact that you have key holder responsibilities may not be immediately apparent and can be listed.
Finally, explain any gaps in your employment history by detailing the dates along with a short, concise sentence providing the reason why you were not working - travelling the world, for example, or spending time with family.
So, your career history section will look something like this:
| Jan 2002 – Jan 2004 | Company Name | |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 2003 – Jan 2004 | Depot Manager, Birmingham | |
| Staff: Product: Turnover: | 22 Tool Hire £2m | |
| Key Responsibilities:
| ||
| Jan 2002 – Feb 2003 | Assistant Manager, Bradford | |
|---|---|---|
| Staff: Product: Turnover: | 15 Plant and Tools £1.1m | |
| Key Responsibilities:
| ||
Education and Qualifications.
Present your most recent qualifications first, providing details for your most important and relevant qualifications - reduce this detail for less significant qualifications. Relevant Training Detail all relevant courses or company training your have received by date and course title.
Personal Details.
Your personal details comprise your full name and title, your postal address and full contact details including your e-mail address, home, mobile and work telephone numbers. You should also include your marital status and state whether you have a full, clean driving licence.
Proof Reading.
It is imperative that you fully proof read your CV to make sure that you have accurate spelling and grammar. If you’re unsure, ask a friend or relative to read your CV for you.
Visual Format.
Your CV should look standardised, so avoid using fancy fonts and stick to a standard font size of 10/12. Print it on white paper and use black ink, colour formats rarely impress and can detract from the real message you are trying to convey.
CV Template from Hire People.
If you like our suggested layout, you can download a CV template (Word.doc) which you simply fill in and send back to us by email or by the cv submit section on the homepage.
References.
You need to supply two references - and ideally, one of these should be your current or most recent employer. Rest assured, they will not be contacted without your permission being requested. However it demonstrates that you are comfortable with the referees being contacted at the appropriate time.
