Sit down with a piece of paper. Look at the job(s) that you are applying for. Consider how your skills, education, and experience compare with the skills that the job requires. How much information do you have about the job description?
Sometimes employers do not give enough information. Ask for more detail if needed. Spend time researching detail about the job(s) that interest you and information about the employer – their structure, products, successes, and approach – from:
- Their own publicity, reports and publications
- A library (business reports, trade papers)
- College career office
- Newspaper reports
- The Internet
Start with your personal details. Full name, date of birth and contact details including all useable telephone numbers. Avoid superfluous details such as religious affiliation, children’s names etc…
Educational history and professional qualifications should follow, including name of institutions and dates attended in reverse order – university before school results. List grades and passes attained. (These details will matter more if you have recently entered the job market, than if for example you left full time education 20 years ago).
Include computer skills and (genuine) foreign language skills and any other recent training/development that is relevant to the role applied for.
The most widely accepted style of employment record is the chronological CV. Career history is presented in reverse date order starting with most recent. Achievements and responsibilities are listed against each role. More emphasis/information should be put on more recent jobs.
A functional CV can sometimes be more appropriate, for example if you have held a number of unrelated jobs. This presentation emphasizes key skills which can be grouped together under suitable headings. Career progression and the nature of jobs held can be unclear with this type of CV.
Leave hobbies and interests to last – keep this section short. References can simply be ‘Available on Request’. Current salary details should not be included. A good cover letter should always accompany your CV.
Your CV and cover letter should combine to create a picture of you and your career–to–date and illustrate why you are different from the competition! With this successfully achieved (and a bit of luck!) you will secure yourself a place on a shortlist.
- Your CV should be laser–printed in black ink using a plain type face, on good quality A4 white/cream paper.
- Decorative borders are not necessary, nor are photographs of yourself.
- If applying by post, your CV and cover letter should be submitted in a suitable quality envelope, clearly addressed, with a first class stamp. If applying by email, time should be taken designing and formatting to ensure your details read clearly. Send a copy to yourself to check before submitting it for a role.
- Your CV should ideally cover no more than two pages and never more than three. Aim to ensure the content is clear, structured, concise and relevant. Using bullet points rather than full sentences can help minimise word useage.
- A basic CV may need tailoring with each job application to best suit the requirements of the role applied for.
- The completed CV needs to be checked carefully for grammatical errors and spelling mistakes – which always leave a poor impression – and to ensure that it makes sense. Ask an ‘independent’ party to review the whole document before it is put into use.
- Remember when writing and structuring your CV that it is essentially a marketing document on you and that a potential employer will use the details provided to form interview questions. It should be clear and easy to read. Gaps in career history should be explained and falsehoods and inaccuracies avoided at all costs.
- There is no reason to include your reasons for leaving each job on your CV but be prepared to answer these questions in your interview.
Parents and friends will always praise your first CV but have you been objective? Have you viewed it from an employer’s perspective and pre–empted what your competition is producing?