Write a great CV

Your career is one of the most important areas of your life, and your CV encapsulates your working history so it’s worth making the effort to make it appealing! After all, it’s the first impression a potential employer will have of you and probably the only opportunity you’ll get to secure an interview. A well-written CV shows true commercial acumen, yet even some of the most experienced HR professionals find it difficult to sell themselves on paper. Here’s how to avoid your CV going to the bottom of the pile.

Be commercially aware. Grab their attention!

Ensure that your CV covers your achievements, including any figure-based successes. That way, a potential employer can immediately see the benefits you would bring to their organisation. So, start with achievements and follow with responsibilities. Keep the job description succinct and relevant. Use bullet points. Use simple words to get a point across rather than business language – your CV should be easy to read and digest for scan-readers. Include practical examples of projects. Give details of who you report into and how many employees report to you. Keep your CV to a minimum, tailored to the role you’re applying for. Focus on producing a well-written personal statement or profile. Try to avoid clichés like “works well on own initiative but also a good team player” and ensure that any statement is substantiated within the bulk of the CV. Finally, always, always spell check!

Ask around. Consider different ways of selling yourself.

Consider writing a summary of your career history to date, including achievements. Or maybe more of a personal profile, highlighting the positive attributes of your personality. Whatever you choose, think differently; what is it about you that your colleagues like? Ask around – it may give your CV a whole new feel! One company’s ethos and environment can be so different to another’s. You need to appeal to those cultures to ensure they immediately see your potential as a new employee. This is also true of the rest of your CV. An achievement may be relevant for one employer but irrelevant for another. Take the time to research the company, and create different profiles for each role you apply for.

CV format and research.

Rule number one: Keep the layout simple (see an example below). Use tables to keep information clean and straightforward and make sure your CV has no gaps in time. Any breaks such as travelling should be on your CV, as a future employer will only question you about the gap once you are at the interview. The key to success is to spend plenty of time on your CV. Research the company, then create your CV ensuring you have included achievements and figure-based successes. Proof-read it (and allow others to), read it out aloud and spell check it. Your CV is the most important piece of creative writing you could ever produce – make sure it’s a best seller!

Download a sample CV