CV Advice
A professional looking CV that clearly details your skills and experience will play a major part in whether or not you make it through to the interview stage.
Basic Structure
Ideally your CV will be between 2-3 pages long and include the following sections:
- Personal details
- Education and Qualifications
- Key Skills / Strengths
- Employment History
- Hobbies & Interests
- Referees
Content Tips
The content of your CV should be more than just a summary of your job description. It is your chance to demonstrate your skills and experience in relation to the job you are applying for.
Tips include:
- Customise your CV for each job, focusing on previous experience or skills that are particularly relevant. This can include using similar terminology to what is used in the ad.
- Ensure your CV reflects your unique achievements and your specific combination of skills, expertise and experience. Use precise facts such as "Managed a team of 10 people" or "Increased profit by 25% year on year".
- Under employment history, start with your most recent / current role and make sure you include employer names, positions held and primary responsibilities. When listing dates of employment, make sure you provide the months as well as the years. Eg. Do not simply list 2001-2003.
- Do not leave unexplained gaps in your work experience history. If you have taken time out to go travelling for 6 months this should be clear on your CV.
- Employers today often make up their mind about an applicant based on the key skills / strengths area so make sure you spend time developing this section.
- Include contact details of at least two referees. At least one of these should be from your former employer. If you are a newly qualified graduate than you should list your lecturer as a reference.
- If you are using a personal email address on your CV, ensure that it is of a professional nature.
- Spell check and then proof read your CV thoroughly before submitting it.
- Your CV should be an accurate reflection of your skills and experience. If you don’t have the relevant skills to do the job then don't apply.
Formatting
With recruitment agencies and employers receiving hundreds of applications each day, it’s vital that you ensure your CV is in a format that is easy to read and is easily accessible.
- Use a common program such as Word.
- Ensure there is plenty of white space making it easier for the reader to scan the page
- Use a standard font size that is easy to read on screen such as Arial 10 point.
- Keep it simple. The more graphics or design elements you incorporate into your resume, the more likely it is the recipient will have trouble accessing or printing it.
