A well written CV should be a priority if you are looking for a career move, yet many people fail to realise the importance of communicating their personality and achievements in written format.
- If typing isn’t your strong point, get a friend to help you with page layout etc – or better still use a ready-made CV template available on most PCs.
- Start with your name and address, and then devote a paragraph or two to a brief Personal Profile, summarising your personal traits and your career achievement
- If the role demands a variety of technical skills and/or qualifications, follow your Personal Profile with a list of skills relevant to the job you are applying for
- Move on to listing your Career History, starting with your most recent employment and ending with your first role. Be sure to include the dates of your employment, your Job Title, your responsibilities in the role and any notable achievements
- If you have had time off between jobs, be sure to say what you did during the time off Travelling / caring for a relative etc). Employers do not like gaps in CVs!
- Try to make your CV concise and to the point– you may have to rewrite your CV slightly for different roles you apply in order to highlight your ability to meet the job specification
- If you are including tables in your CV, ensure they are large enough to read comfortably.
- Close your CV with a summary of any professional or academic qualifications you hold
- Check your document for spelling errors and good English. Let your friends read through it and ask them to point out any passages which don’t flow well or could be ambiguous.
