CV Hints & Tips

Here are some key things you need to consider to make sure your CV shows you in the best light.

Presentation and easy-to-read content is key – some positions e.g. Web Designers allow for (and probably expect) an element of creativity in the look of a CV, however in the main, a simple font (Arial 10/11) and bold headings (Arial 11/12) will more than suffice. Also, bullet point where possible to avoid long paragraphs.  (There are plenty of example templates available for you to use if you search online –  Totaljobs  have some decent examples)

Length IS important   – the general rule of thumb is that your CV should be between 2-4 pages long. Anything longer means you’ve probably gone into too much detail. Think of your CV as an hors d’oeuvre, a teaser – it needs to contain enough information to generate an interest, but not too much that leaves you with nothing to talk about in an interview!

Tailor your experience to the requirements of the position   – if a role requires X, then highlight your experience in X. There’s no point elaborating on Y & Z if they’re not relevant.

Focus on your achievements – when your CV is being reviewed, the question being asked is “What can you do for us?” So don’t just list your responsibilities. Pay more attention to your achievements e.g. improvements, efficiencies, cost savings, revenue generated etc

Remove clichéd attributes   – if your profile statement contains one of the following; “hardworking”, “team player or can work alone”, “good communicator”, “I always give 100%”, “can use my own initiative”, then you might want to think about removing them.  They don’t really mean much and countless others will have said the same thing.

Contact details   – you’ll be amazed how many CVs don’t contain any contact information. How can anyone let you know that they desperately want to meet you? Address, telephone number, email address should be available as standard.

Check your spelling   – if there’s one thing that will get your CV rejected faster than you can say “spellchecker” it’s having spelling/grammatical errors. All word processing packages have spell checkers, so use them. When you think you’ve finished and checked everything, give it someone else to read. It’s surprising how many things you can miss.