Keep it concise – it doesn’t need to be a mini autobiography
Unless you’re applying for a very senior level such as Managing Director or Director, make sure your Curriculum Vitae (CV) is no more than two pages. The point of a CV is to provide a recruiter or company with a good snapshot of your career to date, but not so long that you lose the interest of the reader. We’ve seen CVs which were five pages and the candidate were had some great experience. The problem was some of the best career highlights were lost on page 4 and you can’t assume every prospective employer will read that far.
The structure
As a guide here is a suggested CV template to follow:
- Personal details: Make sure you include your name, email, contact phone number and address. No need to put your date of birth in
- Career summary: After your personal details include one or two short paragraphs which sum up your experience and some of your core skills. This part should also briefly describe the role you are now looking for and why you are suitable. Your recruitment adviser will be able to advise on the wording to bring your skills to life such as dedicated, tenacious, results-driven, ability to meet tight deadlines and work under pressure.
- Career history: Starting with the most recent job, this section should include all of your relevant jobs, which include your job title, the name of the organisation, time in post, and your key responsibilities. Also include one or two key highlights or successes in each role, this enables a prospective employer to gain an insight into why they should interview you.
- Education, Training and Languages: Your educational experience and achievements, along with any vocational training should be listed here. Make sure you include dates, the type of qualification and/or the grade you achieved. This is also a good section to include additional skills such as languages spoken and IT skills.
- Hobbies and interests: Some employers will be interested to read a summary – a sentence or two – of your interests outside work. This could include any voluntary or charitable work you get involved with or have done in the past, along with any interesting leisure activities. The more different hobbies the better – it is also a good talking point in interviews! Avoid just putting down going out for drinks or eating out – however it’s important to highlight any activities which are team-based rather than all solitary ones such as reading, stamp collecting or aircraft modelling.
Tailor your CV to the role you’re applying for
If you are applying for a particular role, rather than a speculative one, make sure you tailor it as much as possible rather than your CV appearing too generic. A potential employer will want to see you want to work for ‘their’ company and for that the specific role.
Check your CV to make sure it is typo-free
Before you send your CV out, make sure you re-read and ensure there are no typos. Take time out to do something else and then revisit with a fresh pair of eyes – you may also want to send this to a friend or professional contact for a second opinion and a read.
If in doubt…
Finally, if you are feeling stuck with how to write your CV or part of it, don’t worry. Our team at A&S will be happy to sit down with you and help you create your perfect CV.
To make an appointment about getting your dream job please contact our team on 01394 286051 or email us on [email protected]
