I'm regularly asked to write CVs for people. My style is the product of hours and hours of research: of seeing hundreds of them myself, talking to recruiters, and selecting aspects of the best that I've seen online.
Start Smart
Busy recruiters will give your CV about ten to twenty seconds for it to prove its worthiness. This means your opening paragraphs need to be PERFECT and everything beyond should look enticing. These guys might have to sift through hundreds of CVs every week so anything you can do to make their lives easier will stand out and be noticed.
With this in mind, my CVs lead with three short paragraphs arranged into bullet points. These paragraphs are direct, extremely word-efficient and easy to read. Also, they each have a crucial job:
Key Skills
After the hook comes the meat of the CV: Key Skills. It's all well-and-good having a fantastic set of qualifications and previous employers on your CV but you need to prove you can walk the walk, too. So, next I offer three more paragraphs, formatted differently to the above to make sure the aesthetic impact of the previous bullet points is not lessened, and cherry-picking the three best things about you. These three sections might draw upon your current role, or even suck in impressive things from a number of your previous jobs—as long as everything is relevant. I've just mocked up the following example:
Career History and Qualifications
Finally, your qualifications and past employers should be listed. If you've already talked about your current or previous roles to a great extent in the Key Skills section then you don't have to describe it all again here. If you haven't, then feel free to outline what each previous role demanded and how you filled the position with flair and dynamism. Whatever you choose to do, make this section easily readable as there is a lot of information to display, and keep to the same formatting style as the previous sections. Personally, I like to have the most recent appointments first, but opinions differ in this regard. You don't need to include lesser qualifications unless they are directly relevant to the job you're going for or they are impressive in their own right. I can mock up another example if anyone needs to see one.
General Points
If you really, really want the job, the best tip I can give you is to employ a CV writer. Of course, I'm going to recommend this, and roll your eyes if you must, but they can make a life-changing difference for surprisingly little money. If you're going for a job you really want you should do everything in your power to sell yourself, and that includes consulting a professional. This is especially true if the new role offers a wage rise or is within a specialist field that demands a certain style of CV presentation—some writers offer this service.
Hopefully this, or some of it, has been helpful. Everyone has different opinions on how to write a CV, and there is no single template to follow, so if anyone has any observations or additions I'll be happy to add them to the OP.
Happy hunting and good luck!
Start Smart
Busy recruiters will give your CV about ten to twenty seconds for it to prove its worthiness. This means your opening paragraphs need to be PERFECT and everything beyond should look enticing. These guys might have to sift through hundreds of CVs every week so anything you can do to make their lives easier will stand out and be noticed.
With this in mind, my CVs lead with three short paragraphs arranged into bullet points. These paragraphs are direct, extremely word-efficient and easy to read. Also, they each have a crucial job:
- This first paragraph tells the reader who you are in your work life. Immediately, they will see that this CV is relevant and will want to read on.
- The second brings in real-life instances of why you are someone they should consider: proven, impressive accomplishments in relevant sectors.
- The third directly links you to the recruiter by telling them that your plans for the future match what the recruiter is currently offering.
Key Skills
After the hook comes the meat of the CV: Key Skills. It's all well-and-good having a fantastic set of qualifications and previous employers on your CV but you need to prove you can walk the walk, too. So, next I offer three more paragraphs, formatted differently to the above to make sure the aesthetic impact of the previous bullet points is not lessened, and cherry-picking the three best things about you. These three sections might draw upon your current role, or even suck in impressive things from a number of your previous jobs—as long as everything is relevant. I've just mocked up the following example:
Career History and Qualifications
Finally, your qualifications and past employers should be listed. If you've already talked about your current or previous roles to a great extent in the Key Skills section then you don't have to describe it all again here. If you haven't, then feel free to outline what each previous role demanded and how you filled the position with flair and dynamism. Whatever you choose to do, make this section easily readable as there is a lot of information to display, and keep to the same formatting style as the previous sections. Personally, I like to have the most recent appointments first, but opinions differ in this regard. You don't need to include lesser qualifications unless they are directly relevant to the job you're going for or they are impressive in their own right. I can mock up another example if anyone needs to see one.
General Points
- You don't need to write CV on your CV, nor do you need to write out your references: it's a given that, should they be requested, you'll be supplying them. Some people don't even like seeing references available upon request on a CV, never mind the whole shebang.
- Use one easily-readable font.
- Don't waffle—keep everything direct, with no repetitions.
- Tailor your contents to the job you're going for and be prepared to rewrite your CV for every job application.
- Proofread it three times...then proofread it again. If you hand in a sloppy CV I'll assume you'll be even lazier in the job and you'll be wasting your time.
- Keep it short. Most CVs should be one-and-a-half pages to two pages long. Number your pages.
- Should you include hobbies and interests? The floor is divided on this one. As a general rule, if your CV is already looking full then omit this section. If you're young or simply in a new field then feel free to add a short section talking about your passions—especially if your interests match something to do with the job you're going for. If they don't match the job, and are not a talking point that might make you genuinely stand out, then omit. Every teenaged girl's CV lists fashion and blogging; every twenty-something dude's lists video games and football. That stuff is boring and of little impact—you might as well write that you like eating and breathing.
If you really, really want the job, the best tip I can give you is to employ a CV writer. Of course, I'm going to recommend this, and roll your eyes if you must, but they can make a life-changing difference for surprisingly little money. If you're going for a job you really want you should do everything in your power to sell yourself, and that includes consulting a professional. This is especially true if the new role offers a wage rise or is within a specialist field that demands a certain style of CV presentation—some writers offer this service.
Hopefully this, or some of it, has been helpful. Everyone has different opinions on how to write a CV, and there is no single template to follow, so if anyone has any observations or additions I'll be happy to add them to the OP.
Happy hunting and good luck!
lol
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