How To Write The Best CV

1. How To Write The Best CV

2. Intro When searching for a job, your CV is your first opportunity to grab an employer’s attention and make them want to speak to you. Writing a good CV doesn’t happen overnight and most people will continually tweak their CV depending on the role they are applying for. Whether you are looking for your first graduate job, you’re looking to change careers or you’re simply looking for a promotion with another company, the first step is to ensure your CV is in order.

3. How To Write The Best CV Often the best place to start when writing your CV is with the bare bones. Once you’ve got the facts down on paper, you can start to think about how to highlight the most important aspects of your career path. You should make sure your CV includes the following information as a starting point: ● ● ● ● ● Name Address Contact details Education history Work history

4. Things to leave off your CV You don’t need to include a photograph unless the job description asks for it. You also don’t need to include your age or date of birth. Most employers will be able to work out a rough age from your work and education history. You can also save space on your CV by leaving off details of your referees. If an employer is interested in hiring you, they will ask you for details.

5. Focus on your most recent role Your most recent role is the most relevant to your job search. This is where you should focus your attention and ensure you include all the relevant details about your role. Think about the work you do in the average day, week and month. Skip over the more general stuff and show how you make a contribution to the company as a whole. Don’t be afraid to brag a little about your experience, but make sure this doesn’t edge over into excessive embellishment. Telling lies about your experience will only come back to haunt you. If you start a new job that you aren’t qualified for, it will soon show and you are unlikely to be able to hang on to the job for very long.

6. Ask a friend If you’re not sure where your strengths lie, ask a friend to look over your CV. It’s often much easier to write positive things about someone else than it is to write positive things about ourselves. If you don’t know anyone who would be willing to check over your CV, it’s worth speaking to a recruitment agency about your job search. Many recruiters like Live Recruitment who specialises in event will include a CV review service and will be able to tell you about the latest trends in your industry.

7. Avoid buzzwords No one likes buzzwords in the office, and no one likes to see them on a CV, either. Be specific about your daily contribution to the team, but avoid empty tropes such as “communication”, “teamwork” and “leadership”. Explain how your communication has benefited a team. Give examples of work you have done as a team. And demonstrate situations where you have taken the lead. Just make sure you are specific about your contribution.

8. Don’t forget your personal statement Perhaps the most important part of the CV is the personal statement. This is your opportunity to tell the hiring manager where you are headed and how they can help you get there. It can feel a bit corny writing about yourself in this way, but it’s a good opportunity to set yourself apart from the competition. You should also consider tailoring your personal statement to different roles. This can help to complement your cover letter and show the hiring manager that you want a job with a particular company, not just a job with a particular title.