5 Tips for Writing a Compelling CV
The first step in your hunt for a new job is writing your CV. There is no secret formula to writing a CV unfortunately! However, here are my 5 top tips based on my 10 years’ experience reviewing thousands of CVs!
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you.
Have a clear structure and CV format
Structuring your CV and using the same format throughout will instantly make it easier for hiring managers and recruiters to scan over your CV and easily find the information they’re looking for. Make sure to use the same font and be consistent with font sizes, for example making headers a slightly larger font size.
Header - Include personal information such as name, contact details including phone number, email address and residential address.
Education and Qualifications - Add all training certifications and the dates they were awarded.
Employment History - Include dates, job title, company name and a brief description (at least 3 lines or bullet points) outlining your main duties.
Achievements, Key Skills and Interests - Try to outline your key skills that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. Add keywords that are used in the job description to your CV.
Double check for errors… then triple check!
Before clicking ‘Apply’ always check the following:
Spelling Mistakes
Grammatical Errors
Font and font sizes are consistent
Ask friends and family for feedback and to proof-read.
If you have lots of experience, streamline your CV
If you have an extensive career history it can seem daunting when you first start writing/updating your CV. If you have a lot of experience to write about then this can be a nice problem to have! Just make sure to eliminate information this is irrelevant to the job you’re applying for and ensure to add the most detail to your most recent jobs only.
Also, highlight your main skills - don’t bury key information in amongst long paragraphs.
Try to keep your CV between 2 - 3 pages. You can make space on your CV by deleting things like: date of birth, photo, career history from 10+ years ago or by shortening your personal statement.
Summarise your key skills
Include a section in your CV to outline your main skills. I recommend using at least 5 bullet points showing the skills that you are best known for. Again, you can use keywords from job descriptions or adverts online that are relevant to you.
Don’t undersell yourself and apply with confidence!
Be proud to highlight your biggest achievements. Employers want to recruit the best candidate for their job role so don’t hold back when it comes to showcasing your career highlights. There’s a difference between bragging and selling yourself professionally on your CV. Go above and beyond!
