|
Before you start: imagine yourself in the place of
the reader, your prospective employer. What response
do you want them to have to your CV? Have that in mind
when you construct it. Write it imagining that you are
the employer and that the employer is getting really
excited as they read your CV and realise that you could
be the one!
Your CV is a selling document: the reader should feel
interested and curious to learn more. They can find
out more at the interview. The purpose of the CV is
to get you that interview.
It must be easy to read: readers may skim the CV for
as little as five seconds before they decide whether
to actually read it. So the appearance of your CV matters
enormously.
Length: 2 pages are ideal. Certainly no more than 3
pages. Any more than this and the reader may not feel
that they even have time to start. Once they put down
your CV, or close the Word document, they may not open
it again.
White space: don't have too much crammed on to each
page, it will be easier to read if there is a good amount
of white space on the page.
Contact details: make it easy for the reader by putting
your name, address and contact details (landline number,
mobile number, e-mail address) at the top.
Profile: next come a few lines that sum up your skills
and that position you. You may wish to amend this for
every job you apply for so that it is absolutely relevant
to that position.
Employment history: then record your employment history,
with the most recent positions first. Rather than record
what you did, think what your prospective employer might
value. What were the benefits to the organisation of
what you did?
Dates: note the dates (month and year) on the right-hand
side of the page. The employer will skim down this column
looking at length of service and looking for gaps in
your CV (see below).
Ancient history: the further back in time you go, the
less you need to explain about the role. Unless of course,
that role is very relevant for the position that you're
applying for.
Gaps in your CV: you may have had career breaks. If
you don't explain any gaps in your CV they will raise
questions in the prospective employer's mind. At best
they will come back to you to ask about the gap, at
worst they will move on to somebody else's CV. Include
a short sentence on how you used that time.
Were you raising a family, a career, on maternity leave,
unemployed, travelling? Give some indication of what
you did during that time that was productive, that involved
doing something that the employer might value.
Did you do a DIY project on the house, some personal
development work, and study and keep up-to-date, give
some assistance to a friend setting up new business?
Include any temporary, contract, unpaid or voluntary
work. For example: "managed a household and a team
of three lively children", "learnt website
design". If you can find something that may have
a value for your prospective employer, all the better.
But be honest. You may have to talk about any aspect
of your CV at the interview.
Sending
your CV to us: send your CV to us when you register,
but make sure that it has your name as part of the filename!
|
