How to Write a CV

How to Write a CV
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Your CV plays a key part in helping employers decide who to invite for a job
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interview. It’s your chance to show an employer that you’ve got the skills
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and experience needed, and that you’re the right person for the job.
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If you have never written a CV before, you’ll need to think
about what style to use, what to include within it and how to
make it stand out from all the others. The following points will
help you start to put together your new CV:
How long should it be?
A winning CV should be easy to read with space between
each section, and no more than two pages long.
Your personal profile
Underneath your Personal Details, your Personal Profile
outlines your key attributes. The Profile should only be a few
lines but must spark the reader’s interest. For example, if the
job involves working with people, you could say you’re a good
team-worker and an effective communicator. Be brief - you
can highlight examples of your skills in later sections.
Education and work experience
What should I definitely include?
Start with your personal details: your name, address and
contact details.
This part of your CV depends on your background and the type
of job you’re applying for. Some jobs require experience, while
for others your qualifications are more important.
Tailoring your CV to the job
Employment history
Your CV shouldn’t be your life story but should be tailored
for the job you’re applying for, focusing on the parts that are
important. Look at the job advert or the person specification
and think about what the job involves and what the employer
is asking for. Take some time to find out about the company:
what they do, their values, areas of success, and main
activities – you may be able to find a lot of this information
on their website.
Start with your present or most recent job and work
backwards, using bullet points. Include details of each
employer, the dates you worked for them, your job title and
your main duties. Employers want to see how your experience
will be useful to them, so be brief about jobs that are totally
different from the one you’re applying for. Relevant jobs
should be listed in more detail, showing not only your main
duties and responsibilities but giving examples of the skills
you used and what you achieved. You should include any
relevant temporary or unpaid work and you should explain
any gaps in your employment history; you can provide
reasons for any gaps further on in your CV, where necessary.
What type of language should I use?
Try to use positive language. When describing your work
achievements use powerful verbs (“doing” words) like
‘launched’, ‘managed’ and ‘improved’. Quote figures if
possible to back up your claims.
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Education and training
What are the different styles of CV?
Start with your most recent study and go back to the
qualifications you got at school. Using bullet points or a
table, include the university, college or school you went
to and the dates and grades of any qualifications awarded.
You could also include details of any other courses you’ve
attended, if they’re relevant.
There are a number of styles of CV, but the most widely used
is the chronological CV. Examples of different CV styles can be
found on the following websites.
• www.totaljobs.com
• www.cvspecial.co.uk
• www.workthing.com
Hobbies and interests
Some employers like to read about your interests, as it can
give them an idea of your strengths and what you’d be like to
work alongside. As with your employment history, it should be
relevant in some way to the job. For example, if you’re involved
in any clubs or societies this can show that you enjoy meeting
new people. This is also a suitable section to include details
of other skills that might be useful to an employer, such as:
driving, languages, and IT skills. People often put on their CV
that they enjoy cooking or reading, but these activities can be
too general and widespread to be of interest to an employer.
Additional information
If you need to add anything else that’s relevant, such as a gap
in your employment history for travel or family reasons, you
could include a further section titled ‘Additional Information’
after your interests to explain this.
• www.alec.co.uk
• www.bradleycvs.co.uk
Any other tips for my CV?
•It is important to ensure all the information you provide on
a CV is accurate – employers may well check it out.
• You will generally not be required to attach a photo
Need more help?
You can get advice on how to improve your CV, or write your
first CV, from Learndirect on 08080 100 333. Lines are open
8am to 10pm seven days a week, or use their online CV
Builder www.cvbuilder-advice-resources.co.uk/learndirect/
You may also find it helpful to visit the careers advice section
of the Directgov website: http://careersadvice.direct.gov.
uk/
References
Finally, you should state that references are available if
required, although you don’t need to include referees’ contact
details on the CV. At least one referee should be work-related;
or if you haven’t worked for a while, some other responsible
person who has known you for a long period of time.
How should it be presented?
Ensure your typed CV uses just one style and font. It should be
concise and easy to read. Check it for spelling and grammar
mistakes. You can use a computer spelling and grammar
check but it’s also a good idea to get it checked by somebody
else. A common mistake is to use bold type everywhere;
it’s good for section headings such as ‘Employment History’
or ‘Education’ but many people use it to highlight dates and
previous employers’ names - this draws the reader’s eye
away from what’s important. Print your CV on good quality
white A4 paper.
Useful contacts
http://www.direct.gov.uk
Directgov brings together the widest range of public
service information and services online.
www.direct.gov.uk/en/Dl1/Directories/index.htm
A list of useful contacts.
http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk
Job seeking support.
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