CV Guidelines

1. Gain The Competitive Edge
Write the Best CV
Today’s job market is as competitive as ever, you need to stand out from the crowd if you are
to secure an interview. This means that since your CV is YOUR personal sales tool, and on
average the reader may only spend 5 seconds scanning it before making a decision to read on
or discard, YOUR CV needs to powerfully promote you in the best, most relevant and succinct
way. How do you do that?
Tip No 1
Presentation and Content
You need to make sure your CV is not only grammatically correct, with no spelling mistakes
but that it also looks good and reflects you and how you work. For a professional look, use a
readable font; highlight key titles, use bullet points, capitals and underlying where appropriate.
Forget brightly coloured papers, photographs and borders; simple neutral paper with black ink
printed on a good quality printer is best received. Then there is the content: this needs to
show a continuous employment history [so you need to explain the career breaks] and give an
accurate synopsis of your skills, knowledge, experience, abilities and achievements.
Tip No 2
Achievements
Ensure that for every role or position title detailed on your CV, you include “Achievements”
and that you list 2-4 real achievements from that role before you list your responsibilities.
With all your achievements – and they can be in all shapes and sizes – remember to qualify
and quantify them; adding value and results will make them really effective. So for example, if
you developed the business and increased revenue, detail the percentages and figures and
include the time frame.
Tip No 3
Interviews
That’s what you want. An interview – and you need to think about what questions you will be
asked. So, whilst writing your CV think about the specific role where you will be using your
skills, abilities, knowledge and experience. Make it easy for the decision maker; address all the
criteria for that role by including achievements and examples that match their job
specification. Include examples where you have demonstrated your skills and competence in a
particular area – that way when it comes to the interview, you will only need to expand and
give more detail on the statements on your CV.
Remember: It is vital that your CV not only stands out from others but that it is also easy
to read
Sell yourself on your CV to beat the competition when applying for jobs;
Identify skills and achievements you may not have realised you possessed;
Write the CV in the preferred style for HR and recruitment professionals; AND
Prepare a matching custom covering letter for each CV you send out.
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2. Your Name
Your Address
And contact details
So that the reader knows how to get in touch with you
Profile
YOUR CV must be interesting to the reader – it is first impressions that count. It MUST be
eye-catching, believable, factual, relevant, original, have impact, well laid out, easy to read,
individual, match the market and sell the benefits. So this is a good place to write a short
introductory summary paragraph (or some key bullet points) capturing your skills, knowledge
and experience together with your key personal attributes and behaviours.
Career history
Your most recent position The date you started
The company you now work for
Now list of some of your key achievements – enhance these achievements by including
quantities, amounts, pound values and percentages. Put the strongest statements at the top
Write in simple terms instead of complex phrases to describe your responsibilities and
achievements
Don’t be too modest – prospective employer’s need to know how good you are. If you don’t tell
them on your CV - they may never find out
If you want to include your responsibilities as well, include them now. Then repeat in reverse
chronological order the roles and achievements over the last few years. Recent employment is
always most relevant. Your new employer will want to know who you are now and not what you
were 10 years ago.
Education and Qualifications
Name of the institution The dates attended
Relevant training courses successfully
completed
Once again in reverse order, and university before school results
Using good English skills, check for grammar, spelling and punctuation
Limit enigmatic jargon. Use straightforward language avoiding acronyms and abbreviations, so
people will understand the CV
Personal details
You are not obliged to give personal details but you might want to indicate whether or not you
have a driving licence and confirm any requirements stated in the application (ie: NI no.)
Only include interests or hobbies if they clearly contribute to your ability to work
Never list references or salary details, if they are requested - include them in your covering
letter.
Too much detail is better than not enough – although nobody wants your autobiography.
Remember your CV has the potential to determine the interview questions
Remember: Adapt your CV every time to suit the particular positions you are applying for
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3. FINAL CV APPRAISAL CHECKLIST
Material all fits on maximum of 2 pages
No spelling, grammar or punctuation errors
Typing is neat, clean and professional looking
Name, address and contact details are presented as a great heading at the top
Margins at sides and bottom are at least 3 cm wide
Layout makes reading easy
No paragraphs are longer than six lines
Important titles are emphasised by underlining or capital letters (but not
overdone)
Indentations and bullets are used to organise information logically
Action words are used to communicate achievements and results
The use of “I” has been avoided – action words used instead
Irrelevant personal information has been left out
Sentences and paragraphs edited to eliminate unnecessary and redundant
information
CVs take time and needs to be unique. Tailor your CV to the individual role you
are applying for.
Overall appearance invites one to read it
And remember the list of Don’ts:
Don’t include pictures Don’t list sex, health or personal
irrelevancies
Don’t list references
Don’t highlight problems like
Don’t put your CV in a divorce, disability
fancy folder or binder
Don’t include addresses of prior
Don’t forget your full employers
contact phone numbers
and postcode Don’t include salary information
Remember: YOUR CV must demonstrate YOUR ability to produce results
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07801 689801