How to write the perfect CV

Writing a CV sounds straight forward, but when it comes to doing it we can all feel a little overwhelmed. Employers and recruiters spend less than 30 seconds scanning through a CV so it’s about that all important first impression to get yours noticed. Follow these golden rules to stand out from the crowd:

  • Your CV should be clear, concise and well formatted. The layout of your CV is important, using clear headings, concise sentences and bullet points allows the reader to scan through the CV and find what they are looking for easily. Don’t try to cram your CV into one page, this will make it too overwhelming for the employer to read. An ideal CV should approximately be two pages long.
  • Make a list of key categories to write under: Professional Profile, Education and Qualifications, Skills & Expertise, Work History, Achievements, Hobbies & Interests, References. Use bullet points and clear concise sentences under each of these categories, outlining Education, Skills & Expertise, Achievements and Career History in date order (the most recent first), this makes it easy to read.
  • Focus on the actual job description. You can maximise your chances of having your CV noticed by targeting general keywords in the job description. E.g. If the job description is looking for experience on Volvo Trucks and you have it – include this on your CV!
  • Stick with simple, effective wording and use adjectives to get your CV noticed: “achieved”, “adapted”, “coordinated”, “demonstrated”, “produced”, “organised” etc.
  • Highlight any career achievements to make you stand out from the crowd!
  • Explain any gaps on your CV, address your reasons directly and truthfully. Keep it positive and outline any volunteer work, workshop or coursework, consulting or free-lance work you may have completed during this time.
  • ALWAYS make sure to spell check your CV, take care that your contact details are all accurate and that there are no mistakes! Use spell check, look over it yourself and also get a friend to proof read!