West Berkshire & North Hampshire

In today’s job market, with tens of people applying to every one job, CVs are being every more difficult to write as applicants desperately try and make themselves stand out. But how do they do this? How can you use your CV to impress an employer and get yourself the job?

First things first, what is a CV? Well, to put it bluntly, a CV is a sales document. It is a couple of pieces of paper that sum up your academic and work related achievements and experience to show employers exactly why you are perfect for their organisation.

On average, an employer will spend 20-30 seconds looking at your CV before they decide whether to throw it in the bin or give you a call. First impressions are very important.

There are certain things that every CV should include:

• Your full name
• Your contact details (name, address, email address, telephone number)
• Your education in reverse chronological order (i.e. most recent qualification first). Do not list every GSCE you got, keep it simple e.g. 3As, 4Bs, 5Cs.
• Your relevant skills (usually written in sentences and paragraphs rather than short bullet points)
• Your employment history (again, in reverse chronological order)
• A couple of things that you are interested in, listed as bullet points, for example sports you participate in
• 2 references, for example past employers. Friends and family cannot be used as references.

Here are my Top Tips for a successful CV:

1. Check your spelling and grammar! Employers are instantly put off if they spot spelling mistakes in your CV. If you aren’t sure about your writing skills, get a family member or friend to read through your CV to check for errors.
2. Only include relevant and important information – don’t list everything you have done in your life! If you are going for a job as a structural engineer, the employer doesn’t want to know about the singing exam you passed when you were ten.
3. Your CV should cover 1-2 A4 pages. Try not to make it longer than two pages unless you are sure everything you are writing is necessary.
4. Use a standard layout – don’t try and be fancy with colours and pictures, just keep it simple. Use an easy-to-read font such as Arial, Trebuchet or Calibri. Keep the colours to a minimum. Don’t add a photo of yourself (unless your industry requires it, i.e. actors & models). Use headings consistently. Choose bold, italic OR underline for important information – not a combination. If your CV is more than one page, print each page on a separate sheet of paper – don’t double-side print.
5. Tailor the CV to the particular job. Don’t just send out a generic CV to everybody. If the job description mentions good communication skills are required, write a couple of sentences about something you have done that shows your communication skills.
6. Don’t be afraid to write about things you have done! You need to make yourself stand out from the other applicants! If you have done six month’s volunteer work in Thailand – talk about it! Just find a way to make it relevant, e.g. “During a six month volunteer placement in Thailand I learnt valuable communication skills through my work teaching in a local school. I also learnt the importance of effective project management and time management when helping to build a new classroom for the school.”
7. Don’t lie or “stretch the truth” about your qualifications, past employment, relevant skills or, well, anything! Chances are you will be asked about if you go to an interview, and it looks terrible if you have to admit you lied. Even worse if you just try another lie to get of it. The employer will know. And you probably won’t get the job. Seriously, don’t risk it.

So there you have it! Follow these seven simple steps to get the most out of your CV and give the employer a great first impression of yourself that will hopefully lead to an interview, and better still, a job. Good luck!