Your All-Time 11: Top Tips for CV Writing

If you’re searching for a new role, having a CV that stands out from the crowd is your ticket to getting your foot in the door.

As part of our commitment to helping you to find the best role for your skillset, we want to make sure that you have all the necessary support and tools to help you present your experience in the best possible light.

Much like the all-time 11 players you’d pick for a winner-takes-all footy tournament, we’ve put together a selection of top hints and tips on writing a winning CV that sets you on a successful path to a relevant job offer.

1. Get the basics right

There are some basics that a potential employer will look for when browsing your CV. These include:

• Personal and contact information;
• Education and qualifications;
• Work history and/or experience;
• Relevant skills to the job in question;
• Your own interests, achievements or hobbies, and;
• Some references.

Make sure they are succinct and clearly formatted so that any potential employer can quickly get to this key information.

2. Presentation is key

It is imperative that your CV is clearly presented. The layout must be clean and well structured so that it is easy to follow. There naturally tends to be a hotspot within a CV where the eye falls.

This hotspot can be found at the upper middle area of the first page so it is vital that you include your most important information there. If you are not sure what the most important information is, please feel free to ask.

3. Short and sweet

Keep your CV clear and concise. You don’t need to provide information about every job you’ve ever had – we would advise that you just include the most relevant ones. Try and keep your CV to two or three pages long.

4. Check your spelling

It sounds obvious but it can be all too easy to forget to run a spelling and grammar check before sending your document. Your CV is a representation of yourself therefore its key to make sure that you give the best account of yourself through the words you write. Why not also get a friend or a family member to proof read your CV, a second pair of eyes can be a real benefit.

5. Honesty is the best policy

There is no point lying on your CV. Just as with job interviews, it’s important to remember that you will always be found out. Moreover, it will be extremely damaging to your reputation. So keep it real.

6. Be inspired

The Internet is a fantastic place with lots of websites that will provide you with example CVs.

Alternatively, why not give us a call and ask us what to include; we’re more than happy to advise on what our clients look for in their team and what to highlight in your experience.

7. Mind your language

Make sure you keep your language professional and punchy. And here’s another freebie: With tools like Microsoft Word, the default language tends to the English: United States, unless you change it yourself. So when using your spelling and grammar checker, make sure that you have it set to the English: United Kingdom.
If you need help on how to do this please give us a call.

8. Don’t sell yourself short

Your CV provides you with the opportunity to tell a client about all of your amazing skills, experiences and achievements. Be sure not to sell yourself short as the candidates you’re in competition with will not.

9. Understand the job description

The clues for what a client is looking for can be found within the job description. Highlight key points you see, take notes and then be sure to highlight relevant skills/experience that will match the job description.

10. Tailor your CV to the role

You do not need to re-write your whole CV every time you apply for a role. As we mentioned above, edit your CV to highlight the areas of your CV that are most relevant to the role you are applying for.

11. Including references

References and Testimonials are a brilliant way of validating the skills and experience within your CV for an employer. When providing references be sure to include a reference from a previous employer. If you have never worked before and have no prior experience then we would recommend using a tutor as a referee. Try to include two if you can.

If at any time you wish to discuss your CV with one of our consultants please contact Recann by telephone on 0161 711 0791 or send your query to us by email on cvs@recann.co.uk.