To secure your perfect role, you need to get invited to attend an interview. To get invited along for an interview, you need to capture the interest of the person recruiting for the role. This is where a well written easy to read CV is critical. It is your opportunity to stand out from the crowd.
Most people are skimming through CVs, which means you need to capture the readers interest very quickly. Here are a few pointers that should help to achieve this:
Font & Layout
You should ensure your CV uses a font that is easy to read e.g. Calibri or Arial and laid out in a clear structure.
You should avoid cluttered or difficult to read layouts. Keep it simple. You want to convey as much information to the reader with the minimum amount of words.
It is good practice to include the following information in your CV:
Personal Information
Always list your full contact details including your full name, address, email and telephone contact details.
Profile
Include a one paragraph introduction to yourself highlighting key aspects of what you can bring to a potential employer. This is best to be a qualifications summary rather than an objective. Your profile needs to contain information relevant to the role you are applying for so as to entice the reader into reading the rest of your CV.
Employment History
Include your employment history in reverse chronological order.
Provide the most detail about your current or most recent job.
Role From Date (Month Year) to Present
Company
Include a brief description of the company and its business
Write a brief description of your role and include a bullet point list of duties and responsibilities. The most significant responsibilities should be included at the top of the bullet point list. This should provide specific details as opposed to being a list of buzzwords.
Duties and Responsibilities
Bullet point list of responsibilities
Achievements
Bullet point list, with most significant achievements listed at the top of the list
Use this approach for each of the roles you have performed. For roles you have had more than 10 years ago, there is no need to provide extensive detail – Keep it brief and to the point.
Depending upon the nature of the role you are applying for, it may be worth including details of qualifications, professional memberships published work etc.
Education
Course 1, Year of Completion
Education / Training Provider
Course 2, Year of Completion
Education / Training Provider
Other Considerations
It is best to include all jobs you have had so as not to leave any gaps in your career.
There is no need to include details as to why you left each role. It is better to answer any questions about this during an interview.
It is best not to overstate your achievements or be economical with the truth.
There is no need to include salary in your resume. It is best to discuss this during an interview.
It is best to avoid technical jargon.
There is no need to include referees in your CV.