Writing a Great CV

A well-presented resume is vital in your search for a new job. It won't get you the job on its own (your talents and abilities should do that), but a good resume can make the difference between receiving an invitation for an interview or not. Your resume will be one of many, and because of this, employers will only give it a little of their time, making it essential to present your key selling points in the most accessible places.

Everybody writes and presents their resume in their own way, and while there is no right or wrong way, the following advice will help you produce a clear and concise resume, increasing your chances of being invited for an interview.

Good resumes are clear, concise and straightforward, with short, to-the-point sentences. It's best to leave out words, such as, 'and' and 'I' as much as you can, making each sentence as meaningful as possible. Correct spelling, punctuation and grammar are vital, as well as the overall layout and format of the resume.

An effective resume focuses the readers' attention on the criteria they are looking for, highlighting important information that can be accessed and comprehended easily. Try to visualize what the hirer is looking for and produce evidence showing you're a match. Remember that if you're invited to an interview, you may be asked to justify and elaborate on statements made in your resume, so make sure all details are accurate and don’t exaggerate.

CV Structure & Presentation

First impressions are everything. Each section of your resume must have a clear heading, ensuring a well-structured document that is easy to read, reducing the risk of an employer giving up on it.

Your skills, experience and achievements must be set out logically, detailing all key points. Dates should be included where applicable and placed in reverse chronological order, i.e., latest job first, working backwards to your first job. Two or three pages is the standard length of a good resume. Resumes over four pages are almost always viewed as wasteful and instantly discarded.

For your resume, use a standard font size and type such as 12-point Verdana or Arial. The use of bold or larger font sizes can highlight headings, important information and point the reader to the relevant areas. All text should be aligned appropriately, so the paragraphs look neat and tidy, and there should be a balance between text and white space.

Personal Details to Include

  • Name
  • Date of Birth
  • Address
  • Home telephone
  • Mobile telephone
  • Email address
  • Nationality

Education, Qualifications & Courses

Include all your higher education on your resume, including the dates for each result. You also need to include relevant qualifications and courses you have completed. Do not include details that are irrelevant to the position.

Work Experience

In your work experience section, include the dates you spent at each company, with the specific months you started and finished. Include your job title, your responsibilities and anything else from that job that is relevant to the position you are applying for. Here’s an example of how to set out your role responsibilities:

  • Formulate and ensure HR policy system is implemented in line with company objectives, best practices and manpower laws. Advise management of changes and revise HR policy when necessary.
  • Develop an organizational and workforce development plan to support the company’s growth.
  • Responsible for implementing a Recruitment as a Service partnership with Select Headhunter in order to recruit high-caliber candidates to support the business's staffing plan. The partnership resulted in time-to-hire being reduced by 30%, lower staff turnover and an overall reduction in recruitment agency spending.

It is important that the points listed are relevant to the position and are presented in summarized bullet points. Make clear what your contribution was and what results were achieved. Back everything up with quantifiable facts, such as the size of budgets and targets achieved to make your skills tangible.

Achievements

Under each job, you should list the accomplishments you are most proud of. Think carefully about which examples you include, as employers may deduce, from your choices, a lot about your motivations and what you regard as important.

Extra-Curricular Activities

The section on hobbies and interests should be kept short and include information that shows the reader your interests outside the workplace. List any memberships or voluntary positions that highlight your skill set.

References

Unless requested, references need not be given at the initial application stage and a simple "references available on request" should suffice.

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