CVs that get interviews

How to write a simple CV that will actually get your foot in the door!

Introduction

Are you looking to make a great impression with your CV? With the right approach, you can create an eye-catching and professional CV that stands out from the rest.

In this blog post, we will discuss some of the best tips and practices to help you write an effective CV - From the essential elements of a CV, to how to convey your strengths and experiences in the best light - this article has it all. Read on to find out more on how to write the best CV and make sure you get noticed by recruiters and hiring managers.

What to include in a CV

Your CV as a 30-second elevator pitch, not a diary of your life!

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the contents of a CV will vary depending on your individual circumstances and career history. However, there are some key elements that should be included in every CV, including:

1. Personal details: name, address, email address and telephone number.

2. Career history: a reverse chronological list of your previous employment, including job titles, dates and brief descriptions of your responsibilities and achievements. START WITH YOUR RECENT JOBS! Go back no more than the last three jobs or the last ten years max. Listing older jobs may not be relevant to the current job application. People tend to switch off and scroll to the next candidate if you drag it out. You can lump the historical details under 'historical roles' or 'early career' if you really feel the need to include it - my advice is one liners at most for those.?

3. Education and qualifications: details of your academic qualifications, vocational training and professional development courses.

4. Skills and abilities: a summary of your skills, including both hard and soft skills, as well as any specialisations or areas of expertise.

5. Interests and hobbies: information about your interests and hobbies outside of work which may be relevant to the role you are applying for (e.g., if you are applying for a job in the travel industry, mentioning your passion for travelling would be advantageous).

How to format a CV

In order to format a CV, keep the following in mind. First, make sure to use a professional font such as Times New Roman or Arial. Next, your CV should be 1-2 pages long. Avoid snazzy graphics and focus more on the content. Anymore than that and you risk the reader switching off - as said before, think of your CV as a 30-second elevator pitch.

A quick CV checklist would be:?

1) Contact details

2) Quick personal profile

3) Skills: work-related or relevant to the job

5) Educational highlights (most advanced first)?

6) Career overviews (last three roles max). Keep it concise?

7) Current training and any job-specific qualifications outside of the standard educational journey.?

8) Interests that may enhance your application.?

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A typical CV layout can look like this:?

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Below is a typical example of a clear and punchy CV that will appeal to hiring managers and HR professionals who will screen CVs quickly.?

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Contact info:

Name, mobile, email. LinkedIn profile. Location indicator (e.g., Birmingham based)

Personal profile:

A quick paragraph about you and your experiences (optional).

Skills:?

A quick matrix here to quickly explain the depths of exposure to areas that may be relevant to the job role. Don't go crazy here - include some stuff about skills, people, sector knowledge, technical skills if relevant (optional).

Example:

Project management??????????????Budgetary control?????? ????SEO implementation?

Career coaching?????????????????? C++ coding???????????????? Client negotiation?

Business development???????? Conflict resolution?????????? CRM implementation?

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Academic highlights

Include the institution and certification.

Example:?

Manchester University, UK

BSc Marketing and consumer behavior.??????2:1 achieved?

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Career history

Start with the recent jobs first. Include a maximum of three roles or go ten years back. Add a paragraph of context. Bullet point some key accountablities, then the same for achievements.?

Company xxxx.?Date xxxx to yyyy

Role: xxxx manager?

Company?xxxx is a yyyy organisation providing abc and xyz services to the xyz industry.?

Accountablities include:?

• Responsible for xxxx
• Oversight of yyyy projects?
• Leadership of yyyy and xxxx teams?

Highlights:?

• Delivered budget saving of ￡xxxx over a yyyy period
• Managed and executed xxxx project resulting in yyyy for the business?
• Developed yyyy line managers into senior leadership roles

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Training and additional qualifications

Focus on facts that will enhance your application.

Example:?

• C++ certified practitioner?
• PRINCE 2 foundation?
• CIPD?
• Python coding certification?
• Google analytics certified?

?

Interests and hobbies?

• Web manager for xxxx primary school (voluntary)?
• Marketing coach for local BNI business networking association?
• Social media manager (volunteer) for local U12 FA team?

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What not to include in a CV

When writing your CV, there are some things that you should definitely leave out. Here are a few things not to include in your CV:

• Irrelevant information: Only include information that is pertinent to the job you're applying for. Don't include anything that isn't directly related to the role.
• Personal details: You don't need to include your age, gender, or marital status on your CV. These details are irrelevant to the job application.
• Hobbies and interests: Only include hobbies and interests if they are applicable to the role you're applying for. For example, if you're applying for a job in marketing, including your interest in social media would be relevant. However if you're applying for a job as an accountant, your interests outside of work are immaterial.
• Your photo: You don't need to include a photo of yourself on your CV unless the employer has specifically requested one. In most cases, a photo is not necessary and can actually hurt your chances of getting the job (if the employer thinks you are not qualified or they don't like how you look). Why would you allow judgement of your appearance?
• Negative information: Never include anything negative on your CV, such as references to past problems at work or reasons why you left previous jobs. This will only make the employer think twice about hiring you. Don't blame everything /everyone else for your moving on.?In addition, avoid adding personal opinions. A CV is a statement of fact, not a political broadcast!
• First-person writing stye: Writing in the third person sounds more professional than in the first person. It allows the reader to be more objective.?Avoid "...and then I went here, and I was asked to do 'x' which was very exciting so I had to take it." Instead, use sentences such as, "Promoted to xxxx and tasked with delivering yyyy."

Conclusion

Writing the best CV can be a daunting task, but it’s worth investing the time and effort to ensure you stand out from the competition.

There will be some who may not agree with these ideas, but the points listed above have been found to have largely helped our candidates increase their success rates when getting into the recruitment processes.

What has worked for you before? Share your thoughts with us!