CVs - The great, the bad and the ugly

Writing your CV should be easy, right? List where you’ve worked and your responsibilities, and you’re pretty much there aren’t you? No more than 20 minutes’ work - tops.

Unfortunately, as anyone who’s recently sat down to write their CV will tell you, it’s rarely that simple. As a finance and accountancy recruitment specialist, I read through dozens of  CVs every single day and see some fantastic examples. However, I also see the same mistakes made time and time again, so here are my Top Five Tips when writing and reviewing your own CV.

1.     Leaving out your contact details

Sounds silly I know, but most days I’ll see a CV that gives no contact details at all! A CV is your personal marketing platform, so there’s little point in impressing recruiters and employers with your track record if they can’t then get in touch with you quickly and easily. This crucial contact information should appear at the very top of your CV.

When it comes to email addresses, for once, dull and simple is best! I once received a CV for what turned out be a very credible candidate, but whose email address was something like ‘[email protected]’. Luckily, I was able to gently persuade him to choose something a little less risky.

2.     Having an ‘upside down’ CV

Because they read dozens - maybe hundreds - of CVs every day, recruiters have to work efficiently. So, what do they need from you? You can help them (and boost your own chances of success) by providing the most important and relevant information at the head of your CV, below your name and contact details. Usually, you’ll show your most recent job first and then work back chronologically from there. Many times, before my morning coffee, I’ve opened up a CV and thought, “Has this person not had a job since 1979?” Of course, this normally turns out to be their very first job. So make it easy for the recruiter to see your story - and remember, the recruiter doesn’t need a novel… just your USPs.

3.     Shout out your achievements!

For anyone from a sales background, it’s easy to remember this. But not everyone will naturally think this way. Being a candidate on the jobs market is all about one thing - selling yourself effectively. It’s true that employees are the most valuable asset to a business but they’re also the most expensive, so you need to give an employer every reason to splash the cash on you. Too many  CVs read like job specifications, blandly setting out a person’s responsibilities in their various roles. My response to this…? *Yawn*. Instead, tell me what makes you different? What were your greatest  achievements? How did you leave the position or business in a better place than when you joined it? What ideas did you push? Did you save the firm money, or even better, make them more money? These are the points that are really going to make me sit up and grab for my phone, and it’s what employers love, too.

It’s always good to talk these things through with a friend, family or colleague before writing your CV. What you do in your role might appear obvious, ordinary or even boring. But that’s because you do it every single day! Sometimes it takes someone else to reveal what’s best about us.

4.     Specify dates in your work history and your reasons for leaving

In my experience, most candidates are a little skimpy on detail about dates of employment and only state the years in particular roles, and not the months. Working at a company from January 2018 to December 2019 is of far more interest than December 2018 to January 2019, so make sure you’re clear. Include the month even if you only had a short stint with a company, because any half-decent recruiter will ask.

Also make sure you give your reasons for moving on from roles. If you left the business after only a short time because of a fixed term contract or an office closure, it’s a far better reason than a dismissal. If you don’t give a reason, recruiters will just be left wondering - and may well assume the worst.

5.     Keep it brief

If you’ve had a long or varied career, this might be easier said than done. However as I explained earlier, your CV is all about marketing your USPs and showing how they link up with the attributes and abilities an employer is looking for.

Don’t just fire out the same CV for every job application. Be relentless in identifying the most important experience and personal attributes needed for a particular job, and prioritise these in your CV. Stick to bullet points when showing your achievements for each job. If you’ve spent some time temping, group these roles together in a single section (don’t do this for applications to large corporations who may need date-specific work records in your CV for income checks). The general rule is to limit your CV to two pages: I appreciate that’s not always possible, but don’t go above three pages. After all, for more complex, senior roles you can always showcase and evidence your abilities in a covering letter and other supporting documents.

So these are my Top Five Tips for CV writing - but do you have others? Have you found success with a particular CV format, or been befuddled by examples you’ve received? I’d love to hear about your ideas and experiences.

If you’d like your CV reviewed or expert help in progressing your career in finance and accountancy, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me on 0121 429 8962 or [email protected]