How to Write the Perfect CV! (Template Included)

How to Write the Perfect CV! (Template Included)

In these difficult and unprecedented times, I know that unfortunately, through no fault of your own, people are going to lose their jobs. Also, when the market returns to ‘normal’ there will be plenty of candidates on the market and therefore it’s essential that your profile is appealing as possible.

Your CV is just the initial snapshot that gets you through the door (or maybe on video is more appropriate currently), but as most recruiters and hiring managers probably only spend about 5 seconds looking at your CV it’s essential it’s as appealing as possible.

I’m going to use my 6-years’ experience in recruitment and reviewing 1000’s of CVs to give you my top tips that hiring managers want to see. I’ve also included a link to a template you can use.

The Do’s

• Use the same font and sizing throughout – personally use Calibri (10-11).
• Use bold / underline to separate paragraphs and highlight key elements in your CV
• Have the most relevant information on the opening page. Things like industry relevant certifications, specific projects you’ve completed recently, major recent achievements (Caveat to the above is make sure it’s relevant. Fire Warden in primary school is not enhancing your profile)
• Use bullet points where appropriate. Long sentences will often be ignored
• Include relevant keywords – this is essential for recruiters to find you in the first place and so hiring managers can see what they are looking for at first glance
• Include a personal statement at the top – this can humanize the application but make sure to keep it relevant and short
• Include links to anything that can support your application – this could be as simple as your LinkedIn page which might have more information & recommendations or links to whitepapers/articles your written or website you’ve built
• Tip to use throughout – think with every sentence you write ‘Is this adding value to my profile?’

2-page CV Myth

Don’t get infatuated with the 2-page CV that often people use as the benchmark. If you’re an experienced professional with 10-15 years’ experience its likely you’re going to go over 2-pages. If it’s in a good order and the most relevant information is towards the beginning, you’re fine. Changing your font to size 4 and trying to fill all the white space on a page just to conform to the 2-page syndrome will devalue your profile.

The Don’ts

• Picture – unless you’re applying to a modelling agency, I don’t personally see how it adds and value. You can always include a link to your LinkedIn profile
• Irrelevant work – I did a paper round for 2-years and included that in my first ever CV. If you only have about 12-months experience you might want to show you’re a committed worker. Once you’ve got 2-3+ years professional experience the previous employment is no longer relevant
• References – you do not need to include these as will just be used by recruiters as free business development tools

And Finally …

Save a version in Word and PDF. Send the word version to recruiters and upload to job boards and save the PDF version for direct applications.

99.9% of recruiters are only editing the word document to remove your contact details (to maintain control of the process) and including a coversheet which will only enhance your application further. If you’re concerns a recruiter is vastly editing your CV ask them to send you the copy they’ve forwarded to the client.

I’ve included a link to a template that you’re welcome to copy with some additional hits/tips ...

Stay Healthy & Stay Indoors. I’m looking forward to when this is all over ??