The Perfect CV - Does it exist?

A few weeks ago, I posted a poll on Linkedin that asked the question about photos on CVs.The question was:

"Would you feel differently about interviewing an applicant if they had a photo on their CV?"

I expected quite a straightforward response (ie, either a 'yes' or a 'no' answer), but to my amazement, this poll sounds transcended into a really big discussion on the subject, with a lot of external factors mentioned that I hadn't thought of. There were a total of 4141 votes, over 160,000 views and 235 comments on the matter.

The final results were quite interesting:

• 24% said they would feel different
• 58% said they wouldn't feel different
• 15% said they weren't sure
• 3% said 'other'

All in all, a poll that drew a lot of talking points and great discussion, but I found it amazing that nearly a quarter of the people that voted felt that a photo on the CV would completely change their opinion on the applicant. In 2021, I personally found this a bit alarming.

Let's face it, if you want to employ someone, you are employing them based on their particular skill set and experience (if applicable). In the majority of cases, a photo included on a CV will be an accurate representation of the person that shows up to the interview.

All of this got me thinking - with so many different opinions on this matter in particular, is there such a thing as a perfect CV? The short answer is probably NO.

The slightly longer answer is that every hiring manager has an idea of what a perfect CV looks like. This is down to a number of factors that can include the actual sector that the hiring manager is employing for.

I personally have a few years of recruitment experience under my belt now, where I have seen varying degrees of effort put into CVs. The majority of people that I speak to have put a lot of effort into their own CVs, and it's usually a pleasure to read through them. Some are long and wordy, others give a brief synopsis, but all of them have the same goal: to impress the person reading it so that they can be invited for an interview.

Therefore, the following is my own input into how I feel a CV should be written. A little disclaimer: this is purely my own opinion. I am not saying that this is a guide to writing the perfect CV, or if you do it this way you will get call-backs from every job you apply to. It is simply based on my own personal experiences and CVs that I've seen over the years and what looks best to me. So let's go for it!

The way I've ordered the following sections is how I've always felt a CV should be ordered:

PERSONAL STATEMENT

This is the first thing the hiring manager will see! It doesn't have to be long, just a few lines will do. In it, you can talk about your personality, what your motivators are and where you want your career to go.

WORK HISTORY

The reason why your personal statement doesn't need to be very long is that some Hiring Managers may glance past it in order to jump straight to this section. Always put your most recent work experience at the top, and work your way backward. Put the full name of the company, the date including the month and year you joined and left (don't put just the number of years, it's not a clear indication), and your various job titles at that organisation.?

Then, start detailing what you did there. Bullet point what your day-to-day tasks were, and throw in some key achievements for good measure. This will give the Hiring Manager a clearer understanding of what your skills are, and paint a picture of you as a worker.

EDUCATION

Last week, teenagers across the country got their exam results for GCSEs and A-Levels. Whilst these should be included on a CV, try and resist the urge to omit them if you don't feel you did particularly well. Hiring Managers always appreciate honesty.

Your education, much like your work experience, should go from most recent and then working backward. For example, if you've just graduated, this should go first, then A-Levels, then GCSEs.

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS / SKILLS

Basically, everything that you did outside of Uni, College, or school. For example, on my CV, I have level 2/3 chef qualifications, as well as level 2/3 personal training. The more of these you add, it shows your ability to learn new things, as well as your determination to do so. Skills can be anything you think useful for the Hiring Manager to know, such as computer and organisational skills.

PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

You will have already put some of these in your initial work experience next to the relevant roles, but putting a snapshot of these again in this section can make them easier to find for the Hiring Manager's own reference later on. You could also add things outside of work - maybe you climbed Mount Everest or won a hotdog eating competition - fill your boots!

HOBBIES AND INTERESTS

At last, now you can show your personality some more! Put in here anything outside of work that you enjoy and that makes you happy. It could be that you're a member of a sports team, that you enjoy going to the gym at 5am every morning, or that you are an avid reader - there really is so much you can put in here!

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

A place for everything else that didn't have a home. Whether you hold a driving license, other languages you speak, your current notice period, etc. Basically, anything that you think will be useful to know.

REFERENCES

This will usually be followed by the word 'Available on request'. It shows that you do indeed have them, and will gladly divulge when asked if you get that far in the interview process.

And breathe!

So there you have it, my own personal guide to how to create a winning cv! If your CV covers all of these points effectively, then a photo on it shouldn't matter (although, it still will in the minority of cases). Remember though, a CV is a snapshot, not a story. Your CV should have enough information to get you the interview – the interview is where you get the chance to tell your story.

As always, if anyone is after some additional advice or wants to converse as to a different way of doing this, I am always happy to listen.

Thanks for reading, and have the best day!