The résumé: A summary of one’s curriculum vitae, their ‘course of life’.

The CV is normally the first glimpse into the life of a potential employee that an employer has. Leave a positive first impression and it will impact your prospects.

When you get hired, time and money are invested in you. It’s then expected that you would have a positive impact on the organisation in your prospective role. It should be clear that you can work hard and the first way to show that is by sending an application that says, ‘I care, I’m competent and I put in effort’. This means firstly writing a decent CV and it can be a massive help in getting your foot in the door.

I’ve seen a wide variety of CVs, from the notably impressive to a page of words that it’s hard not to assume is a joke. I’ve written some advice below for those who are looking to write or improve their CV and consequently strengthen their credibility when applying for new roles. It’s not as short as many lists online but touches on a lot of the important things to think about when writing a CV.

Firstly, what is it?

CV is the acronym for curriculum vitae, which is Latin for 'course of life'. It’s the story of you until now. The French call it a résumé, also meaning a summary. So there’s a clue already. A CV should be no less than a side of A4 but no longer than a few sides. Few hiring managers will be sat reading the short story about your life. Ideally, you should keep it to around two sides of paper. If you are an academic or have a great deal of technical experience that ought to be included, then tailor it to your audience but remember to maintain conciseness throughout. (You can add an appendix for additional evidence like publications, if necessary)

Studies show that typically recruiters spend only six seconds looking at a CV, looking for progression, tenure and if you have the minimum requirements for the post. So, make sure these aspects are clear. Put the expertise that’s really going to get you chosen at the top. I don’t personally feel the need for an objective statement or career summary, as that’s what a cover letter is for, but many people like to have one. It can tie disparate work experience and expertise together cohesively and clarify what your aim is. If you do choose to have one, please keep it pretty short, less than 200 words and definitely relevant to the specific role you’re applying for. Make the most of this personal profile as another chance to be unique to you, don’t just fill with buzz-words.

Secondly, what needs to be in a CV?

Like any story, it requires an introduction. Start with the fact that this document is a curriculum vitae, or ‘CV’ is fine. Then the basic contact details, including; your full name; location (if your CV might go public, be on the safe side and don’t put your full home address. The locality is all that’s needed to measure commute); phone number(s); and email. When a CV arrives without such basic information, it immediately looks bad. You’d be surprised how many people don’t include basic important personal facts like a phone number. Don’t be one of those people. Even consider adding social media handles, such as LinkedIn and other points of contact if they are good contributions to your personal brand.

In some countries, like Spain for example, other information is typically included, such as nationality, age, and ID number. Check other requirements in this respect but in the UK just the basics are all that’s needed. You do not need to put date or place of birth here or any disabilities or other protected characteristics (gender, race, religion) Also, consider other potential triggers for discrimination. Unfortunately, this can include pictures, political views, sexuality, children and other possible controversial aspects of your profile that may be better discussed in person. Many global employers appreciate facts like these, but you should not feel obliged to share them in your CV. Be aware of scammers too. Don’t put your NI number on there or anything else sensitive.

Then, what have you done?

After that comes all the relevant information to help an employer make the decision to hire you or not. Normally, the most important section is your last professional position and so the order I would tend to advise would be professional experience before academic experience, or ‘education’. However, this is not final, and education can be placed first if you wish. The best way to organise your professional experience is from the most recent and work backward, as this shows the pertinent activity earlier in the document.

Make sure to include the start and finish dates, the name of the employer, the location and the job title. Then specify any relevant responsibilities, achievements, and qualifications. Use active verbs to describe accomplishments which are followed by evidence. For example, you ‘increased sales by 30% to ￡1M in my first year by managing a team of ten through a new strategy that I got signed off.’ Five to ten points is usually fine for each recent position and only go back as far as is relevant. An internship in a separate industry 40 years ago is rarely appropriate.

How does your career trajectory look until now?

Not always but often, the current position is the only thing that is properly examined at first glance. So, it matters. Whether you separate out your steps up within the firm or include your internal movements into a more comprehensive block is up to you, but make sure it is clear. If there is any room for doubt as to when or what you were doing, you need to make changes so it can be easily understood. If you have career breaks for any reason, mention the reason. Don’t just leave a gap.

In each section, list underneath the detailed aspects of your remit appropriate for your application. A visibly accommodating way to do this would be by using bullet points to highlight each key responsibility you held. This is a great place to briefly support your experience with achievements. Organisations love to know the problems you solved, costs and time you saved, people you helped, the revenue you generated, work you produced and recognition you were awarded.

This is where you advertise the IMPACT you had for your employer. Again, buzzwords like experienced, specialised, motivated, etc. can repel hirers. Simple evidence can demonstrate those attributes. Overly general sentences are bland and pointless. Adversely, any technical jargon absolutely must be industry-specific. You need to understand your audience. On the topic of words, be aware that some companies use "applicant tracking systems" where they search for specific keywords that relate to each job and candidates need to have, say, 75% to get seen. Sites like JobScan can check for you and let you know what the words would be.

Other relevant experience matters too.

If you have done independent research or projects outside work that demonstrate your interest or activity in an area, mention it. For technical positions, candidates may often have done a great deal of work that’s relevant to the skillset required that wasn’t part of their professional remit. In this case, hiring managers may well appreciate the additional efforts you have made in line with your curiosities.

Don’t undervalue experience in unrelated industries where you can connect skills you mastered to the in-demand skills in your chosen profession. Also, if there are responsibilities you took on during previous roles that show the diversity of your capabilities, consider adding those too.

If you feel you’re running out of space and want to get a lot more on paper, go for the breadth and depth approach. When discerning each point feels too much, choose the extremes and use them. Showing the most detailed problem you solved alongside the most holistic change you actioned demonstrates the depth of field your focus can range to and from, without going into every single instance in between.

How much education have you received?

Depending on how technical the role is, you either have to say what degrees you have received, along with when and from where, with points to emphasize the specialisms. Unless you are straight out of college, you don’t need to go back as far as GCSEs but Bachelor, Master, Doctorate levels and above definitely ought to be included, as they prove your commitment and ability along with many other positive attributes. Don’t forget to add any other courses you’ve completed that relate to the job too.

Have you got other skills?

Oftentimes there will be applicable capabilities, such as proficiency in languages or software systems that didn’t get covered in the previous sections. Make sure the hiring manager is aware of these by appending them after.

What else do you like?

Be authentic. Glimpsing past the professional profile and reading what hobbies an applicant professes to engage in can warm the reader to the individual behind the document. Even if it’s only two or three words, it can offer up something to start small talk. A cultural connection is normally important in an interview. Interests help understand someone’s personality better. More than this though, while remaining honest, you can show other characteristics implicitly in this section. ‘Reading’ is a bit bland. But mentioning topics that you engage with can be revealing. If you take extra responsibility outside work, this can be evidence of a proactive and authoritative nature. Critically though, if you haven’t found space to share soft skills because your experience is very technical, here is your chance to show your human side. Do you volunteer? That’s a nice way to show your commitment to certain values, for example.

Who are your referees?

A CV will usually have around two references that a potential employer can contact to ask about you. It’s fine to add the names, relationships and contact details at or near the end but most people tend to simply put ‘References on request’ or something along those lines. I would recommend this, so you can be sure your references are prepared before contact is made.

What’s your design style?

Above all else, your name, your current and previous title and company (both with start and end dates) and education need to be really obvious. Beyond this, have a look at what other templates look like to ensure you’re not veering too far away from the grain. The format throughout the whole thing should be consistent, legible, orderly and neat. And seriously, please don’t leave any typos and triple-check grammar!

If you are applying for a role in a relatively traditional institution, with a classic luxury brand or prestigious university, for example, I would avoid a fancy design. It’s easy to go wrong with adding colours, icons and the like. They’re usually trashed as gimmicks. If it’s for a graphic design position in a quirky start-up, then maybe getting extra unique and personalised is appropriate. But in general, playing it safe is advisable. However, it does always depend on the context. Creative fields may want to see what level of visual pizzazz you’re capable of, so in that case, go all out! You never know the preferences of the particular hiring manager so don’t take disparagement too personally here anyway.

On the other hand, many open positions will receive literally hundreds of applications, so often you want to stand out and can do so with features that catch the eye. Uniquely shaped bullet points or borders can add a refined touch of personality. Bold fonts like Georgia and apt use of space are also well received across the board.

Photo or no photo? No photo. It was a regular addition for roles which are customer-facing but if your presentation and appearance are important for the role they will be able to get a much better picture when they interview you on a video call or in-person after being blown away by your CV. Most positions are not and certainly should not be based on how you look. Clear exceptions are jobs like acting and modelling.

You want the whole document to read easily. Both when skimming for key details or perusing from start to finish. In fact, do this before you send it, imagining it was the first time you picked it up. This can gather priceless insights but often we forget. When you’re re-reading it, optimise the document so that what you want to be highlighted is obvious and that repetition is minimised. Delete as much as possible while keeping the meaning. And it’s not only the words themselves – blocks of text are not appealing. Bullet points are accessible and help you keep it ‘to the point’!

How do you sound?

One other thing to look for while you proofread your CV is the tone. Remove self-praising adjectives to avoid sounding arrogant, for example. If the title or achievements show you must be senior, savvy and strategic you do not need to describe yourself as such.

Check some templates.

I mentioned looking at templates to see what they normally look like. If you are starting afresh, you may want to fill in a template that you like. I would recommend you check whether it is flexible. Can you change the format and layout without major problems? Also, see which ones have actionable advice that guide you through making it your own that might help. Then keep in mind the other points laid out here to see if it is suitable.

Want it professionally created?

There are countless service providers who will write a CV for you. It’s always good to type up your draft but if you aren’t confident with the final copy and uncomfortable technically or otherwise with getting it to a finished document that you’re happy with, you can find CV writers easily. I don’t think many people require that level of help, but this may be worth considering if you have ￡50-￡200 handy. Otherwise, just ask people you trust to take a look and offer their thoughts!

Don’t send it without thinking.

Don’t lie. Some people say things like ‘everyone lies on their CV’. It’s not true. Word it in a way to present your best self, but not someone you’re not. Some lies are even classed as fraud, like changing your degree result, and can have serious legal consequences. All lies demonstrate dishonesty.

I would always advise attaching a covering letter. You can draw attention to points in your CV, you can add critical information such as details about your motivations or circumstances and pre-emptively answer questions about career breaks, for example, while putting across your unique tone.

Summary

This is your opportunity to self-evaluate and present in the best light. If you don’t meet all the criteria for the job, don’t let that stop you trying! Especially all you self-critical people. Enjoy getting your achievements out on paper! Developing your resume can be an avenue to recall the value you bring to organisations and communities and should propel you to overcome ever greater challenges. Let yourself be empowered by listing your accomplishments to date and drive you forward.

If you struggle, remember there are C-Suite executives that have poorly written CVs and that very few people are confident writing one, especially from scratch or for the first time. It’s something to get help with and keep updating. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with me directly. To send us here at Society a copy of your CV once it’s done, click here.

I hope you’ve found some use in these tips and wish you all the best in your career!