Tips (from an experienced recruiter) on writing a good CV ??

After working in recruitment for 6.5 years, I've seen thousands of CVs and over that time I've learnt which CVs are better for making candidates stand out, and which are difficult to read and get less traction from hiring managers.

Part of my service as an Executive Recruitment Consultant to my candidates is reviewing and offering advice on CVs, so I thought I'd put some together key points in an article and hopefully help you when writing your own!

? Have your most recent experience at the top with clear responsibilities and technologies you've worked with

Your CV should summarize who you are but also give the hiring manager an easy snapshot into what you've worked with - this will depend on what you're applying for but let's say it's for a Senior Software Engineer; your technical knowledge and 'buzzwords' are going to need to be clear.

For a leadership position, highlight how you managed the team/dept effectively and the changes you were able to make.

?? Try not to write a biography, keep your CV to 2 pages (or 3 if you have 20+ years of experience and you're struggling to condense)

This makes it easier for hiring managers to read through your CV quickly - especially when there's multiple applicants.

If you aren't able to condense to 3 pages, try including a summary of experience for the early years of your career which just includes the company, title and duration.

?? Include a skills section

Skills in languages, your technical toolbox, key attributes like leadership, etc. I would recommend having this at the top of your CV but it could also be effective towards the end if you've clearly listed your skills in each employment.

Keep this tailored toward the position you want by listing the most relevant at the top, but still include all skills to show your depth and breadth.

? Include notable projects you've worked on

This could be part of the summary for each workplace or alongside the skills section.

Why? Because it shows what you can do in a practical sense and also what you've enjoyed - I always ask about these when I speak to candidates but if you're applying directly, it could be the difference between you and another candidate who hasn't got that practical experience.

?? Avoid huge blank spaces and excessive formatting

I so often see CVs that are written in tables which means that you have a huge column of writing in the summary and loads of blank space where the company name/duration it; be sensible with your formatting so it fits across the page and you don't end up with 5+ pages.

On the flip side it shouldn't be too busy or cramped - try keep it readable and easy for the eye to scan over important parts of your experience. This could also include bolding particular technologies or skills if you really want it to stand out.

If you're unsure if yours is easy to read, get somebody else to take a look over it. After hours of staring at a CV, it's so easy to go 'blind' to what you've been working on.

UX/UI/Design/Front End, it's slightly different for you...

Since you're applying for jobs where it's key you have a good eye for design, show this in your CV! But remember, it's not always about have the fanciest looking document as a designer, etc., it's also about allowing the consumer to 'consume' the info in the best way, which includes your experience.

Be careful when applying within a company portal on their career page as sometime they use a CRM or similar to pull the info into their database and it can warp your formatting.

Hopefully this helps but if you have any specific questions, drop me a direct message!