What Critical Information Should be in a CV?

Firstly, what is a CV?

Curriculum Vitae: an outline of a person’s educational and professional history, usually prepared for job applications. Another name for a CV is a résumé.

• Personal Details
• Education/Qualifications
• Work Experience
• Interests and Achievements
• Skills

When surveyed, this is what employers found important:

• 45% Previous related work experience ?
• 35% Qualifications & skills?
• 25% Easy to read?
• 16% Accomplishments?
• 14% Spelling & grammar?
• 9% Education
• 9% Intangibles: individuality/desire to succeed?
• 3% Clear objective?
• 2% Keywords added?
• 1% Contact information?
• 1% Personal experiences?
• 1% Computer skills

Personal Details section should include:

• Your name
• Address
• Date of Birth
• Contact Details

Education and Qualifications sections can include:

• Your degree subject
• University
• Secondary school
• Any industry training

Work Experience

• Use action words, such as being able to work in a team when working in a Bar or a Shop.
• Try to relate the skills related to the job

Interests and Achievements

• Short and to the point
• No cliché things such as “socializing with friends”
• Add a range of interests
• Try to write down interests that are related to the job
• Any evidence of leadership or community services can be invaluable

Things that can cause you to fail your CV are:

• 61% Spelling mistakes or typos              
• 41% Copied large amounts of wording from the job posting
• 35% Inappropriate email address
• 30% Don’t include a list of skills
• 22%More than two pages long
• 20% Printed on decorative paper
• 16% Detail more tasks than results for previous positions
• 13% Include a photo
• 13% Large blocks of text with little white space

Keep your CV simple and one page if you can.