A CV has only one aim – to get you to the interview stage. To do this it must capture and hold the interest of the reader, despite having a hundred similar documents on his or her desk! So what are the all-important Do’s and Don’ts?

 

1 Keep it short.

 

Two pages is the ideal. Think about what is relevant from the recruiter’s point of view, and what is going to make you stand out from all the others. Otherwise, dump it.

If you have a highly technical background which is relevant to the job you’re applying for – knowledge of specialised computer programs, or scientific research projects worked on – it’s better to put these in an appendix at the back of the CV.

 

2 Keep it neat.

 

Your CV should draw the recruiter’s attention to those things that make you a “must see” candidate, so make it easy to read. There’s nothing wrong with a bit of white space on a CV, whereas big blocks of print will deter even the most enthusiastic reader.

Use bullet points to make your achievements stand out. Don’t overdo the use of bold font, and keep the formatting consistent. Above all, avoid confusion - you may know what you mean, but will the recruiter?

 

3 Keep it conventional.

 

This means no photographs, no coloured paper, no clever fonts, no humour. You want your CV to stand out from the crowd, but not in this way!

 

4 Keep it accurate.

 

There is no excuse for speling errers, or poor grammar. Check everything you’re unsure of, and get someone else to read through it – it’s so easy to miss a typing mistake, even when you’ve read it a dozen times.

 

5 Choose your style

 

Most recruiters prefer CVs written in reverse chronological style – your last (or current) job first, going backwards. Occasionally, a functional format can work, where someone has followed an unconventional career path and wants to highlight the skills and experience obtained. But even then, I’d recommend a brief chronology of jobs, to make it absolutely clear where you spent your career.

 

6 What to include…

 

There’s a lot to be said for a brief personal profile - no more than three or four lines - near the top of your CV, which defines clearly the sort of role you see yourself as suited to, and mentions any attributes which are particularly relevant. Follow that with your qualifications, skills and experience, then some brief personal details. Use active, rather than passive verbs.
 
7 … And what to leave out

 

Avoid using buzzwords – “self-starter”, “hands-on”, “track record”. My personal pet hate is “proactive”. And never use abbreviations without first explaining them in full.

Include hobbies which give an insight into you as a person and shows special skills or achievement, but leave out passive hobbies like reading or listening to music, unless it’s a something out of the ordinary, such as “reading 16th Century Irish cookbooks”.

 

8 Dealing with gaps

 

Short gaps can be glossed over, but if you’ve been unemployed for a longer time, try to put a positive slant on what you’ve been doing, by building up other activities into something more impressive.

 

This also applies to time spent raising a family – try to focus on other things you’ve been doing, especially voluntary activities, or how you’ve kept up to date with your professional skills. If all else fails, try something along the lines of: “Providing a safe and educational environment for two young children while managing a household budget of £X,000".

 

9 “Show don’t tell”

 

This means ensuring that any claim is supported within the CV by hard evidence. For example, don’t just state “excellent man-management skills” - demonstrate them with details of the size of your team, what problems you overcame, and how this benefited your employer.

 

10 The Covering Letter

 

The covering letter introduces your application, highlights how you meet the job requirements, and explains why you're applying for the job. It should be no more than three paragraphs, never more than one page, and include the job reference and where you saw it advertised.

 

And lastly,

 

Your CV is going to be used as a basis for questions at your interview, so make sure you can talk confidently about anything on it - particularly any aspect that may count against you from the recruiter’s point of view. Once you’ve done that you can go into your interview feeling positive, and you’re more likely to come across as bright, articulate and on the ball.

Top Tips For a winning CV