CV tips
A CV is a way of showcasing you and your skills. As such, it is essential that it is well constructed, informative and to the point. Two to three pages should be sufficient, and make sure that you only highlight matters you are prepared to expand upon at interview. In other words be honest and do not exaggerate your experience. Finally, remember to spell-check and proof read carefully.
In terms of content, the CV should contain the following information.
Personal
- Full name and address.
- Depending on your seniority and career to date, a summary of your key attributes and skills can be helpful to the in-house employer, but restrict this to one or two sentences.
Qualifications/Education
- A’levels or equivalent, university degree, post graduate qualifications, including level or grade, name of establishment and year of graduation.
- Professional qualifications and year achieved.
- Date and jurisdiction of admission.
Employment History
- Employment history should be set out in reverse chronological order.
- Include the month and year for each period of employment together with the relevant job title.
- List your experience and responsibilities under each employer and, where appropriate, group your experience under sub-headings, for example corporate, commercial, employment.
- Use bullet points where possible to avoid creating large blocks of text.
- Do not omit any period of employment as this may prove difficult to explain at interview.
Other
- Languages and level.
- Interests and achievements: in-house employers are particularly interested in finding out what makes you tick outside work as they are looking for personality fit as well as experience. Be sure only to include those activities that you are happy to discuss in detail at interview.
- Visa status where relevant.