30 Jul
30Jul

With many facing redundancy in the wake of Covid-19, there are more people applying for roles and less jobs available, so having an up to date CV that stands out is essential. A CV is more than just a log of your work history, it is your story and should be told in a way that entices the reader, much like a book does. If you can inject your personality into your CV then you are far more likely to make it through to interview stage.

Here are some tips to help you write your CV.

Choose the right font and size. 

Use a clear font and size for example, Arial 11. Use bold and underline for your titles and bold to highlight important information for example: employment dates, company and job title

Don’t overcomplicate the layout.

There is nothing more off putting than graphics, boxes mixed with bullet points, different colours and different fonts and sizes. Aim for no more than 3 pages unless the role requires a more detailed CV. Many people have two versions of their CV. A shorter, punchier CV and a more detailed one.

Personal Profile – This is where your personality should shine by incorporating your experience with who you are. For example: 

“Driven and passionate Senior Customer Marketing Professional with solid experience of a variety of disciplines including CRM, customer loyalty, digital insight and segmentation. Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate and negotiate clearly, concisely and articulately at all levels. Proven track record of leading and motivating high performing teams in a variety of industries.”

Using the words driven, passionate, concise and articulate showcases your personality. Be careful not to go overboard here as you don’t want to use words just for the sake of it. Be sure to mix it in with your professional personality too. This should be no more than 1 or 2 paragraphs.

List your skills - List all the relevant skills that you have. 

Put your skills underneath your personal profile. This way, the reader has an instant snapshot of what you can do. Use bullet points to make it clear for the reader.

Education and training 

If your education is relevant to the role that you are applying for then make sure it is listed before your work history. It is a good idea to list all the training you have here too. If your education isn’t relevant at all, leave it until last on your CV.

Work History

When you display your work history, start with your most recent position first. Make sure you have the employment dates, company and job title. Use bullet points to show your duties and if you had a significant achievement, make sure to say so. There is no need to show a huge amount of detail in jobs that you had 15/20 years ago. It is fine just to list the dates company name and job title here.

Spelling and grammar

It goes without saying, that spelling and grammar is as important as the content of your CV. Get someone to read through your CV to check for errors before you send it to a potential employer.

Still stuck? Hire a professional 

A CV Writer can do all of this for you. A good CV Writer will talk to you about what you want to achieve, what roles you are looking for, who you are as a person, what special skills you have and they will highlight all of this for you, as well as ensuring that the layout, spelling and grammar is on point. I charge as little as £45 for a re-write which includes a full telephone consultation and as many re-drafts as you may need, until you are happy with the end product. Your CV is an unlocked document so you can add to it as your career progresses.  Feel free to get in touch! sarah.english@hotmail.co.uk

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