As a recruiter with over 25 years experience working for various recruitment agencies across London and Essex, I have read 1,000’s of CV’s and believe me, you would be shocked at some of the things I have seen during that time. So, I have chosen to write my very first blog to assist anyone who is needing a little helping hand in creating that “Winning CV”.
Here are my Top 10 Tips….
1. First and foremost, please ensure that you include your contact details! So many candidates forget to put their telephone number and / or email address on their CV. How can any recruiter or employer contact you without this? We’re good … but we're not that good! Maybe also think about putting your ‘LinkedIn’ contact details on there too.
2. Check once, check twice and check a third time for any punctuation, grammar and spelling errors. One very small error could mean that you miss out on that golden opportunity of an interview. Why not ask a family member or friend to read over your CV for you, just to be sure it’s 100%.
3. Start with a powerful “Personal Profile” or “Statement” - after all, this is all about YOU and it’s the first thing an employer or recruiter will read. Talk about your key qualities and attributes and why they should recruit you … go on, sell yourself!
4. Career History – start with your most recent position and work backwards. Use bullet points to highlight your key duties in each of your roles but keep it brief and to the point. If your career history exceeds 15 years or 6 jobs in that time, then stop there. Any career history past this point is quite unlikely to be relevant now. Also, try to keep your CV to a maximum of 2 pages if you can.
5. Employment Dates – We all want to see when and for how long you were in your roles so please make sure you include these for every job and that your dates are correct.
6. Education & Qualifications - Include your educational background with the most recent first, highlighting any relevant coursework or academic achievements. Mention your certifications or additional training if relevant.
7. Key Skills – What are you exceptionally good at? Showcase these with bullet points so that the employer or recruiter can see them clearly at a glance.
8. If you don’t have the skills and experience to meet the job requirements, don’t apply! Most job adverts will clearly state the minimum requirements to carry out the role, so do read the job description fully before applying.
9. Is your CV layout tidy and easy to read? Not everyone has super eyesight so make sure you are not using a font size lower than 10 or 11. If it’s not easy to read, people simply won’t read it.
10. Achievements – What did you achieve in your roles? Did you exceed your targets and the companies’ expectations, if so then why not shout about it from the roof tops and tell us.
What NOT to put on your CV:-
A photo – employers and recruiters don’t expect this from you, it’s unnecessary and it could possibly lead to unlawful discrimination.
Full address – your town and postcode are totally sufficient.
Date of birth – again, this could lead to possible discrimination.
Unprofessional email addresses – if you really want that job, give them the right first impression.
The Conclusion…….
In the initial stages of searching for your next job, your CV is the only tool you have got to secure you that all important 1st interview, so take the time to ensure that your CV is the very best that it can be. Remember to make sure you use your spell check once finished and watch out for any American spellings (if you’re not in the US that is) and correct them before you send off your "Winning CV" to a potential employer or recruitment agency.
Here’s a quick question for you – Which job boards will you be uploading your CV to or which ones have you had the most success with so far? I’d really like to hear your thoughts on this, so please let me know.
I wish you every success with your job search in 2024 and if I can be of any assistance to you, please don’t hesitate to make contact with me via the contact page on my website – kellyparrishrecruitment.co.uk
Thank you for reading!
Kelly
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