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Help with your CV
Your CV (curriculum vitae) creates the first impressions a prospective employer has of you, and if it does not succeed in translating your skills and personality, it will also be the last.
Writing a CV can be a controversial subject; if you ask any two people their idea of a perfect CV you will invariably get two totally different responses, we have therefore provided you with suggestions, examples and help to arm you with the best CV possible.
AIM OF YOUR CV
Firstly, always remember that your CV is a sales and marketing tool. It is your advert that documents your experience and skills with the all-important objective of getting an interview. It has to:
- Highlight the skills and experience that make you a suitable candidate for the job
- Interest the reader enough to want to know more and therefore invite you for interview
- But you must not overload your CV with too much information.
There are a few basic rules to follow that almost every personnel professional agrees on.
Your CV should be:
- Well presented
- Interesting
- Quick and easy to read
- Truthful (It is our advice that you should never be tempted to lie on a CV)
Your CV will continue to work as a sales and marketing tool even if you get an interview. It can direct the interviewer(s) towards your achievements and skills prior to, and during the interview. It is also very likely that the interviewer will make notes on your CV during the interview and reread your CV and their notes before deciding who to appoint. If your CV suitably highlights the skills and experience they are looking for it could help you move on to the second stage or even get the job.
GETTING STARTED
Before writing you CV you need to decide which format will best represent you in the job market.
There are 4 main CV formats:
- Performance CV
- Functional CV
- Targeted CV
- Alternative CV
If you are in education, or have recently left education, then you may also wish to consider:
Each has its advantages and disadvantages. The Performance CV is the best option for most people, however if you are seeking to change career or find that a Performance CV is not suitable for any other reason then you may wish to consider the Functional CV or Targeted CV
Remember you can change the order of sections and include or exclude any sections as you feel will best work for you. These CV's are just design suggestions to help you.
For advice on how to write each of the sections in the CV please see CV Section.
Performance CV
In this format emphasis is placed on employment history, including job titles, companies, responsibilities and achievements in a professional capacity.
This CV is most useful for those who:
- Are seeking employment within the same field as previous experience
- Want to highlight their professional achievements such as promotions
- Want the names of their employers and their duties to be clearly evidenced
It is not suitable if:
- You want a change in career
- You have frequently changed employer or not stayed in a job for a great period of time
- You have been out of work for periods of time for any reason
- Your achievements are not in line with the career you wish to pursue now
What to include:
- Profile 3 to 6 functional headings.
Select headings that are appropriate to the new position you are applying for
You should have 2 to 5 bullet points under each heading evidencing your experience and skills
- Achievements
- Employment History
- Professional Qualifications and Training
- Education and Qualifications
- Personal Details
- Hobbies and Interests
To see an example of a Performance CV click here
Functional CV
This format picks out your responsibilities and achievements across your whole career. Individual employers are less important as the emphasis lies on the skills gained in general.
This CV is most suitable for those who:
- are planning to change career or direction.
- want to emphasis skills that were not utilised in their most recent jobs.
- have had a large number of jobs, perhaps in different fields, and wish to describe skills and experience across their career as a whole.
- want to include voluntary/unpaid employment.
- have been out of work for periods of time for any reason.
It is not suitable if:
- you want to highlight achievements and career growth in a particular job.
- you have been doing similar work and therefore have few varied skills to pick out.
What to include:
- Profile
3 to 6 functional headings.
Select headings that are appropriate to the new position you are applying for
You should have 2 to 5 bullet points under each heading evidencing your experience and skills
- Professional Qualifications and Training
- Education and Training
- Personal Details
- Hobbies and Interests
To see an example of a Functional CV click here
Targeted CV
This CV highlights skills and experience most suitable to a specific job target. It is appropriate for those trying to make a decisive career change.
This CV is most suitable for those who:
- Are planning to change career or direction
- Want to emphasise skills that were not utilised in their most recent jobs
- Have had a large number of jobs, perhaps in different fields, and wish to describe skills and experience across their career as a whole
- Want to include voluntary/unpaid employment
- Have been out of work for periods of time for any reason
- Have several different job targets and need to create a distinctive CV for each one
It is not suitable if:
- You want to highlight achievements and career growth in a particular job
What to include:
- Profile
- Key Skills - select skills that are appropriate to the new position you are applying for
- Achievements
- Employment History
- Education and Qualifications
A targeted CV is best kept on one sheet of A4.
To see an example of a Targeted CV click here
Alternative CV
This CV is only suitable for creative careers, e.g. writing, advertising, fashion design.
This format is a huge gamble. The basic idea is to create a totally original idea that reflects the nature of the career you are applying for, e.g. for Advertising creating an advert with the applicant as the product.
The purpose of this type of CV is to demonstrate talent and creativity using the design of the CV itself. It can be an excellent way to stand out from the crowd, but if the employer doesn't share your creative vision then it could backfire immensely.
Student / Graduate CV
The main purpose of this CV is to highlight your academic achievements and any activities or vacation work you have been involved in that is appropriate to the job you are applying for.
It is suitable for those who:
- Have recently left education
- Are applying for their first full-time job
- Wish to include vacation and part-time work
It is not suitable if:
- You want to focus on previous employment
- You have not completed a course and therefore not attained the qualification
What to include:
- Profile
- Achievements - at this stage in your career you may not have any achievements that would suitably be included in this section so you may wish to leave it out.
- Education and Qualifications wish to list modules that you studied as part of your degree that are particularly relevant to the job you are applying for.
- Work experience
- Employment History
- Personal Details
- Hobbies and Interests
- References
PRESENTATION
Presentation is one of the most important things to consider when writing a CV. Your CV needs to attract the reader's attention and make information quick and easy to find.
- Always type your CV
- Always use a word processor. Never use a typewriter as you will look old-fashioned and out of date
- Use a clear font such as Arial, stick to 10-12pt
- Stick to bright white paper
- Use a good quality printer such as a laser printer
- Use plenty of 'white space'
- Keep paragraphs short
- Make you sentences short and punchy
- Use appropriate headings and section breaks
- Use bold for headings - lots of underlining and italics can look distracting
- Use bullet points to break up the text under headings
Length
Your CV should be a maximum of 2 pages of A4. A CV will only get about 2 minutes reading on a first trawl, you need your skills and experience to stand out and not get lost in a lot of waffle. The employer needs just enough information to decide whether to interview you or not.
CV SECTIONS
Below is a list of sections that you can include in your CV. Check against you selected format and the example CVs below to decide which are the most appropriate for you.
Remember you don't have to stick rigidly to your selected format. There is no right or wrong way, just the way that best works for you. Here are suggestions of some or all of the headings that we advise should be included:
- Personal details
- Education and Qualifications
- Employment History
- Professional Qualifications and Training
- Work Experience/Unpaid Employment
- Other Relevant Experience/Skills
- IT Skills
- Languages
- Hobbies and Interests
- References
- Profile
- Key Skills
You do not have to include pictures unless specifically asked to do so.
Personal Details
- Name
- Address
- Contact telephone numbers (home, work, mobile)
- Email
- Date of Birth
- Driving License and whether it is clean
- Nationality (if you are applying abroad)
It is unnecessary to put marital status and gender.
Education and Qualifications
List you education and qualifications in reverse chronological order (the most recent first), including grades and dates. For example:
- BSc (Hons) Physics, 2.2, University of Birmingham, 1997-2000
- GCE A Levels: Physics (A), Chemistry (A), Maths (A), Hertfordshire School, 1995-1997
- GCSEs: Physics (A), Chemistry (A), Maths (A), Biology (B), English (B), Geography (B), French (B), History (C), Hertfordshire School, 1993-1995
It is unnecessary to put:
Individual subjects studied at GCSE if you have gone on to obtain a degree, just listing the number and grades achieved will be sufficient
- University and school addresses
- A Level and GCSE exam boards
- Minor qualifications, you can list these elsewhere
You may wish to list modules that you studied as part of your university degree if they are particularly relevant to the position you are applying for.
Employment History
Concentrate on your two most recent jobs as these are the ones the employer will be most interested in.
Start with you most recent position. You should include:
- Your job title (e.g. Manager, Supervisor etc.)
- The job title of the person you reported to
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