Your CV and LinkedIn profile are the greatest marketing tools you can have for your career, so it’s important to get them right.
Your CV provides your prospective employer with an overview of your unique professional experience, skills, education, and accomplishments and ultimately highlights why you’re the best person for the job.
To help you make the right impression, we’ve created the following guide to ensure your CV contains all the right information and is presented in a clear and easy-to-read format.
Our CV Template is available here.
Top 5 Tips:
- Keep it short and succinct. Your CV should be no more than 3-4 pages long. It should only include relevant information that is likely to make a great impression.
- Every section should add value. Every part of your CV should have an impact, telling your prospective employer something new and important about you. Providing too much information or the wrong kind of information could mean parts are overlooked.
- Make it easy to read. Use a simple font and minimal styling. Headings and bullet points are essential to helping your prospective employer navigate through the document.
- Be clear and honest about your work history and your ambitions. This is mutually beneficial for you and your prospective employer.
- Keep your CV up-to-date and accurate. Always check the information (and spelling) in your CV is correct before you send it on.
What to Include:
Name, Address and Contact Details
List your full name and primary contact details (phone, email, address/city) clearly at the top of your CV.
Executive Summary
The executive summary is one of the most important parts of your CV as it’s the first thing employers are likely to read. It’s a brief personal statement that should summarise your career highlights and complement your skills and experience. This section should demonstrate what value you can bring to their business and give a sense of your work-related ambitions. As a general rule, this summary should not exceed 5 lines.
Education
List the higher education qualifications that are relevant or required for the role you are applying for, starting with the most recent. Include the qualification, institution, and completion date.
Include any study you are currently undertaking, to provide an indication of your future skillset and capabilities. Only add further information if it will help the prospective employer understand the context of a course in relation to the role you’re applying for.
Skills & Abilities
Use brief bullet points to list the key skills and experience you have that are specific and relevant to the role and your area of expertise. Prospective employers will scan this section of your CV very quickly to see what you can offer and your suitability for the role.
Employment History
Starting with your most recent role, state the job title, company, and dates of employment. Use brief bullet points to list your key responsibilities and achievements for each role - don’t just copy your job description and don’t list every single task you completed. It’s important to be specific and include tasks that had an impact on the business. This is your opportunity to sell yourself and highlight why you are the best fit for the role, so provide specific examples of your significant achievements where possible.
Allocate more space to your most recent and most relevant roles but don’t delete any roles (or adjust the job title) if they aren’t relevant to the one you’re applying for. Also, be sure to explain any career gaps concisely and positively.
Professional Affiliations
List any current professional memberships and affiliations you are part of.
Training & Courses
Use brief bullet points to list any vocational training or courses. This can demonstrate where you have upskilled and where you may contribute new knowledge to the organisation. If this list is extensive, only list the most relevant training.
Hobbies & Interests
Highlight your personality in any hobbies or interests outside of work.
References (optional)
Including a couple of good references demonstrates that you have people ready to vouch for you. However, it’s also fine to state references are “available on request” if you are not comfortable disclosing your referees until further into the recruitment process.