CV Tips

• Sounds like an obvious place to start, but you’d be surprised how many people leave their contact number and e-mail address off their CV – or get the number wrong!
• Address – even if you don’t wish to put your full address on your CV, make sure you give an idea of your location.
• If you have a preferred contact method or time to be contacted, you could include this.

• Use bullet points and short paragraphs to stick to the point.
• Use line spaces between each section so it’s clear where one part ends and another part starts.
• It helps to bold the headers of each section so it’s easier to read.
• Make sure you include your job title, not just a description of your responsibilities.
• Keep your font type and font size consistent.

• Make sure you include your employer names, start & end dates, and job title.
• Briefly explain any gaps in employment.
• Include any achievements for each role, or training received.
• Put your role into context – for example if you are a manager, include the size of the team you’re managing; if you’re a sales executive, include the volume of units you sell.
• Alter the description for each job you’ve had – even if you had the same job title, there are likely to have been some differences in responsibilities / systems used / process followed.

• You’ll get a different answer depending on who you ask.
• Remember this: your CV is designed to sell yourself and get you the opportunity of an interview – so if you have detail, achievements and success to talk about - do it! Don’t leave them off thinking you’ll tell the Hiring Manager at the interview, as leaving these selling points off might cost you the chance of an interview.
• It doesn’t matter if it rolls onto 3 pages, but keep in mind the Hiring Manager doesn’t want to read the story of your life.

In our experience, this can do more harm than good. You may have stayed somewhere for a short time for a good reason, but if a Hiring Manager finds out, they’ll often assume you have something to hide.

It's worth bullet pointing your particular strengths, or for example experience with certain systems.

This might vary depending on how your application is tailored, and what relevant experience you have. But as a general rule, we would recommend:

• Personal statement / introduction
• Key Skills
• Employment History (starting with most recent first)
• Education / Qualifications
• Interests
• References

There’s not really a right or wrong to this, and of course it depends on how many jobs you’ve had. If your whole career has been in the same sector, you could go back approx. 5-10 years then write “previous employment includes….” Or “previous employment details available on request”.

• Make the most of your transferrable skills.
• Include any extra-curricular activities or responsibilities from school/ college.
• Include an introduction paragraph/ personal statement outlining the career you are looking for.
• If you’ve done any volunteering work, include this as it shows your work ethic and enthusiasm.