CV Writing: 101
Writing a good CV is the first crucial stage in your application for any role. Please download the template below to help as a starting point to create, update or refresh your CV.
Check out our CV writing toolkit!
It is easy to underestimate how important a carefully constructed CV is to your application. Your CV needs to be well laid out without spelling or grammatical errors.
Useful hints and tips to help you write the best CV:
Ensure all your contact details are clearly visible: mobile number, home number and email address. Add a short profile about yourself and the kind of role you are looking for.
Avoid jargon and abbreviations. List your working history in reverse chronological order – most recent or current position at the top.
Bullet-point your job roles making the content as generic as possible.
Always put month and year of employment.
Always explain gaps between employments.
An ideal CV is two to three pages, make every word count, make it sharp and clear.
Add your hobbies, interests and any notable achievements. Employers like to learn about your personality.
This information helps them to see beyond your skills and experience.
Use a clean legible type face, space your CV carefully, highlighting headings in bold or underline.
We always offer advice and guidance if we feel your CV does not adequately reflect your capabilities. We may also advise you to shift the emphasis to make it as bespoke as possible to the role you are applying for. It is always worth the extra effort.
CV layout dos
Keep it short and sweet
The most effective CVs aren’t just informative, they’re also concise. Try and get straight to the most pertinent points, and ideally take up no more than two sides of A4.
Choose a professional font
A professional font ensures that your CV can be easily read and simply scanned.
Present things in a logical order
Use sufficient spacing, clear section headings (e.g. work experience, education) and a reverse chronological order to keep things clear and easily legible. And always make sure you highlight your most recent achievements.
Play to your strengths
Format your CV to maximise the impact of your application. For example, if you feel a lack of experience is holding you back, lead with education instead. As long as you can relate it back to the role in question, how you order the sections is up to you.
Use bullet points
They’re a great way to draw attention to any key facts or relevant information, allowing a hiring manager to skim the document easily and find your significant achievements without having to wade through the hyperbole.
Other things to do:
Include contact details, keep email address professional, maintain consistent formatting, ask someone to check for common spelling and grammar mistakes.
CV layout don’ts
Be afraid of white space
Don’t fear the gaps. Even if you think your CV looks quite bare, as long as you’ve included all the relevant information and applicable, quantifiable achievements, you needn’t worry.
Try to include too much
The ideal CV should be a checklist of all of your accomplishments. It should not be your life story. Tailoring your CV to the role is a great way to skim some of the fat and keep all waffle to a minimum.
Include irrelevant information
Before including any points in your application, ask the same question: will it help you get the role. If the answer is no, take it out. Hobbies and interests are a great example.
Forget your cover letter
Although it is often seen as a different entity all together, your cover letter is attached to your CV and both are vital in helping you clinch the right role. Oh, they didn’t say include one? Still do. Every extra opportunity to sell yourself should be taken.
Experiment with size
You may think that changing font size is a great way to fit your CV onto two pages. See also, margin size.
Other things not to do:
Use crazy colours, use crazy fonts, include unnecessary references, include a selfie.