CV Tips
Preparing Your CV
Recruiters will look at your CV as an example of how you present yourself and your work. Imagine it arriving in a busy recruiter’s inbox with lots of other CVs – does it stand out for the right reason?
Here are some dos and don’ts:
Do
- Keep it succinct and use simple language
- Try to keep it to 2-3 pages
- Use bullet points
- Try to be as objective and specific as possible
- Give factual information about your previous employers, such as business type, size, structure
- Use spell check and ask someone else to proof-read it
- List hobbies and interests especially if they demonstrate a useful attribute, for example a team sport or a sport that requires motivation and commitment
- Give reference details if you want to, but it isn’t essential to do so
- Put your name and page numbers at the top of each page in case your CV gets mixed up with others at some stage
Don’t
- Use an old-fashioned looking or overly fancy font (Arial is a good one to use)
- Use long or old-fashioned words or expressions (unless it’s appropriate, of course) – try as much as possible to write as you would speak
- Use blocks of text or lengthy paragraphs
- Use a profile at the beginning of the CV describing yourself – let the content of your CV demonstrate your talents
- Lie or exaggerate
- Submit it unless you know it represents you in the best possible way
- List ‘socialising, clubbing or shopping’ as a hobby
- Use humour unless you are very confident it works, or employ the use of any gimmicks or pictures
Once your CV is complete, ask friends to comment on it – particularly if they are friends who recruit.