How to write a CV
Please note that when writing a CV, it is important to write your CV with a specific position in mind. I.e. if you are applying for a networking position, then ensure you emphasise your networking skills. Likewise if you are applying for a management position, ensure that you give enough details about your technical abilities but also emphasising your management abilities etc.
It is usually best to try and keep your CV to two pages of A4 wherever possible, unless someone specifically asks you for a longer CV. Be ruthless with yourself to try and keep it to this maximum. Only very senior, experienced, executives have more pages. Employers do not want to know your whole life history – just enough to decide whether they should interview you or not..
If your CV is not well organised then the reader will find it hard to follow and will not be able to build up a picture of you quickly. Keep your paragraphs short and to the point. List achievements in bullet point form. This will allow for quick and easy reading.
Concentrate mainly on your achievements not just your responsibilities. This means listing things you have done such as products launched, sales increased, awards won – not rewriting your job description. Quote figures whenever possible.
Use a confident tone and positive language.
Do not list all the one-day training courses you have ever been on.
Do not leave any gaps in your work record – employers may assume the worst, for example that you were fired.
Do not lie – many employers use information service companies or sophisticated new software to check CV details for accuracy, and as an agency we do check educational qualifications, places of study and the veracity of job references.
Click here to download a CV sample of basic information that is required. The most important thing on your CV is to emphasise the skills you have, relevant to the job you are applying for. Clients don’t need much more than this information to be able to make an informed decision about a candidate. Most employers will be able to work with this and go through more details in an interview.
Only at interview stage will you need to provide a company with copies of certificates, but prior to that, the agency will require them for verification.