Create a winning CV
Remember your CV is an introduction to you and the skills and qualities you can bring to a potential employer. You want to make the reader interested in you and want to invite you for an interview. Your CV should not be an essay – just a brief overview of your education and employment history.
Personal Details
Include your name, address, phone numbers & email address.
Work history/experience
Your work history should be in reverse chronological order with your most recent experience first. Break down the roles into short sentences or bullet points, highlighting relevant skills & experiences gained.
Education
Briefly list your academic & professional qualifications including the grades you achieved. If you're just leaving education put your education first, before your work experience.
Skills
List specific skills like spoken languages & software packages you use, it is also useful to state the level of skill you have e.g. basic, intermediate or advanced.
Hobbies/Interests
Your hobbies & interests aren’t necessary to your CV but you can add them if you wish, it helps if they are relevant to the position you are applying for. If you do include them keep it short. It can give the interviewer a deeper insight into your personality.
References
Details of referees are not necessary, but you should stipulate that references are available upon request. If this is your first job, nominate a school mentor or tutor but don’t forget to ask permission first.
Presentation
Your CV should be no longer than 2 sides. Keep it simple & clear with no frills or attachments. Create clear headings for each section to allow the interviewer to quickly scan your CV.
- Display your name, address and contact details at the top
- Include a short personal profile describing yourself
- Include information about relevant training courses or qualifications gained
- Be honest!! CV’s can be checked and you will be caught out if you are untruthful
- Display your CV in a logical order, most recent employment first
- Add brief details of job duties for each position held
- Highlight your skills and achievements
- Aim to keep your CV to 2 pages, 3 at the most – your CV is a snapshot - not your life history
- Ensure your CV is grammatically correct with no typing or spelling errors
If you have any questions surrounding your CV, why not contact your Flex consultant who will be able to advise you further? Good Luck!!
Whilst we are on the subject of CV's why not check out the revolutionary Flex Recruitment Innovate CV, an online digital CV like no other.