CV Writing

Not everybody can afford to have their CV prepared professionally so this article is designed to give you the basics required to enable you to write your own.

There are many opinions on what the perfect CV should look like but, despite the rather subjective responses you will get if you ask different people, there are some common areas that most personnel and HR professionals agree on.

Length

In general, it is accepted that a CV should be no longer than two sides of A4 paper although one side is considered to be ideal. However, some industries in particular do expect to see much longer CVs including the IT and medical professions where much more detail is required.

Only include relevant information

Although it can be tempting to go into great detail about your experience, it is important that you only include information that is relevant and interesting.  Summarise as much as possible and try to make sure that everything you include adds value to your CV.

Education

Most sections of the CV should focus on your most recently gained experience and the education section is no different.  For example, it is not considered necessary to include the grades obtained at GCSE if you have then gone on to complete A Levels and, similarly, it is not necessary to include A Level grades once you have achieved a degree.

Interests and activities

It is a common error when writing CVs to include too much information in this section.  In fact, CVs are gradually moving towards the American resume style, which does not have this section at all, so it is considered preferable to simply summarise your hobbies.

Key skills

The chronological CV is becoming more and more popular these days so the inclusion of a key skills section is less important.  Strong skills and attributes are usually highlighted throughout the career summary and the professional profile of the CV rather than being placed together in one section.

References

Many people still feel that they should include referees on a CV but this information is really not necessary.  It is wise to avoid giving out referees’ details unnecessarily in order to prevent them being contacted too frequently, which could make them less inclined to give positive feedback about you!

The professional touch

There is probably no better way of ensuring that your CV looks as good as it can than by having it written by professionals.  The writers employed by The CV Centre have knowledge of a range of industry sectors and experience of working in personnel and administrative fields.  The customer service team can also provide you with advice and information on making your job search more effective.