Sources for this guide (these books are available from the library): Innes, James.
The CV book: your definitive guide to writing the perfect. CV. Harlow: Prentice ...
Library Service - Information guide 8
Guide to writing a CV
What is a CV? A CV, or Curriculum Vitae, is a document which lists all your skills and qualifications when approaching an employer, so that they know whether you are suitable for a vacant post. Employers may have hundreds of CVs to look through, spending only a couple of minutes scanning each one, so it is important that you make yours as interesting, concise, accurate and relevant as possible. CVs need to be: • Well presented – this includes spelling, grammar and punctuation. Keep the tone formal and professional. Don’t forget the importance of proof-reading. • Relevant to the job that you are applying for – try keeping a master CV, with all your experiences and skills listed. For every job you apply for, adjust your master copy accordingly, highlighting what the recruiters are looking for. • No more than two sides of A4 – keep it concise.
What to include Your contact details: • name, phone number and address • email address • you don’t need to include your date of birth A personal or professional profile, no more than one paragraph. This should: • be your ‘pitch’ that grabs the recruiter’s attention straight away with lots of positive, active adjectives and phrases • summarise your skills and attributes • emphasise certain criteria asked for in the role that you are applying for.
Education and qualifications: • start with the most recent and work backwards • include date of qualification, description of qualification and grades or marks • don’t include every single qualification unless specifically asked for – for example, if you have a degree there’s no need to include your A-Levels. Career history: • again, start with your most recent role and work backwards • include the dates that you worked at each organisation, your job title and the name of the organisation • describe what your job entails: use brief bullet points, emphasise what you did in each role, and try and make it as relevant as possible to the job you are applying for • Use ‘action’ words to make it more dynamic. For example, instead of: I met with others a lot to sort out problems with… Try: Liaised extensively with colleagues to actively resolve problems with… Or instead of: I went to meetings for Company X, showing our product range… Try: Represented Company X at meetings, demonstrating our product range…
tion’ words, look at the For a list of useful ‘ac Words lled Nextstep’s Power downloadable PDF ca for your CV available at: ies/ ureandlibraries/librar www.rbkc.gov.uk/leis ides.aspx. jobseekers/usefulgu
Sources for this guide (these books are available from the library): Innes, James. The CV book: your definitive guide to writing the perfect CV. Harlow: Prentice Hall, 2009; Middleton, John. High Impact CVs: 52 brilliant ideas for making your resume sensational. Oxford: The Infinite Ideas Company Limited, 2007.
