Candidates – CV Preparation

Before writing your CV, set out exactly what you want to get across. Imagine you are a hiring manager and have a pile of 50 CVs to look through. How can you make sure that, with only a quick glance, your CV shows that you have the relevant skills and expertise for the role, and warrants them fully reading the rest of the document?

Make sure your CV is relevant. If you are applying for a role as an accountant don’t take up 30% of your CV explaining how proud you are that you have completed a marathon event or that you run a local scout movement - keep it as relevant as you can to the role and then just mention your hobbies at the end.

The basics are often overlooked. Poor spelling and grammar is a pet hate of most clients, so do not just rely on your spellcheck - ask other people to proof read it for you. A ridiculous email address for a potential employer to contact you on seems like an obvious thing to avoid, but it is still a common occurrence. Simply set up a professional one just for your job hunt.

Avoid waffle. Recruiters will just glaze over and not read your CV properly if it is not punchy, informative and interesting. Use bullet points to get across your main
selling points and your fit for this particular role.

Ensure your CV contains your current work history and try and make sure you cover any gaps in your employment. You will most likely be asked about any employment gaps at the initial stage of your recruitment, and an employer may overlook you if they think you are hiding something.

If you do not have a huge amount of relevant work experience then include any achievements you are proud of or any sporting triumphs. It is far better to show that you are the sort of person who can reach goals than just leave a woefully empty CV for someone to look at.

Include facts and figures. If you are a professional salesperson then a future employer would rather see examples of your sales against target achievements and percentages of growth, rather than just a generic statement saying that you are a successful salesperson.

Set yourself apart from the rest by writing a covering letter or personal statement relating to the role you are applying for. In this age of online digital applications it is far too easy for people to click a button and make an application. Writing such a statement will show that you are really interested in the role and show your professionalism and attention to detail.