How to Write a Winning Cv
Writing a winning CV is crucial as it is a passport to the opportunity to represent yourself in person. It is hard to represent yourself on paper but a CV does nontheless represent one's professional self. So how does one write a CV that stands out among the rest?
1. Length
Recruiters receive lots of CVs so it is important that they do not lose interest by the sheer length of the CV before even giving it a chance - after all, they have to find a reason to filter CV's out. In general the length of a professional CV varies depending on job role and seniority but it should not be in excess of two pages. Here are some ways to make a CV compact without sacrificing content:
- Formatting - be clever with your layout, font and font sizes. You need to use a font that is professional but not too big and a size that is legible but not unnecessarily too large. Tables are a great way to save space whilst including all the content as the information is presented in a columnar format.
- Be choosy with content - tailor your CV to the role you are applying for by including skills and experience that will make you a strong contender for the role applied for.
2. Experience
Following on from the previously mentioned point of including skills and experience that is relevant to the role applied for, it is also worth noting that the rule of thumb is to only include experience from the last four years as that is what employers will consider as recent and therefore transferable experience. If there is a strong justification to include experience older than four years, ensure that is made clear.
So that your commitment and nature of work is not ambiguous, if applicable, always state whether or not it was a contract job or permanent role.
3. Structure
The order in which the content is formed, as well as the content included in the CV can make the difference between it being one to cast aside or a winning one. It is a good idea to include the following in a CV and this is a suggested order:
- Your name and contact details - to save space you can have this as the title of your CV. Include any relevant information too for example if you have some form of security clearance which may be needed for the role applied to.
- Profile - this should be written in third person and should consist of a maximum of three sentences. It should summarise your professional self and aspiration but should not duplicate what would be written in a cover letter.
- Key Skills - if your experience is varied this is a great way to provide recruiters with a snapshot of your professional background without diving straight into a detailed account of work history.
- Work experience - if you have more than two years of professional experience this should come before education as it is more relevant. When adding a description of your roles, ensure they are bullet pointed rather than written as a paragraph and be concise. A good tip to showcase yourself is to include a sub section for significant achievements - try and make these as quantifiable as possible.
- Professional Training and Education - ensure this is laid out in a way that is easy to read and does not go into too much detail unless you think it is relevant.
- Hobbies - include any activities and hobbies you take part in outside of your professional life. This gives recruiters an idea of what kind of person you are and an inclination as to whether you would fit into their culture.
- References - here you can include references or state they are available on request. If you do include them, the preferred referees are most recent employers.
In order to write a winning CV the main thing to bear in mind is its purpose and your aim. Keep reminding yourself of this when writing it and at the end, review it through the eyes of a recruiter.
