How To Write The Best CV (1)

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How To Write The Best CV
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Intro
When searching for a job, your CV is your first
opportunity to grab an employers attention and
make them want to speak to you. Writing a good
CV doesnt happen overnight and most people will
continually tweak their CV depending on the role
they are applying for. Whether you are looking
for your first graduate job, youre looking to
change careers or youre simply looking for a
promotion with another company, the first step
is to ensure your CV is in order.
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How To Write The Best CV

• Often the best place to start when writing your
  CV is with the bare bones. Once youve got the
  facts down on paper, you can start to think
  about how to highlight the most important aspects
  of your career path.
• You should make sure your CV includes the
  following information as a starting point
• Name
• Address
• Contact details
• Education history
• Work history

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Things to leave off your CV
You dont need to include a photograph unless the
job description asks for it. You also dont need
to include your age or date of birth. Most
employers will be able to work out a rough age
from your work and education history. You can
also save space on your CV by leaving off details
of your referees. If an employer is interested in
hiring you, they will ask you for details.
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Focus on your most recent role
Your most recent role is the most relevant to
your job search. This is where you should focus
your attention and ensure you include all the
relevant details about your role. Think about
the work you do in the average day, week and
month. Skip over the more general stuff and show
how you make a contribution to the company as a
whole. Dont be afraid to brag a little about
your experience, but make sure this doesnt edge
over into excessive embellishment. Telling lies
about your experience will only come back to
haunt you. If you start a new job that you
arent qualified for, it will soon show and you
are unlikely to be able to hang on to the job for
very long.
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Ask a friend
If youre not sure where your strengths lie, ask
a friend to look over your CV. Its often much
easier to write positive things about someone
else than it is to write positive things about
ourselves. If you dont know anyone who would be
willing to check over your CV, its worth
speaking to a recruitment agency about your job
search. Many recruiters like Live Recruitment who
specialises in event will include a CV review
service and will be able to tell you about the
latest trends in your industry.
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Avoid buzzwords
No one likes buzzwords in the office, and no one
likes to see them on a CV, either. Be specific
about your daily contribution to the team, but
avoid empty tropes such as communication,
teamwork and leadership. Explain how your
communication has benefited a team. Give examples
of work you have done as a team. And demonstrate
situations where you have taken the lead. Just
make sure you are specific about your
contribution.
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Dont forget your personal statement
Perhaps the most important part of the CV is the
personal statement. This is your opportunity to
tell the hiring manager where you are headed and
how they can help you get there. It can feel a
bit corny writing about yourself in this way, but
its a good opportunity to set yourself apart
from the competition. You should also consider
tailoring your personal statement to different
roles. This can help to complement your cover
letter and show the hiring manager that you want
a job with a particular company, not just a job
with a particular title.