The Essentials of Good CV Writing

Start With a Persuasive and Targeted Summary Statement

Begin your CV with a concise summary that highlights your key skills and attributes that are relevant to the role you are applying for. This statement should immediately grab the recruiters attention and make them want to continue reading.

Tailor Your CV to the Job

Customise your CV for each job application by carefully reading the job description and identifying the skills and qualifications the employer is seeking. You need to highlight well the relevant experiences and skills that show good alignment with the requirements of the position.

Use Clear and Concise Language

Keep your language succinct, easy to understand and make the document flow well from a reader perspective. Use bullet points and short sentences to convey information effectively.

Showcase Your Achievements

It is important to prioritise your achievements instead of merely listing job responsibilities from previous roles. Placing emphasis on your accomplishments and the impact you have made in your previous roles shows the impact you can make in your next role. Quantify your achievements whenever possible, using numbers, percentages, or other measurable outcomes.

Focus on Relevant Skills and Experiences

Highlight the skills and experiences that are most relevant to the job you are applying for. If you have a long and varied work history, prioritise the most recent, significant and relevant experiences, and summarise or even remove some older roles if they aren’t relevant and are from too far back.

Include Keywords

Many employers use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to scan resumes for specific keywords. Research the keywords related to your industry, review how these show up in jobs advertised and ensure you include these in your CV to increase your chances of passing the initial screening process.

Keep it Concise

While it’s important to provide enough detail, avoid overwhelming the reader with a lengthy CV. Depending on your length of career this will vary from 1-4 pages. Focusing on the most important and relevant information will help you to keep it concise. Be selective and leave out irrelevant or outdated experiences.

Highlight Your Transferable Skills

If you’re changing careers or industries, emphasise the transferable skills you have acquired that are relevant to the new field.

Include Relevant Professional Development

Demonstrate your commitment to continuous learning and professional growth by including any relevant certifications, workshops, or training programs you have completed.

Proofread and Edit

Before submitting your CV, thoroughly proofread it for any grammatical or spelling errors. Pay attention to formatting, consistency, and overall visual appeal. Ask a trusted friend, mentor or career professional to review it as well to catch any mistakes you might have missed.

Use a Simple Template That Is Easy To Read

Unless you are applying for a role in the creative sector ensure you use a simple template that looks professional and that will be easy to read and follow for both the people and the computer systems that will be scanning and reading it. Pay attention to the order of content and make sure the most important and relevant information is earlier in the document.