It can be difficult to know what makes a great CV, and how to write one. This blog post provides CV writing help if you choose to write your own CV rather than using a CV writing service.
This article outlines how to write a great CV which clearly and concisely sets out why an employer needs to hire you – not someone with similar skills or experience. Initially, a recruiter spends less than 10 seconds skim reading a CV to see whether the candidate has the skills and experience they are looking for. This means your CV needs to be well-structured and emphasise the skills and experience the company are looking for.
Many people, particularly those in senior roles, do not have enough time to dedicate to writing their CV, other people may find it difficult to recognise their key skills and experience, and/or write a concise, stand-out CV. I’ve included full details of my superior CV writing service at the bottom of this article.
CV Structure / Format
Your CV needs to be well formatted with a clear structure; the content of your CV is far more important than the CV style you choose. The only exception to this is if you are applying to a creative role such as design or marketing, when you may wish to design your own style to showcase your creative skills. A simple style is usually better than an elaborate style, because it encourages the reader to focus on your experience, rather than a CV style which the reader may dislike.
A CV usually includes your name, contact details, personal profile, employment history, achievements, education, professional development and additional information such as driving licence, computer skills and any additional languages. Some people choose to include their hobbies and interests. Ideally your CV will start with a personal profile – a short opening statement which explains who you are, what you’re offering and encourages the recruiter to read the rest of your CV.
It should be ordered with your most recent experience at the top and oldest experience at the bottom. It usually includes no more than 10-15 years experience on two or three pages. If you have many years of experience, summarise or delete your earlier roles. When you write your CV, start each sentence with a verb such as developing, implementing or managing. Include key achievements for each role with metrics (where possible) to add weight to your achievements. You can also showcase your work by including links to an online portfolio if you have one
Tailoring your CV to ensure your experience stands out
Your CV needs to be tailored to the role you are applying for, so your experience closely relates to the job description. Tailoring your CV means emphasising the skills which are most important for a particular role (or type of role). This means tailoring the content in each CV section to mirror the requirements in the job description, whilst removing or minimising any differences.
Let’s say you have 15 years management experience in the retail industry, but wish to work in another sector. Your retail CV may describe you as “A high performing Store Manager with over 15 years experience in the retail sector…” However, it may be better to describe yourself as “A senior manager with 15 years experience developing and leading high performing teams” for roles outside the retail industry. This highlights the skills and experience which are of most interest to each sector. Likewise, experience managing specific KPI’s like stock, wastage and sales etc is very relevant for your retail CV, however listing the precise KPIs highlights these are different to other sectors. It is also worth removing any details about skills which you will not use in this role, otherwise it looks as if your skill set doesn’t match this role.
A management CV needs to focus on people management, project management and KPI delivery rather than the administrative duties. However, if the same candidate applied to an administrative or analytical role, they need to tailor their CV to emphasise these skills. If the candidate doesn’t tailor their CV, they are unlikely to closely match the requirements for either role.
Many large companies use Candidate Management Systems which scan each CV to ensure the recruiter only reviews CVs which are a close match for the job description. If you do not include the main keywords from the job description, your CV may be automatically rejected without reaching the recruiter. You may wish to read some of my other posts for further CV writing help.
Ensuring your CV stands out
Anyone can write a CV, but it’s much harder to write a good CV which stands out to recruiters. The easiest way to maximise the impact of your CV is to have your CV professionally written for you.
As a professional CV Writer, I offer CV writing help including a CV writing service which includes a telephone consultation to discuss your skills and experience and tailor your new CV to a role of your choice. This ensures your CV stands out from others whilst clearly and concisely setting out what you can do for your next company – not just what you’ve done in the past. For more information, please visit my CV Writing Service page, call me for a friendly chat on 07917 137210 or email me via becky@interviewsuccess.co.uk.
