CV Writing Skills

Curriculum Vitae: from the Latin – "The Course or Race of Life"

Your CV creates the ’all important’ first and often lasting impression. A badly prepared CV challenges the credibility of the contents and ultimately the competence of the individual being represented. Take time in designing and constructing your cv - it is time well spent.

Presentation: Notes

• The CV should have 2 distinct sections - Personal details followed by Career History
• If the career has spanned more than a couple of decades, employers will want to see the most detail pertaining to recent positions. Earlier roles can be summarised briefly to show career progression
• Qualifications should be restricted to professional qualifications and highest academic achievements
• For shorter or trainee careers more detail should be given to provide a balanced overview of qualifications and achievements
• The CV should be relevant - tailor it to each position for which you apply

Personal Details

The personal section should appear at the top of page one. The section should include:

• Name
• Address
• Contact Numbers (Home/Work/Mobile)
• Email Address
• Date of Birth
• Nationality
• Genuine language skills

... Followed by a sub-section entitled ’Education and Qualifications’ which includes Academic and Professional Qualifications. List in reverse chronological order with relevant grades included.

... Followed by computer skills and software packages used.

Career History

The career history is your opportunity to illustrate the breadth of experience you have gained throughout your career - avoid repetition and be concise.

• Start with the present/most recent employer and work in reverse chronological order
• Name the employers and provide information on the nature of the business, size of company (in total employees and turnover)
• Provide dates of employment to the nearest month
• Give job titles for positions held
• Provide detail of responsibilities - make it clear and concise
• Include specific achievements at the end of each position - quantify where possible illustrating the impact on profit

CV Presentation: Do’s

• Do make it concise, 2-3 pages is sufficient
• Do ensure all information on the CV is factual and accurate
• Do make sure all information is presented in a positive manner
• Do highlight key skills and strengths
• Do use bullet points where possible

CV Presentation: Don’ts

• Do not use lengthy paragraphs
• Do not put weaknesses on your CV
• Do not lie or exaggerate
• Do not forget to spell-check the final document. (UK grammar and vocabulary)
• Do not use jargon - explain quirks which are particular to an industry or company
• Do not use padding - it ends up sounding like padding
• Do not add unnecessary information such as religious affiliation, children’s names and ages etc

Always check your cv again once complete. Maybe ask the opinion of a third party. When you are happy with the content e-mail a copy to yourself to ensure the layout is correct. Remember this will be the first impression a potential employer will see.

At Pink we NEVER amend candidates’ cv’s - so make sure you get it right.