Having a good CV is the first step in any job search, and having one that’s short, concise, and well structured is an easy way to impress prospective employers. Read this article to get advice on how to structure your CV and what to include. Bear in mind that it’s in order, so each section should show up on your CV as it is listed here:
- Main header – this goes at the top on the first page. It should include your name, address, and contact details. Most employers prefer it if you don’t include a photo.
- Current career objectives – outline why you’re looking for a new job, what kind of role you want, and (most importantly) your current ambitions. A short and concise message matched to the role you’re looking for is likely to impress employers.
- Career history – A summary of what you’ve done in your career so far, but you don’t need to include everything. If you worked in the chippy when you were 16 it’s not exactly relevant if you’re applying to be a web designer ten years down the line. Just describe relevant roles in detail, including the details of the period of employment, salary, the skills learnt and responsibilities in those roles. Putting down the latter information cuts out the need for a ‘key skills’ summary as another section. A lot of sources recommend such a section, but bullet pointing keywords such as ‘Hardworking’ ‘Creative’ and the like can often appear vague.
- Education history – Note down your most advanced qualifications first, whether it’s a PHD or a GCSE, and include any professional qualifications. If relevant, the latter can be a huge bonus. If you went to university, write down what you studied and your grade. After that, write a little bit about the course and what you got out of it. As there are so many different university courses out there, it won’t go amiss to explain to employers about the specifics of your degree. After this put down where you went to school, subjects studied, and grades earned. You don’t really need to write a specific explanation for this; just let the grades speak for themselves.
- About me – This section gives the CV more of a human face. Just write down things like hobbies and interests, and how you like to spend your time outside of work. Having sociable people in a company is always a plus for employers because it can often boost morale. Also note down any extracurricular achievements that you did at school or university – for instance, saying that you worked on the student newspaper will have big mileage if you want to be a journalist. Again, you don’t need to go overboard and write about absolutely everything, just explain particularly good achievements and ones that you’re proud of.
- References – A formality that not everyone checks, but still make sure your references are trustworthy. List two people who can back up what you’ve explained on your CV, good choices are often a manager at your current or previous work, or a teacher or university supervisor.
When you’ve put in all these points, you’ll be on the road for successful recruitment. Posting your CV on websites such as Reed.co.uk is always a good way to advertise yourself. You can get updated on jobs, and employers may contact you directly if you do this.
3 Responses
Standard Formats are Stifling
I disagree with having a “concise way” to structure a resume (but not being concise)as it stifles creativity and provides a boring repetition of sameness, although I do admit it can make it easier for recruitment staff.
The topics included in this article are fine … there’s not much latitude with them, but occasionally It’s nice to see a career objective first and perhaps name and address etc last (after all, if they are a good candidate, you’ll find the contact details).
To stand out in a crowd an applicant has to do something different. In colleges where I have taught resume writing I have encouraged differences because our graduating students would all be applying to the same handful of firms for employment and the vanilla resume looks uninteresting and as though graduates haven’t made an effort.
Using a standardised resume is not always the best approach.
Don’t add the names of potential referees at this stage
For a couple of reasons
1 I have been approached for a reference because someone did this. Although I had agreed to give them a reference at some point in the past they had not told me about this particular application. I knew nothing about the job and I thought the lack of courtesy in checking that it was still OK was a bit cheeky.
2 For a reference to be meaningful I think it is important to choose the right person at the time. This is harder for younger people with fewer people to choose from, I know, but it is still worth thinking about – especially if it is for a personal reference and not just your immediate previous employer.
CV for agencies?
This is an interesting article. Much of what is here is great – but for who?
The second section listed – Current career objectives – is great to help an agency – but can be a deterrent to an employer. equally this may be focused one way – yet a different, yet interesting opportunity present itself and the employer is put off by your stated interests.
If the role of the CV is to get an interview – why include things which may reduce your chances – such as references. they are not relevant until after offer.
Unless you are a new graduate or very young person without much work experience – most of the comments around education history are of little of no value and take valuable white space.
The article http://www.hrzone.co.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=169168 tell you what to put in and why. The article https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=169169 gives th context
Mike
RapidBI.com