CV Tips
A good CV is your first way of getting your foot in the door on the job market. With a strong CV you will be presenting and promoting yourself - your skills, experience and interests - to get to the interview stage.
Structure
For maximum impact the CV should be clearly laid out and professional looking. Spelling and grammar should be checked; remember, the reader's first impression of the CV is paramount. When you are typing the CV, opt for a simple, clear font (e.g. Times or Arial) since this will help it look uncluttered. There is no need to include a photo of yourself at this stage, or to put decoration (e.g. a border) on your CV.
Length
The CV should be a maximum of 3 sides, ideally not more than 2. It is helpful to use bullet points rather than full paragraphs as this can save on the number of words.
Layout
Start with your name and contact details (address, phone number, mobile number, email address)
Include your nationality and (if applicable) police ID number
Opening statement
This should be a paragraph summarising your working life. It states your motivations, main areas of experience and any significant career achievements
Career experience
List your employment in reverse chronological order. In each case, state your employer's name, give areas of responsibility and any significant achievements in that employment. If there are any gaps in your career history, these should be briefly explained. Reasons for leaving an employer do not need to be included, since this will most likely be covered at interview.
Educational details
State in reverse chronological order colleges and schools attended with qualifications obtained
Relevant skills
List skills that you have which are relevant to the job or sector that you are interested in. These may have been obtained through in-service training courses or on-the-job experience.
Personal interests
This is to give the
reader / employer some idea of you outside the workplace.
Referees
This can be left as simply 'Available on request'
|