Top CV tips from a recruitment expert

 

© Evening Times Originally published: 15/8/2006

Nothing makes a better first impression when looking for a job than an excellent CV.

Louise Wightman, chairwoman of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation in Scotland and managing director of Consultancy and Personnel Recruitment, knows a thing or two about CVs.

Here, she offers her top 10 tips for preparing and writing the perfect CV that will get you noticed by prospective employers.

1. Before you even start writing a CV, be realistic about the jobs you are applying for. Does your experience really match those outlined in the vacancy? Are your skills relevant to the post?

2. Your CV should be no longer than two pages. Recruiters and employers do not have time to sift through pages and pages of irrelevant information on the CV, so keeping it short will focus the details of interest to them.

3. Keep the design straightforward and simple. Be consistent with the font and size throughout and pay particular attention to headings. Less is sometimes more, especially as nowadays CVs are scanned to pick up all the relevant details the recruiter or employer requires.

4. Start the CV with your name and your career history/work experience, beginning with the most recent job and working backwards. Stick to standard job titles that are more likely to be picked up in the word search scan.

5. Use bullet points to highlight your achievements under each of your career history/work experience headings. Keep sentences short and to the point, but use action words to stress your successes and previous experience.

6. Details such as your education history, home and e-mail addresses, telephone numbers and personal interests should be included at the end of the CV. Students should always detail all voluntary and temporary working assignments.

7. Be very conscious of spelling, grammar and punctuation throughout the CV. Recruiters will be immediately deterred by applicants who cannot express themselves in clear, accurate terms.

8. Do not embellish or lie about your achievements and qualifications because, sooner or later, you will be found out through checks made by the recruiter or employer or, if you get the job, by your weaknesses in areas where you may have claimed to excel on your CV.

9. Include a personal profile or statement. This should be a summary of who you are, what you can do and what you are seeking in terms of a next job role - only if there is room. Again, highlight the facts relating to your skills, competencies and previous job experience.

10. Always remember that a CV is primarily a marketing tool in which to sell yourself to a prospective employer, so it is the first impression they will have of you to determine whether to take your application to the next stage.