Writing a professional CV is a skill which is not part of the curriculum in any UK college or school so many people have not learnt how to write one and the general feeling is that this task is only slightly above filling out tax forms in the hierarchy of worldly delights. Despite this, knowing how to write your CV and writing a good one is extremely important, and could be the one thing that makes an employer take notice of your job application.

Stand out from the crowd

Writing a CV that will make you stand out from the crowd and convince potential employers that you are someone they should interview at all costs is no easy task. It is crucial that your additional information or objective sells your skills and this can be tough so take some time to think about what exactly are you going to write there.

Preparation is therefore key and can save you hours of work. Writing and keeping file copies of your own different CV examples and CV templates not only saves you time but will help you to be able to produce an individually ‘tailored’ CV for each of the different opportunities as they arise. Writing a short concise, hard-hitting cover letter for your CV also shows confidence and professionalism, keeping copies of these is also a good idea.

Pay attention to detail

Your CV is the first piece of information an employer sees about you so your CV should be clear, concise, complete, and up-to-date with current employment and educational information. Sometimes applicants do not give enough information and omit things like an up-to-date address and a telephone number (one that will always be answered during business hours) which can ultimately cost them the job as it shows a lack of attention to detail. The sweet spot of a CV is the area selectors tend to pay most attention to: this is typically around the upper middle of the first page, so make sure that this area contains essential information.

Sell yourself

Employers are impressed by people who have clearly planned ahead of the rest and can tell when people have obviously left things late by their CV. Needless to say this does not create a good first impression. They routinely check job histories and education claims and are interested in any work experience whether immediately relevant or not. Gaps in a CV looks like you’re hiding something so avoid these at all costs.

Employers can receive tens, or even hundreds of applications for a single position; particularly when times are tough and jobs are rare. As they aren’t generally allowed to consider gender, race or age when recruiting they use the CV to decide who to interview it is extremely important that your CV shows you in the best possible light. Knowing how to write your CV will certainly make you stand out from the crowd.

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