Tips for writing a Winning CV
Is your CV working against you? Are you struggling to get responses from employers, or keep getting automated rejections, and you think that it may be due to your CV? Don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place for help. So, how do you make your CV stand out amongst the masses? With these four easy-to-implement CV writing tips that will help maximise your chance of being chosen for interview:
Start with basic things such as your name, contact number and email as these should be right at the top of your CV. Without this information then an employer can't get back to you if you get the job, and with it being at the top of your CV it is unlikely to be missed. However, we do advise not adding an address as it not only uses up space on your CV, but also by adding your address it can put your privacy at risk – especially if you’re sharing your CV online.
After your contact details, your next section so be your personal statement. This section is where you can tell the employer who you really are, your goals and why you think you deserve to get this job. A personal statement is a great way to sell yourself, and generally speaking it should be written in third person narrative. An example of this is “He is a highly dedicated person who works well within a team. He also prides himself on delivering exceptional customer service and takes time with customers to ensure all their needs are met” – this avoids you sounding arrogant by repeatedly saying ‘I’ and ‘my’.
The main body of your CV will be your work experience and qualifications. Don't worry if you don't have much real-world work experience, if you’re a student or young person, try to think about any work experience you may have done in school, or any volunteering you did. Furthermore, think about anything else that you could add to your CV that would make you stand out from the crowd - have you won any awards, achieved anything that you are personally proud of, or been praised for something that you thought was a great success?
Now for the easy bit - your hobbies and interests. This is the part of your CV where you list what you like doing in your spare time, things such as sports, reading, chess, photography or even gaming. Employers will want to know more about the person behind the CV, what you enjoy doing, and how you may be a good cultural fit in the company. To learn more about the importance of culture in the candidate experience process, please read our blog regarding this subject!
With these things in place your CV will be clear, concise, and structured, and will help show off your best skills and qualities and give you the best chance of success. Now go ahead and put these tips into action by searching for jobs and apprenticeships with your brand new CV!
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