Advices
A good CV gives prospective employers a clear and concise summary of your qualifications, experience, skills and suitability for a the role you apply for.
A really good CV gets noticed ahead of the many others that arrive on employers’ desks every day.
How to present your CV
Present your CV clearly and logically, using short sentences, bullet points, a single typeface and consistently sized headings.
Be honest, accurate and able to talk confidently through any point on your CV. Structure your CV to emphasise skills and experiences that match the role you’re applying for.
Decisions about which candidates to invite to interview are invariably based on the relevance of the information in their CVs.
Keep your CV up to date. New experiences, skills and qualifications will improve your value to future employers.
Your CV should include
Your name, address and full contact details.
A summary on the first page including a list of your key skills and key applications in bold. Precise the quantity of experience you have for
- each key skill,& key roles you've completed to date
- your experience in a specific sector or industry,
- your ‘unique selling points’, eg. problem-solver, team player, etc
Your professional experience
starting with the most recent position and including start and finish dates, employer, job title, key responsibilities and achievements- Your skills and professional or specialist qualifications – including any relevant training courses you’ completed
- Details of any software packages you're familiar with and level of proficiency e.g. basic, intermediate and advanced
- A quick overview of your life outside work – include hobbies, sporting activities and personal interests so that employers get a sense of the real you and what makes you tick
The covering letter
You will provide a covering letter or email to give a "voice" to your CV. You will draw out key points from your CV to state where there is a good match between what is required of the role and what you have to offer.
Present your covering letter as you would have on paper.
The content of your cover letter should be brief and structured. In some cases an advert will indicate that a more substantial letter is required. Always follow a specific instruction and include any information if it is particularly requested, for example, current salary.
Close your letter with a polite expression of interest in further dialogue with the recruiter.
