Simply put, you need to put in your CV what the recruiter or employer wants to hear.  Every CV should be written differently for each job role you are applying for.  Take the job description or advert and look at the skills and responsibilities the employer or recruiter is looking for and tailor your CV to match these skills needed to do the new job.

Personal Statement

The personal statement is important to communicate who you are, what you are about and what you can do.  Write 2-3 lines for this section.  keep it brief & remember you need to get your information across quickly and make the reader want to continue to the next section.  If you get this section wrong, the employer won’t read any further.

Employment History

This section needs to describe what you did in each of your last jobs, a 2-3 line description about the role you did and then bullet point or list the things you achieved in your role.  For example if you implemented a new system, reduced cost or trained new staff then your potential employer will want to hear things like this.  Don’t just list your responsibilities or it can read like a job description.

Education

This section takes on added importance for school leavers or graduates as the work history section will be limited or shorter.  Similar to the work history section, concentrate on what you achieved, what projects you worked on and how the skills you learned can be transferred to the role you are applying for.

Personal interests

Some people include this section, some don’t.  It really is up to the individual.  If you do use this section, then make sure you personal interests match the job description you are applying for.  You don’t want to list hunting as one of your hobbies if you are applying to a wildlife conservation organisation.

How to create your CV

The easiest way to create your CV is to use a CV builder, all the layouts are already completed and all that is left to do is put the information in, it usually takes less than 10 minutes to do.

Alternatively if you want a truly hands off approach to creating your CV and to get the best results a professional CV writer will ensure that your CV appeals to recruiters and delivers results.

If you are writing a CV or are thinking about writing a CV, where do you go to get help and what kind of help is available?

Help Articles

CV writing help articles are available on this website along with career advice and videos.  Just use the links on the right hand side to view the articles and videos.

We have produced a how to write a good CV guide which details information regarding personal statements, employment history and education and what you should include in each section.

There is no doubt you need writing skills and good English as well as the ability to detail your personal & professional achievements in a way that the employer wants to see them.  this is easier for some than others.

CV Builders

CV builders are a great way for people to get help writing a CV because they have a layouts and templates that have been designed by HR & recruitment professionals, all you need to do is enter the details and a great looking CV is ready for you to print, email or download.  The help writing the CV is built in to the template or form so if you struggle with templates or are unsure with layouts, this is definitely the way forward for you.

Professional CV Writing Help

This is the most expensive way to get help with your CV.  But expense is relative.  If you get a job with your new CV, the help you paid for in having your CV written for you is going to be paid back by day one in your new job.  You will think the cost is well worthwhile.  You also know that your CV will be written in away that appeals to recruiters and employers and will be as close to perfect as it can be.

With competition in the job market being as high as ever, more and more people are turning to professional CV writers to get them to provide professional help writing their CV.

Whilst the above statement is obviously true, it is not easy to write a good CV.  Many people don’t really know what to include past the usual personal statement, education, employment and references sections.

There are lots of reasons a CV doesn’t make the grade.  The main reasons are

• Poor spelling/grammar.
• Bad layout.
• Not enough or too much detail
• Doesn’t include achievements.
• Gaps in work or education history

Personal Statement.

This is possibly the hardest part of a CV to get right.  It must be a creative statement that grabs the recruiters attention and tell them what you are about, what skills you have that are applicable to the job you are applying for.  Get this bit wrong and it doesn’t matter what else you write in your CV because it won’t get read.

Employment History.

The CV should get easier to write from this point on.  Employment history should have no gaps.  If you were out of work then you should detail why this is.  Don’t just say unemployed.  Detail what you did whilst you were unemployed.  Try to include constructive tasks or voluntary work you did.

The second biggest problem that candidates face when they write their employment history is that their job descriptions read just like job descriptions.  You might think this is ok, but it really won’t get  you too far with the employer.  For example if you worked as an admin assistant, the employer is already aware that you should have typing, filing and telephone skills.

What you should write about is your achievements.  tell the employer how you introduced a new filing system that cut down on paper, how you made the office run more efficiently etc.  These are the transferable skills that the employer sees value in.  Believe it or not, at this stage the interviewer is not really interested in you, they are interested in what you can do for them.

Education

This section takes less importance if you have a long work history or more importance if you have a short work history.  For those who have just graduated school or are in their first job, make sure you detail how your course/qualifications benefit the employer or the job role you are applying for.  A CV is about providing evidence that you are suitable for the job.

If you have a long work history, just list the qualifications and grades you achieved and where you studied.  There is no need to go in to as much detail as a school leaver because your work history is much more important.

Certificates

Some people include certificates or professional qualifications.  Depending upon your other work & education experience, you may or may not want to include this section.  If you do, keep it brief and to the point.  Maybe just bullet point your main professional qualifications or simply put them in the education section.

References

It’s best to put ‘references on request’ in this section.  Employers only contact references after you have been offered the job.  You can better utilise the space on a cv to help you get the job that writing each reference would take up.

Professional writing services.

professional writing services can’t be recommended highly enough.  many people think they can write a CV but can’t, it’s like asking everybody to write a book.  You wouldn’t get past the first page of most of them.  the same applies to CV’s.  They are usually written by HR or recruitment experts so they know what they are talking about and the cost is normally paid for itself after your first day in your new job.  Have a look at Cv writing services here

CV Builders

Ideal if you want to use a template to help you build a CV, they are easy to use and filled with action phrases and layouts designed to show your cv in the best possible light.  Have a look at cv builders here.