Top 10 CV Writing Tips

 1.    Be clear about the specific role or types of role that you are interested in. Write a list of the key skills that the role / types of role would require and then write your CV to highlight your own relevant skills and achievements even within roles which were not exactly the same as the one you are interested in.

2.    Highlight your biggest and most relevant skills and achievements in the first half a page possibly under the header. ‘Key skills and achievements’

3.    When listing achievements be specific. Simply writing I successfully ran an IT function for 10 years is typical of an average candidate. An outstanding candidate would list specific achievements and outcomes such as;

  • Grew IT department from 20 to 75 heads over 5 years
  • Reduced IT costs per head of the business by 43% saving the business £2m / year
  • Implementation of 2 new systems allowed the business to reduce headcount by 25% saving £6m year on year.

4.    Be succinct and to the point. Brevity is essential. Aim for a 2 page CV even if you have 30 years of work experience. You can also have a longer (maximum 4 page CV with more detail which you can provide if your initial CV achieves its goal as a marketing document.

5.    Take care that it does not look cramped; the layout should invite the reader to continue and not be too wordy.

6.    Be a stickler for spelling and punctuation, especially with the names of people and organisations.

7.    Use positive affirmative words throughout your CV. For example I am a highly successful Project Manager who has consistently delivered excellent value to the business, overseen a highly acclaimed re-structuring of the business and delivered multi-million pound savings. The same sentence without this affirmative language is much less inspiring and attractive to an employer.

8.    Keep your interests list short as too many will make an employer wonder how you would find time for their business. The wrong interests can also put an employer off so be sensitive to the fact that some people may not be as excited as you are by the fact you are a Chelsea fan or the fact that you are a member of a cult!

9.    Get at least one other person to proof-read your CV and also ask recruiters for feedback on it.

10.    See your CV as a live working document. Keep it updated even when you are not looking for work so that include all your big achievements and do tailor it for each role that you apply for.

If you have found this article valuable then you may be interested to read some of our other job seeker help guides including some great video guides starring members of the Chase Zander team!