Putting together your CV can be a challenging task, whether you’re seeking your first step on a career ladder or are a seasoned professional seeking the next step in your career.

For experienced individuals, one effective structure would be:

Contact Details
Profile / Career Summary 
Work History
Key Skills
Professional Qualifications
Academic Qualifications
Additional Information
Interests
References

General notes:

Many recruiting managers are busy people and may not have time to read through a very extensive CV.  There is no two page rule, but let common sense prevail. If you have five pages of project information, we would suggest that you attach it as a separate document entitled ‘additional information’.

Contact Details:

Ensure that all of your contact details are present and up-to-date, including your mobile number if possible. Do not include work contact information, if you would prefer not to be contacted at work.  Avoid any informal email addresses.  

Profile and Career Summary:

The top half of the 1st page is where research suggests the reader will make an initial judgement. This is where you need to grab their attention.

Some CV’s present themsleves as historical documents, however this does not present the reader with what you are trying to achieve in your career. This section can be used in part to highlight these ambitions e.g ‘seeking to become chartered in the next 12 months’, ‘seeking a position managing a business unit’ or ‘keen to begin a career in a specific field’.  

You can also use this section to identify key skills and achievements. (sometimes using a sub heading).  

Work History

This needs to be in reverse order so that the most recent or current employer is at the top of the page. Also the dates should be as specific as possible to the month when you started. A CV that reads 2001 – 2002 could be 1 month to 23 months in length of service.

Always account for employment gaps on your CV. Career breaks are common these days, and employers will be more suspicious of gaps if they are not explained. Travelling for example is often looked upon as a positive thing by employers.

A key point is to try and avoid simply writing your own job description in each of the positions that you have held. A list of bullet points outlining your responsibilities, by no ways explains how successful you have been in fulfilling those tasks. Therefore you need to be specific in the types of work you have undertaken, how you were directly involved, the methods used, and a tangable result or outcome. Simply a list of projects is insufficient.

Key Skills

Such as:

Computer Packages
IT
Key competences

Professional Qualifications

Be very clear. If you are a member of an institution, state at what level: Graduate, Associate Member, Full Member or Fellow. In addition, include the year that you achieved that status.

 Academic Qualifications

Give the full details of the course, and institutions you studied at, and the year of graduation or course completion. 

For more experienced individuals summarize school qualifications.

Additional Information

Voluntary Work
Driving Licence

Interests

Be honest! Put down your genuine interests only

Note to recent Graduates

Please be aware the the most important aspect of your CV at this stage in your career is the Education section.

Therefore this should go ahead of the work experience. You should include the following information:

Institution, Course and overall grade or predicted grade.
Final Year Subjects and Grades
Dissertation Topic and Grade

Supporting information on any particular part of the the course which you had a particular interest.

A Level, GCSE, or equivalent results

A profile section at the beginning of your CV will allow you to state your professional interests, aims and objectives

Before the interview:

• Ensure you have researched the company. Use all sources available including your Recruitment Consultant, Web sites and contacts.
• Leave plenty of time to get to the interview.
• Ensure that you have an example of work to speak about if appropriate. This could be project work or academic.
• Be prepared to back up the information on your CV. Your CV should have specific achievements and projects you have worked on. Have in mind examples to illustrate key skills or experiences you want to highlight.
• Prepare specific questions. This shows that you have an interest in the organisation, but also allows you to interview the employer to ensure it is the type of opportunity you are looking for. Write them down for the interview if necessary.

On the day of the interview:

• Treat every interview as a formal one unless instructed otherwise.
• Be on time. Being too early is as rude as being late.
• Relax; be yourself, do not try to be someone you are not.
• Be concise in your answers and try and stay on track.
• When answering questions, give specific examples. Avoid vague statements and always conclude with the result of your actions.

After the interview

• Contact your recruitment consultant to give feedback. Be honest and to the point.  Providing a reasonable amount of information will greatly enhance your chances of speeding up the process.
• Should you have any questions after the interview, then do not be afraid to ask.