10 things you should have in your CV Rated
There's an overwhelming raft of information about how to create the greatest CV of all time, but the truth is there's no right or wrong way to do it. It's just a matter of figuring out what works for you and the job you're applying for.
That said, there are a number of things you should consider to make sure you're really selling yourself.
Whether you're updating a current CV or writing a new one from scratch, you can use the following checklist to make sure you've got everything covered.
Emphasising your skills and strengths is vital when building a CV
There's an overwhelming raft of information about how to create the greatest CV of all time, but the truth is there's no right or wrong way to do it. It's just a matter of figuring out what works for you and the job you're applying for.
That said, there are a number of things you should consider to make sure you're really selling yourself.
Whether you're updating a current CV or writing a new one from scratch, you can use the following checklist to make sure you've got everything covered.
Emphasising your skills and strengths is vital when building a CV
- Contact details It’s important to provide a range of up-to-date contact options including your home address, your main phone number and your email address to make it easy for employers to get in touch with you.
- Employment history Make sure to include the jobs that are relevant to the position you are applying for. If you haven't had much relevant experience, however, you may want to include your whole work history.
- Education and qualifications Your education and qualifications may not be directly related to the job you are applying for, but they’re still important achievements that any employer will want to see.
- Skills and strengths Emphasising your skills and strengths is vital when writing a CV. A strength is something you’re naturally good at. A skill is something you acquire with education and experience. Make sure to demonstrate how your skills and strengths will help you to do well in the job.
- Your personality Your CV should follow a fairly standard format and the interview is where your personality is really important, but you can still stand out from the crowd with the language you use. Check out Clever Word Play for more ideas.
- A prioritised layout The way you layout your CV will depend on your age and work experience level. My CV allows you to choose between a work-focused or education-focused template. If you have don’t have much work experience or you’re looking for a career change, you should place your skills and strengths section before employment and education.
- A good simple format Unless you’re going for a highly creative job, getting too fancy with fonts and borders will only take the focus from the important information in your CV.
- Good spelling and punctuation There’s no room for poor spelling and punctuation in either your cover letter or your CV. Keep sentences short to avoid confused punctuation and, if you can, give it to a friend to check it over. Spell check should be the very last thing you do before sending it off.
- References available on request You don’t have to include references in your CV and leaving them out will save you space, but make sure to state at the end of your CV that they are available on request.
- A cover letter Most employers will expect a cover letter with your CV. It gives you a chance to get across your personality, ambition and to explain any gaps in your CV. Check out our Cover letter guide for more details on how to do this.