What to include in a CV (Curriculum Vitae) with tips for making a good CV

Help with your CV

Making a good impression is important when applying for a new job and your CV (Curriculum Vitae) may be the first contact you have with a prospective employer. Your CV should showcase your skills and experience in a concise and appropriate way. Your CV should be neat and tidy and be no longer than 2 sides of A4.

What to include in your CV:

Personal information

Name, address, contact details including email, social media address.

Work history and experience

Details of previous work starting with your most recent job, where it was, when and what your responsibilities were. If you haven’t got a lot of work history, highlight your experiences whether this was in a voluntary job or weekend job. You may also want to focus on the skills that you have to offer the job e.g. ‘ that you’re a quick learner’.

Qualifications

Your qualifications and academic achievements starting with your most recent. You may also want to include details of training that you’ve achieved whilst in employment.

References

You should include at least two references. These are usually previous employers. If this isn’t applicable to you, consider teachers or lecturers that can offer you a good reference.

Interests/hobbies

It’s worth thinking about any interests or hobbies that are relevant for the job and highlight these. Are you on your local PTA group? Or do you pursue a sport that shows you’re a team player? This section is just to give some extra information on you as a person.

Tips for making a good CV

• Spell check your CV for spelling/grammatical errors. CVs are more commonly emailed these days so you easily check your CV electronically for errors.

• You may want to include a personal profile which you customise for each job you apply for. This is usually 3-4 lines which highlights your skills and experience for the job.

• Get a second opinion, ask a friend or relative for their honest opinion. If they received your CV would they be impressed?

• Be positive about what you have to offer but don’t make it up! If don’t have the qualifications or experience for the job, be honest as you will be found out sooner or later. If you lack experience be positive about your eagerness to learn, show examples of self-motivation, any projects that you have led. These don’t have to be examples from a work environment.

Your CV is probably the most important instrument in convincing a prospective employer to consider you for a job. Take your time to perfect it and be positive about what your skills and experience. Hopefully, a good CV will get to the next important stage of being selected for interview!