Writing a CV

CV stands for Curriculum Vitae which means ‘course of life’ in Latin.

A CV is a document which is designed to provide your prospective employer with the essential information that will make them choose you for an interview. It is a summary of your education, work and personal achievements. 

It must be informative but brief and include the specific details the employer needs to make their decision.

It must stand out from the other CV’s  

Employers will see hundreds of CVs from prospective employees and most of them will look exactly the same, following a traditional format.  As a result, many of them are put to one side and never read.  It is important therefore to make yours stand out from the rest.

It must be accurate and truthful 

Most employers will check the dates of previous employment, your references and also ask you about the qualifications and skills detailed on your CV. It is important therefore to be truthful, don’t ‘guild the lily’ and make sure you provide the correct information so that you are able to answer questions at a subsequent interview.

Allow it to highlight your personality  

Let your personality shine through whilst being professional.  You need to allow the employer to see the person and not just the piece of paper.

Sell yourself 

List all your achievements, your strengths and qualities that will reinforce your suitability for the position being offered. You should include; educational, personal and previous work achievements. Take this opportunity to sell yourself and convince them that you are the ideal candidate for the job!

It must be up to date 

Most people only update their CV’s when they are applying for a new job. This is a mistake as something important may be forgotten. Every time you achieve something new, learn a new skill or your responsibilities change, update your CV. Then when you apply for a job or someone asks you for a copy of your CV it will be an up to date working document and you won’t have forgotten something important.

Reading your CV should make the employer want to meet you in person. Make sure it is legible, it is grammatically correct and there are no spelling mistakes.