CV Writing Guide
With the recession making the hunt for jobs so much more competitive, we all need some new, up-to-date CV writing help and advice. To really stand out from the hundreds of applications each job today receives, you need to know how to write a good CV. Not just how to write a CV, but also what impact your CV layout has and what employers are looking for during the initial CV screening process. We hope this comprehensive CV writing guide will give you some great tips and advice and ultimately prove to be a great CV writing assistance resource.
In this CV writing guide, our number one aim will be to secure that all important interview. And the best way to achieve this goal is with a targeted, high impact CV. So this guide will give CV writing tips as well as CV writing layout guidance. Whenever you apply for a position, your CV along with hundreds of others will go through a filtering process. You likely have 10 seconds or less to make an impact and stand out from the crowd. If your current CV doesn’t shout loud and proud that you’re perfect for the job, then your CV has failed and this CV writing guide will be perfect for you!
But just what is this filtering process….?
Know Your Enemy
The first and most important part of this CV writing guide is to understand what the people who have looked at thousands of CVs are actually looking for. After all, if you know what a prospective employer is expecting to see, it sure makes the job of CV writing much easier.
Just take a second to think about this. What would you do if there were 200 CVs on your desk? You’re a busy person and need to quickly get a more manageable number of potential applicants who you can call for interview. Would you have the time to read every last word of each CV? Of course not! As an employer you’re likely to cut this number down to around 10 as quickly as possible. And the way it’s done is by filtering CVs.
First Step: The 5 Second View
In this short space of time, a highly critical view on CV writing layout is taken. Any CV that matches the criteria below is almost certain to end up in the bin:
- Longer than 4 pages.
- No list of skills and/or no personal profile on the first page.
- In essay format with no bullet points.
This step is likely to reduce the number of CVs by 50%! After this quite superficial step in reducing the number of CVs based on CV writing layout, a potential employer will now give consideration to the substance of the CV…but not too much!
Second Step: The 10 Second View
The first page of the remaining CVs will be scanned. Anything that matches these criteria will join the others in the bin:
- Skills and/or profile does not match the job specification / requirements.
Believe it or not, this step is likely to reduce the potential applicants by a further 60%. The importance of knowing how to write a good, targeted CV should be becoming more apparent to you now.
Third Step: Find the “Potentials”
This last step will cull the remaining CVs and likely leave only 5% of the total number first received. To be considered a potential employee, on the basis of your CV alone:
Your profile and/or skills on your CV’s front page exactly match the job specification / requirements.
It is only at this point that the employer will look past the first page of your CV. In order to consider calling you for an interview, an employer would look for the following:
A minimum of 6-12 months experience in a closely related field.
- The candidate has evidence of solid, stable, long-term employment.
- The candidate has worked for a large company or has worked for a smaller company but has clearly described all notable achievements.
- The candidate has a good academic background.
CV Writing Layout
Grabbing a potential employer’s interest in as little as 20 seconds is a key part of the recruitment process. So how do you make sure you stand out? With only one piece of paper to make such a high impact, CV writing layout is very important.
What NOT to Put on Your CVs First Page
You may enjoy playing squash and think that holding a position of responsibility at your high school 20 years ago are interesting facts about you, but they won’t get you the job! You must be selective in what you list in your personal profile and skills section. Listing pointless information on the first page turns your CV into a highly generalized CV. What you want is a CV writing layout that is highly targeted and delivers maximum impact.
Consider these items which just waste vital space in your CV writing layout:
- A list of schools you attended with examinations, grades and addresses. Useless! You should be demonstrating you have the skills needed to do the job.
- A list of hobbies. Who cares?! Instead, tell an employer what you’ve achieved by applying the skills you have.
- Your work history. Irrelevant! Better to tell a prospective employer why they should higher you, by demonstrating what benefits you have given previous employers.
What SHOULD be on the First Page?
You must convey to the reader that your are precisely the right person for the job. You must demonstrate you know how to write a good CV by showing you have the relevant skills, that you have used those skills previously and that you have provided value to previous employers.
You should have four sections on the first page for a great CV writing layout:
- Contact Details: 3 lines.
- Personal Profile: 4 lines.
- List of Skills: 10 bullet points.
- List of achievements: 5 bullet points.
Here’s an example (click the image to view a larger copy):
Your Expertise
The aim of this part of our CV writing tutorial and of your CV is to prove that you are the right person for the job. The best way to write a good expertise section for your CV is to use around 10 bullet points and an excellent CV writing tip is highlighting any words you use that match the job advert. Most importantly, don’t waste space by concentrating for too long on any one area. Remember your CV writing layout tips and keep your bullet points short and to the point. Another great CV writing tip is to put multiple skills from the same area on one line. In order to write a good CV, you can also include great personal qualities that you may have, such as being able to meet short deadlines and work under pressure.
Your Achievements
The achievements section of a good CV can often be hard to write. However, the basic premise to writing a good achievements section is focusing on benefits to your previous employer and not yourself. One of the most common CV writing mistakes made is listing achievements as a set of skills which were learnt quickly and focused on how this benefited you, individually. To write a good CV you must think hard about how you benefited other business through your work. What examples do you have where you’ve applied your skills to a task or problem and delivered great results? Maybe you led a team which launched a new product, generating a rise in profits of 25%.
A winning formula we’ve often used to write a good CV achievements section bullet points is:
- What set of skills from your CVs first page you used.
- Who it helped.
- A quantifiable measure of how it helped.
How NOT to write your achievements:
- Trained a junior.
- Wrote some marketing materials.
- Went on a course to learn print design.
These, simply put, are not achievements! They are, loosely speaking, “things that you did”, and are great examples of how NOT to write a good CV! It doesn’t tell anyone reading your CV who benefited from paying you a wage and what improvements and contributions you made to the business.
Achievements are all about measurable benefits that you have provided. They are things that you’ve done that saved time, saved money, made more money, increased efficiency etc.
Take the next two examples, which show two ways of writing the same fictional achievement. Which do you think sounds more impressive, 1 or 2?
- Developed a spreadsheet that helped save 10 staff some time and make money.
- Developed and implemented a bespoke spreadsheet application for the traders, which reduced the time to calculate financial forecasts from 3 hours to 15 seconds. This not only save time, but enabled the traders to become more responsive to market change, and resulted in a measurable increase in profit of 12% over 2 months.
The Next Few Pages
This part of our CV writing guide focuses on the middle pages of your CV. This will be where you’ll cover your work experience. Remember the great CV writing layout tips we discussed earlier: keep it short, to the point and formatted as bullet points. In your work experience section you need to explain the things you did and the skills you learnt. Try to squeeze some benefits in this section too, if you want to write a good CV.
Here’s an example (click the image to view a larger copy):
The Last Page of Your CV
This page should be used to list your education and training achievements as well as the hobbies you have. It can sometimes be great to list any unusual or non mainstream hobbies you may have – we all know people who have been called to interview because of something strange and interesting written here! Just don’t go too OTT or leftfield – you don’t want to come across as an oddball! Keep this compact and remember that if you have a Degree and five years work history, you don’t need to list every GCSE you’ve achieved.
How to Write a Good CV: Targeting Your CV
Having read through this CV writing guide, you should have a good idea of how to improve your chances of getting called for interview. Also, you should now be much more aware of how important CV writing layout is. The final and most important part of this CV writing tutorial is targeting your CV for the job you’re applying to. In fact, this is the easiest part of writing a good CV; if they want an individual with strong business sense, who is a great leader and can deliver, make your CV show you as the best person in the country!
The important point here is to tailor your CV. In fact, it’s common practice for people to have multiple copies of their CV, each subtly tailored for different positions. Remember to focus on your strengths and experiences gained from previous roles. Also be sure to demonstrate what key transferable skills you have, that can be applied to the new position you’re applying for.
The CV writing guide that we’ve outlined here is a proven method as part of your job search strategy for securing an interview.
Good luck and happy CV writing!
First Step: The 5 Second View
In this short space of time, a highly critical view on CV writing layout is taken. Any CV that matches the criteria below is almost certain to end up in the bin:
- Longer than 4 pages.
- No list of skills and/or no personal profile on the first page.
- In essay format with no bullet points.
This step is likely to reduce the number of CVs by 50%! After this quite superficial step in reducing the number of CVs based on CV writing layout, a potential employer will now give consideration to the substance of the CV…but not too much!
Second Step: The 10 Second View
The first page of the remaining CVs will be scanned. Anything that matches these criteria will join the others in the bin:
- Skills and/or profile does not match the job specification / requirements.
Believe it or not, this step is likely to reduce the potential applicants by a further 60%. The importance of knowing how to write a good, targeted CV should be becoming more apparent to you now.
Third Step: Find the “Potentials”
This last step will cull the remaining CVs and likely leave only 5% of the total number first received. To be considered a potential employee, on the basis of your CV alone:
Your profile and/or skills on your CV’s front page exactly match the job specification / requirements.
It is only at this point that the employer will look past the first page of your CV. In order to consider calling you for an interview, an employer would look for the following:
A minimum of 6-12 months experience in a closely related field.
- The candidate has evidence of solid, stable, long-term employment.
- The candidate has worked for a large company or has worked for a smaller company but has clearly described all notable achievements.
- The candidate has a good academic background.
CV Writing Layout
Grabbing a potential employer’s interest in as little as 20 seconds is a key part of the recruitment process. So how do you make sure you stand out? With only one piece of paper to make such a high impact, CV writing layout is very important.
What NOT to Put on Your CVs First Page
You may enjoy playing squash and think that holding a position of responsibility at your high school 20 years ago are interesting facts about you, but they won’t get you the job! You must be selective in what you list in your personal profile and skills section. Listing pointless information on the first page turns your CV into a highly generalized CV. What you want is a CV writing layout that is highly targeted and delivers maximum impact.
Consider these items which just waste vital space in your CV writing layout:
A list of schools you attended with examinations, grades and addresses. Useless! You should be demonstrating you have the skills needed to do the job.
A list of hobbies. Who cares?! Instead, tell an employer what you’ve achieved by applying the skills you have.
Your work history. Irrelevant! Better to tell a prospective employer why they should higher you, by demonstrating what benefits you have given previous employers.
What SHOULD be on the First Page?
You must convey to the reader that your are precisely the right person for the job. You must demonstrate you know how to write a good CV by showing you have the relevant skills, that you have used those skills previously and that you have provided value to previous employers.
You should have four sections on the first page for a great CV writing layout:
- Contact Details: 3 lines.
- Personal Profile: 4 lines.
- List of Skills: 10 bullet points.
- List of achievements: 5 bullet points.
Here’s an example (click the image to view a larger copy):
Your Expertise
The aim of this part of our CV writing tutorial and of your CV is to prove that you are the right person for the job. The best way to write a good expertise section for your CV is to use around 10 bullet points and an excellent CV writing tip is highlighting any words you use that match the job advert. Most importantly, don’t waste space by concentrating for too long on any one area. Remember your CV writing layout tips and keep your bullet points short and to the point. Another great CV writing tip is to put multiple skills from the same area on one line. In order to write a good CV, you can also include great personal qualities that you may have, such as being able to meet short deadlines and work under pressure.
Your Achievements
The achievements section of a good CV can often be hard to write. However, the basic premise to writing a good achievements section is focusing on benefits to your previous employer and not yourself. One of the most common CV writing mistakes made is listing achievements as a set of skills which were learnt quickly and focused on how this benefited you, individually. To write a good CV you must think hard about how you benefited other business through your work. What examples do you have where you’ve applied your skills to a task or problem and delivered great results? Maybe you led a team which launched a new product, generating a rise in profits of 25%.
A winning formula we’ve often used to write a good CV achievements section bullet points is:
- What set of skills from your CVs first page you used.
- Who it helped.
- A quantifiable measure of how it helped.
How NOT to write your achievements:
- Trained a junior.
- Wrote some marketing materials.
- Went on a course to learn print design.
These, simply put, are not achievements! They are, loosely speaking, “things that you did”, and are great examples of how NOT to write a good CV! It doesn’t tell anyone reading your CV who benefited from paying you a wage and what improvements and contributions you made to the business.
Achievements are all about measurable benefits that you have provided. They are things that you’ve done that saved time, saved money, made more money, increased efficiency etc.
Take the next two examples, which show two ways of writing the same fictional achievement. Which do you think sounds more impressive, 1 or 2?
- Developed a spreadsheet that helped save 10 staff some time and make money.
- Developed and implemented a bespoke spreadsheet application for the traders, which reduced the time to calculate financial forecasts from 3 hours to 15 seconds. This not only save time, but enabled the traders to become more responsive to market change, and resulted in a measurable increase in profit of 12% over 2 months.
The Next Few Pages
This part of our CV writing guide focuses on the middle pages of your CV. This will be where you’ll cover your work experience. Remember the great CV writing layout tips we discussed earlier: keep it short, to the point and formatted as bullet points. In your work experience section you need to explain the things you did and the skills you learnt. Try to squeeze some benefits in this section too, if you want to write a good CV.
Here’s an example (click the image to view a larger copy):
The Last Page of Your CV
This page should be used to list your education and training achievements as well as the hobbies you have. It can sometimes be great to list any unusual or non mainstream hobbies you may have – we all know people who have been called to interview because of something strange and interesting written here! Just don’t go too OTT or leftfield – you don’t want to come across as an oddball! Keep this compact and remember that if you have a Degree and five years work history, you don’t need to list every GCSE you’ve achieved.
How to Write a Good CV: Targeting Your CV
Having read through this CV writing guide, you should have a good idea of how to improve your chances of getting called for interview. Also, you should now be much more aware of how important CV writing layout is. The final and most important part of this CV writing tutorial is targeting your CV for the job you’re applying to. In fact, this is the easiest part of writing a good CV; if they want an individual with strong business sense, who is a great leader and can deliver, make your CV show you as the best person in the country!
The important point here is to tailor your CV. In fact, it’s common practice for people to have multiple copies of their CV, each subtly tailored for different positions. Remember to focus on your strengths and experiences gained from previous roles. Also be sure to demonstrate what key transferable skills you have, that can be applied to the new position you’re applying for.
The CV writing guide that we’ve outlined here is a proven method as part of your job search strategy for securing an interview.
Hopefully this guide has been useful for you. We welcome any comments you may have and will also answer any questions about how to write a good CV. Please post them below.
Good luck and happy CV writing!