11
Jun

CV Writing 101 – The Do’s and Don’ts

I often get asked to help candidates with writing their CVs. Sadly, I always have to say no, just because I don’t have the time to speak to so many candidates every week! But that doesn’t mean I don’t know the ropes.

I don’t think there’s such a thing as a ‘perfect’ CV, but I have seen some real shockers in my time! And there’s nothing worse than when I’m excited about the most amazing candidate, but they are rejected straight away because of the state of their CV. So my biggest piece of advice is…

Make it count.

It might seem like just a piece of paper, but this document is what stands between you and your ideal job. Employers are scrutinising everything. If there are spelling mistakes all over it, they will question your attention to detail. If the information isn’t structured clearly, they could think you’re unorganised.

The better your CV is, the better your chances of landing an interview and winning the job. Remember, it’s a hiring manager’s job to shortlist the best candidates, so if you can avoid the common pitfalls in CV writing, it could make all the difference. So I’ve put together a short guide for you to follow. In my opinion, if you follow these tips, you can’t go wrong.

Do’s

  • Keep it short: Hiring managers don’t have time to read an essay, so if your CV is too long, they’re going to file it under B for Bin. Try to keep your CV short and sweet, and a maximum of 2 pages.
  • Be concise: Everything on your CV should be there for a reason. I know it’s hard to decide what should stay and what should go, but if it’s waffle or irrelevant, you need to hit delete.
  • Format, format, format: Consider how easy your CV is to physically read. You’re trying to make things as easy as possible for hiring managers. Use bullet points, lists and headings to make sure they can locate the information they need easily. Formatting is probably one of the most important parts of your CV, so make sure you give it some attention.
  • Choose font carefully: Please, please, please don’t use some super creative font – no matter how tempting it might be. Again, make it easy for the reader.
  • Include your experience: This is your time to shine! It’s your chance to brag about how amazing you are, and how great you will be at this job. If you absolutely smashed your targets or delivered on a big project in your last role, shout about it! Don’t be modest, this isn’t the time for it.
  • Spellcheck: This is the number 1 pet hate for most hiring managers – spelling errors! Check and check again, use a spellcheck program and ask someone else to check it for you. Make sure there is absolutely no chance you’ve made a silly error, as it could cost you your job.
  • Include your details: This is a common mistake, and one that always leaves me with my head in my hands. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found a cracking CV, but there aren’t any contact details, so I can’t let the candidate know about the vacancy!
  • Use facts & figures: A CV isn’t a place for empty claims. If you have an achievement, back it up with facts and figures wherever you can.

Don’ts

  • Use the third person: Talking about yourself in the third person might be cute if you’re Dobby the house elf, but it isn’t for normal people like you and me. It’s never fun to read, so just talk in the first person.
  • Lie: I can’t tell you the number of second interviews I’ve seen go badly wrong because a candidate has been caught out lying on their CV. Remember that your references will be followed up on, so fabricating the truth will get you nowhere.
  • Leave unexplained gaps: Having gaps in your CV is common, especially if you’ve been working a while. Having children, looking after ill relatives, adoption, relocating – there are all sorts of reasons you might not have worked for a while. Employers will ask about any unexplained gaps, so don’t leave them blank. Instead, explain them! Include the time on your CV with a sentence or two explaining why you weren’t in work, and the issue goes away.
  • Mismatch: Employers are always looking for discrepancies, so when you update your CV, make sure your LinkedIn profile gets updated as well.
  • Lead with ancient history: Please don’t start your CV with the paper round you did when you left school! In fact, leave that off altogether. Instead, have your most recent role first, then the role before that, and so on.
  • Use an unprofessional email: You can have a great CV, but if you ask them to contact geraldthegeekygiraffe@hotmail.com, it’s not going to look good for you.

It Depends…

Of course, not everything is black and white. There are some parts of a CV that could work well for certain employers, but absolutely torpedo your chances with another. So these are 2 things that you could do, but you need to think about carefully.

  • Unusual Formatting: Making your CV look unusual or artistic can be really cool, especially if you’re applying for creative or design-based roles. And it can be done very well. But it can also be done very badly (believe me, I’ve seen it!), so you need to think carefully before taking the risk. It can be a refreshing change and make you stand out from the crowd, but it can also come across as tacky. I can’t tell you which yours would be, so think carefully and make sure you’re happy.
  • Photos and Headshots: We’re living in the world of Instagram and Facebook, so photos are everywhere we look. We’re used to being able to put a face to the name, so you might think it would be good for employers to do that too. But be wary – many employers are trying to reduce unconscious bias within the hiring process, which means including a photo could send your CV straight to the bin just to avoid the risk. But not with all of them. If you’re going to include a photo, make sure it’s a professional headshot, and not something you’ve dug up from Facebook.