Resume
What to include in your Curriculum Vitae!
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Your CV, short for curriculum vitae, is a personal document used to sell yourself to potential employers. It should tell them about you, your professional history and your skills, abilities and achievements. Really, it should highlight why you're the best person for the job.
A CV should be no more than two pages – and that’s two pages of A4 paper! Employers spend, an average, just 8 seconds looking at any one CV, Keep it simple, to the point, and save those little details and life stories for the interview. The biggest tip of all though is to tell the truth! Blatant lies on your CV can land you in a whole heap of trouble when it comes to employers checking your background and references.
What to include in your CV in 2019
What to include in your CV in 2019
While the structure of a CV is flexible, depending on your unique skill set and experiences, there are particular sections that employers expect to see on your CV regardless.
Here are the sections you must include in your CV:
Name, professional title and contact details
Name, professional title and contact details
The first part of your CV, positioned at the top of the page, should contain your name, professional title and contact details. Under no circumstances should you title your CV with ‘curriculum vitae’ or ‘CV’ as it’s a waste of valuable space. Treat your name as the title instead.
When it comes to your contact details, your email address and phone number(s) are essential.
Firstname Surname | Professional Title
Phone: 01234 567890
Email: name@example.com
Personal profile
Personal profile
A personal profile is also known as a personal statement, career objective or professional profile. It’s a short paragraph that sits just underneath your name and contact details giving prospective employers an overview of who you are and what you’re all about.
You should individualise your profile to every job you apply for, highlighting specific qualities that match you to the job you are applying for. Aim to keep your personal statement short and sweet, no longer than a few sentences. To make the most of this section, you should try to address the following:
- Who are you?
- What can you offer the company?
- What are your career goals?
Experience and employment history
Experience and employment history
Your employment history section gives you a chance to outline your previous jobs, internships and work experience.
List your experience in reverse chronological order as your recent role is the most relevant to the employer.
When listing each position of employment, state your job title, the employer, the dates you worked and a line that summarises the role. Then bullet point your key responsibilities, skills and achievements.
It helps to choose the duties most relevant to the job you’re applying for, especially if it’s a long list. If you have many years’ worth of experience, you can reduce the detail of old or irrelevant roles.
Here’s an example of how to lay out each position of employment on your CV:
mmm yyyy – mmm yyyy
Company Name, Location
Role Title
Outline
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Key responsibilities
- xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Key achievements/projects
- xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Education and qualifications
Education and qualifications
Your education should also be listed in reverse chronological order. Include the name of the institutions and the dates you were there, followed by the qualifications and grades you achieved. If you can access your most recent report from school this would be a great tool to include in this section, especially if it is directly relevant to the job you are applying for EG: You achieved a high grade in math and you are trying to get a job working the till at a shop.
Formatting and spacing guidelines
Formatting and spacing guidelines
If you’re unsure of how to format your CV, it’s worth downloading a few CV templates ( See below a few examples to kick start the process) to familiarise yourself. After all, formatting and spacing your CV is equally as important as the content.
Here are some formatting and spacing tips to bear in mind:
Length: The standard length of a CV is two pages.
Headings: Each section must be introduced by a big, bold heading to ensure an easy read.
Font type: Most employers will receive your CV in a digital format, so choose a clear font like Calibri or Arial. You can use a different font type for your headings, but keep it professional and easy-to-read too.
Font size and page margins: The body of your CV should be between 10 and 12 point font, and your headings between 14 and 18 points. Keep your page margins around 2.5cm, but never reduce them to less than 1.27cm or your CV will appear cluttered and hard to read.
Proofreading and consistency: Your formatting must be consistent throughout your CV to keep it looking slick. Don’t spoil your CV by including typos and inaccuracies; ensure someone else PROOF READS you CV or invest in intelligent spellcheckers like Grammarly.
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