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Our top tips on how to format your CV

Tess,   28th August 2019

Our top tips on how to format your CV

There are a number of ways you can format your CV. This in itself can create a problem when you are trying to decide on which layout will work best for you.

The way we represent our candidates will depend on the sector you wish to work in. Some sectors are very skills driven, for example, finance and IT, whereas some are very results driven such as sales. For the marketers, communication is everything.

The key to securing an interview is being relevant to the job you are applying for. In order to do this, hiring managers need to be able to easily identify that you are a worthwhile consideration for the job. Here are our top tips on how to format your CV:

Length -Two or three pages is enough, but don’t worry if your CV is longer, as long as you are portraying your relevant experience, it doesn’t matter about the length of your CV. Focus on what you want to talk about in your interview and the elements that show you in the best light.

Order – Organise your CV in reverse chronological order with the most recent job first.  If you are in a sector such as IT, your skills will be very important, so make reference to them in your skills section. If you are a recent graduate and have a relevant degree, your education needs to feature on page 1. If you have limited work experience, perhaps lead with your education. Otherwise just keep the dateline and make sure it all stacks up.

Concise – Make it easy to read, bullet point the key elements which speak to what the job description asked for. If you did it and it isn’t relevant, resist the need to share.

Relevance – Ask yourself before writing anything, will this help me get this job? If the answer is no, don’t take up precious space with something that won’t help. Play to your strengths and just check it always has something to do with the role. Write about YOU, a lot of people get hung up writing their responsibilities that the CV ends up looking more like a job spec. Focus on what you contribute, and on what you’ve achieved.

Choose a professional font – A professional font ensures that your CV can be easily read and simply scanned.

Use bullet points – They’re a great way to draw attention to any key facts or relevant information, allowing a hiring manager to skim the document easily and find your significant achievements without having to wade through all the details.

Contact details – keep your email address professional.

If you still feel you need some help with your CV, or just want us to check and make sure it reaches its full potential, then get in touch with us today.