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How to produce a great CV

Published on: 1 Mar 2022

First, what are the basic ingredients of a CV? It will normally include your name and contact details, a history of your education and qualifications, plus details of your work experience and interests that are relevant to the job you are applying for. Education and employment history are normally written in chronological order, including the dates of your studies and employment. But these are just the bare bones.  

Here are some tips on how to make your CV more effective:  

  • Don’t make it too long. If you do, you’ll hide your best features in-amongst a host of less impressive detail. CVs shouldn’t really be longer that 2 sides of A4. One side if you’re starting out in your career.  

  • Make it relevant. Don’t just put down what jobs you’ve done or what interests you have outside of work. Link them into the job you’re applying for. Imagine you were talking directly to the employer. What skills do you have that he or she would be interested in knowing about? 

  • Show how you’ve personally made a difference. Don’t just list what tasks you’ve done in a job. Show how you’ve changed things, had good ideas, worked hard, or achieved something out of the ordinary. 

  • Check it carefully. Check the spelling! And read the whole thing through several times (a fresh pair of eyes is also useful here). Above all check your contact details. If you have an incorrect email address or phone number, the employer won’t be able to get hold of you. 

  • There are lots of advice pages on writing CV’s – so read of a few and look at the various templates you can follow – but make your CV your own it should be an honest reflection of your experience.