Tips from a Recruiter. Laura Thomas has spent the last four years in recruitment, poring over thousands of CVs. Here she offers some basic do's and dont's for how to write them....

Having a strong CV is important – it is your only way of making the right initial impression with future employers. It is a written manifestation of your (working) life so far, and leaves an impression with the person reading it that will either allow you to be considered for the roles you want, or consigned to the reject pile. It is not the importance of a good CV that is debated, it is how to create one that will really stand out.

Firstly, it is important to understand the use of a CV. A CV has two purposes:

a. To enable the person reading it to understand clearly what it is you have done and achieved
b. To sell your ability to do a particular job well

A common flaw that people make is to focus too much on using flowery language, and not enough time on thinking about real achievements. I have read many thousands of CVs, and whilst phrases like:

“Evaluated opportunities and helped in the creation of key strategic business decisions”

may sound nice, and make the person seem terribly important, however the reality is that the recruiter will attach no positive value to this phrase. Flowery language and neat sounding phrases are not what differentiates between applicants. A better way to think about writing a CV is to follow points a) and b) above, or in other words, to make it easy for the person reading it to understand you, and to sell yourself in the right way. Ask yourself what the person reading the CV wants – and then give it to them.
A CV should include:

1. Your contact information including email and mobile
2. Your full educational background
3. Your work experience
4. Any relevant extra-curricular activities
5. Hobbies and interests, to show a little of your personality

The format and writing style of your CV is important – poorly formatted CVs are likely to frustrate the person reading it and find the bin first. Use bullet points where you can as this breaks up the CV, and gives the points more impact. A big chunk of prose is in danger of boring the person reading it. A good way of thinking about this (and dividing the CV) is in terms of responsibilities and achievements. This is important – the person reading it is looking for examples of what you have done, and this gives it to them in a clear way. Where you can, put in statistics and numerical examples of achievements against your responsibilities.

Clearly you want to choose examples of what you have achieved that are likely to be the most relevant to the person reading the CV. Each industry has its’ own preferences and quirks, and you should bear these in mind, but the following should give you a general guide, and is particularly aimed at fresh graduates:

1. You need to show that you can work in a commercial environment. Examples of previous work experience and responsibilities will help tremendously with this. It doesn’t matter if these are relatively menial, low paid jobs – employers like this endeavour. Don’t seem too academic.

2. You need to show that you have drive and people skills. Sporting achievements, entrepreneurial activities, acting, debating, and the like will all give some comfort on this side.

3. Demonstrate that you passionately want to work in this industry. This is really important – many bright graduates don’t get job offers because it is apparent that the industry in question is just one of many they are looking at. Previous work experience is ideal, but if you don’t have this, then list the books and publications that you have read. Consider writing cover letter that discusses your interest in the sector. For this reason, you need to tailor your CV for each application you make.

In essence, you need to leave the impression that you are competent (“can do the job” – your examples show this), and that you care (about working in this industry).

As long as a CV is less than three pages, that should be fine. It is better to include more examples than less – the idea that CVs must fit onto one page is a myth. The perfect CV simply explains who you are, and why you are perfect for this role.