An effective CV will showcase your most relevant skills and experiences, whilst telling a prospective employer why you are right for the job.
Follow the simple steps laid out in this guide and you’ll be well on your way to achieving the perfect CV.
Put yourself in the employer’s shoes:
Before you apply for any role you need to gain an understanding of the type of person the prospective employer is looking for. Whether it’s from a job advert, person specification or conversation with the company itself, use this information as a blue-print for your CV. The more effectively you show a clear match between the skills required and those you possess, the more likely you are to secure an interview.
Be honest and factual.
Your CV will typically be used to structure the interview and could be the foundation on which the job is built, so providing inaccurate information will only lead to problems further down the line. Give yourself the edge by using your CV to accentuate your real skills and abilities, and to promote achievements and successes.
Make yourself easy to contact:
It seems obvious but not everybody does it. Include all of your contact details on all of your pages as you never know if your CV will get split up. Always include your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address and, if you have a website that you think will add value to your application, include that too.
Proofread; your CV has to be clear:
It’s critical that each area of your CV is easy to read and allows the key points to stand out. Use a universal font such as Arial, Times New Roman, Palatino or Courier, rather than one that may not be available on the recipient’s computer.
Always check your CV for spelling and grammar errors, as a mistake could cost you the job. If in doubt, ask someone else to double-check it for you. And always include a covering letter!
Making your CV stand out:
Focus on value
Remember, the reader is asking themselves two basic questions: can you do the job and will you fit their organization?
Introduce yourself with a strong positioning statement that sums up your personal and professional attributes, taking into account the role blue-print.
This should act as a focused summary of what you have to offer, so keep it simple and snappy.
* Concentrate on how your involvement with projects showed return on investment. It’s no good saying: “I ran a team of three people”. Instead, think about what your management did for that team:
Did it improve productivity?
Was the team responsible for rolling out a new programme?
Did your management result in cost-efficiency savings?
* Every statement that you make should focus on your achievements and successes. Try to support each statement with numerical evidence, such as: “reduced downtime by 15%”.
* Your CV should be a living document. To make the most of it you’ll probably need to adapt it to specific roles or blue-prints. Employers don’t have time to read between the lines, so the more you do to promote your suitability, the greater your chance of success.
Make it easy for them by:
Molding your CV to their requirements
Highlighting where your skills match their needs
Pointing out the value that you could bring to their organization
Mind your language
Keep copy concise and jargon-free
Use short sentences and bullet-points - you can expand on these at the interview
Don’t refer to yourself as ‘I’ or by name
Make sentences more direct by using verbs and nouns on their own (e.g. ‘Increased sales by £50k’ or ‘Major achievements include’)
Use the past tense to describe your career (‘Led a team of…’) but the present tense for your transferable skills and competencies (‘Offers experience in…’)
Quantify outcomes in numbers, not words (‘Retained 100% of staff…’) as it’s quicker to read or scan layout
Use an uncluttered layout with plenty of white space and wide margins
Choose a single, common typeface such as Times New Roman, Arial, Palatino, or Courier
Follow best practice: 10-12 point body text, 16 point maximum for headings, no capitals (especially on internet CVs where capitals are seen as SHOUTING), and embolden headings
Don’t reduce the font size or margins to fit more in. If you need another page, use one
Print on one side of the paper only, and number the pages if there is two or more
Structure
Personal information:
-Name, address and contact details are a must. You might want to add these details to the header or footer of your CV in case pages go missing
-Work experience
Employers are usually interested in your most recent jobs, so concentrate on your last two positions – although you might occasionally want to highlight earlier roles if they are relevant to the role you’re applying for.
-Start with your most recent position and work backwards
-Provide a job title, start and finish dates, the name of the company and a brief description of what they do. Treat a promotion like a separate position and add content accordingly
-List relevant responsibilities, achievements, duties and skills
-Describe the scope of your job and level of responsibility, rather than listing a job description
If you’ve had a lot of jobs or a long career, you might want to summaries under such headings as ‘Previous employers’ or ‘Earlier Career’
-Make sure you explain any significant gaps in your career as, even if you’re not working you may have gained valuable transferable skills and experience from other pursuits :Qualifications, education, training and development
Usually these come near the end, but if particular qualifications are essential for the job and make you more marketable, put them on the first page after your profile or key skills
Include relevant professional qualifications and academic ones, but don’t include ‘bought’ memberships
List degrees and any executive programs that you may have attended; giving the subject, awarding body and year. Be honest as it may be checked
-Mention relevant skills such as languages, technology, vocational or on the job training
Include relevant training or skills acquired while unemployed, on sabbatical, or doing part-time or voluntary work
Reference and client endorsements:
You may want to include the names and contact details of your references on your CV, but there is no obligation. Whether you include them or not, it’s wise to have your referees ready and willing to represent you
Include client endorsements and recommendations in the achievements section of your CV, for example: ‘Given a special award by ABC for contribution to ABC project’
Future proofing:
Remember to keep your CV up to date, even when you’re no longer looking. You’ll be thankful when the time comes and it’ll prevent you from forgetting important dates, details, projects or successes. If you follow these simple rules and put all of our tips into practice, you’re more likely to impress on the strength of your CV. Good luck!
Career tools
As a credible and informed career partner, horizon-job offers you the possibility to find out a job based on your own criteria quickly and easily.
In an effort to assist your career progression you can find these useful tips which help you to achieve job satisfaction:
There are no hard and fast rules for achieving interview success, it’s wise to follow some basic guidelines if you want to give yourself the best chance of making a lasting impression.
Be prepared:
The most important foundation for any interview is preparation. If you want to stand out for your knowledge, be sure to understand both the role and yourself.
- Know yourself
- Know the company
- Know the role
- Know the industry
- Know how you will add value
Know yourself:
The majority of interviewers will follow your CV as a basis for the meeting. It’s therefore crucial that you can talk about your skills and experiences with confidence and understanding. Employers will want to know why each point has been included, so make sure you back up every statement with evidence.
Know the company:
Once your interview has been confirmed, find out everything you can about the company in question. Carrying out relevant research is the single most powerful tool in your interviewing arsenal, as it distinguishes good interviewees from bad ones.
Researching a company is not just about how many offices they have and what products or services they sell; it’s about understanding what their challenges and opportunities are, where there business is going, and how the role fits into this plan.
Know the role:
Before every interview, you should receive a job specification that will help you to prepare for the meeting. If you are applying for a job through a recruitment agency, a consultant should brief you prior to the interview. This information will allow you to structure your responses for maximum impact, as you can use the job spec to relate your experience to the role.
Know the industry:
Researching the company is a good way to impress, but if you really want to stand out then you need to find out about their wider environment. Display an in-depth understanding of their industry and competitors to show that you’re reading around the subject and understand the environment you are looking to work in.
Know how you will add value:
Employers will use the interview to explore whether your experience and expertise can meet their unique challenges. They will expect you to show an understanding of how you can help them to reach future goals so be sure to give this some thought. Think about why you want the job, how you would approach it, and how you’d make a difference; drawing upon previous achievements to back up each statement.
Be sure to shine
Positivity:
Adopting a positive mindset is one of the most important factors in any interview. The interview may be an opportunity to display relevant skills, but it is also a chance to show that you are sufficiently motivated and proactive.
No matter how you feel about your current or previous employers, don’t be tempted to display negativity as it could reflect badly on you. If an employer sees you as being quick to criticise, they could be mindful of your attitude, so make sure you focus on the good points.
Good answer:
Interviewers are not there to trip you up; a good interviewer will want to put you at your ease and make sure they get the best from you. When you‘re asked a question, don’t be tempted to rush into an answer. It won’t reflect badly if you take a few moments to compose yourself, so think about what you’d like to say and what you think they want to hear.
When answering questions be sure to use convincing STAR examples (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to evidence previous achievements and their relevance to the role in question. Talk positively about results to show that you are determined to succeed, but remain factual, sincere and clear in all of the points that you‘re making.
Good question:
Preparing incisive and relevant questions of your own is sure to impress at interview, but make sure you avoid run of the mill subjects. Asking questions that could easily be answered by a Google search will may you look ill-prepared.
Finally:
If you don’t get the job, don’t get downhearted. It’s unlikely that you’ll be offered every job you ever interview for, no matter how many skills you bring to the table. If you do get turned down, treat it as an opportunity to improve your future performance and ask for feedback; taking on board any comments when applying for your next job.
Remember, interviewing is a skill and as they always say, practice makes perfect.
whether you’re in the market for a new role or you want to secure a promotion by impressing the boss, you’ll need to concentrate on your ‘personal brand’. How you are perceived by employers - both existing and prospective - can have a significant impact on your future.
Make yourself indispensable:
To boost your value to an employer, you need to get yourself noticed for the right reasons. Look at ways of improving your skills, knowledge and attitude whilst also building on your relationships; understand your business and maintain a business-like attitude at all times; be proactive by offering practical solutions to challenges and work on expanding your network.
In your job, strive to engage with projects that will provide the opportunity to build on those skills related to your current role and those relevant to your career path. Select projects that allow you to get in front of key business stakeholders - effectively showcasing your knowledge and determination.
Demonstrate, not assert:
Any hiring, pay or promotion decision is primarily based on individual performance. Meeting targets, motivating a team, making good on development plans, being positive, loyal, reliable and determined to succeed, is what being a classic high performer is all about.
Keeping your CV up-to-date is crucial, irrespective of whether or not you’re actively job hunting. Write in terms of action; describing what you actually did to achieve results in each situation. And remember, competency interviewers are very wary of answers that refer to ‘we’. A potential employer wants to discover what you bring to the party, not how great the team is that you are planning to leave behind.
Get used to talking – even boasting– about what you do. The great thing about a competency-based approach is that it ignores job titles and takes no notice of how you might behave in a hypothetical situation; so if you’ve spent time re-filing your work life experiences in this way, you’ll be ahead of the pack in any interview situation.
Raise your profile
Network: get to know as many of your peers as possible through corporate social events, industry networks and professional forums. A strong corporate profile - within your organization and across your industry - will position you as a favorable person to know. Having a prominent reputation will also mean your name springs to mind when career-enhancing opportunities arise. Contacts are often a great source of opportunity - from putting new experiences your way to giving you access to useful resources. Through them, you might gain access to industry reports, topical events or practical solutions that will impress your boss or interviewer. Colleagues in other business units, sectors or regions might even involve you in projects that will further develop your competencies, skills and experience.
Believe in yourself
In tough times, it’s very easy to get despondent, particularly when you may have been made redundant or have been out of work for a while. But, as competition for roles gets tougher, it’s crucial that you remain positive and confident. Take time to identify the skills and experiences that make you valuable to an employer and focus on showcasing these.
If you have confidence in your abilities and believe you deserve that job or promotion, this will shine through. Likewise, a lack of self-confidence can be easily identified and if you don’t believe in yourself, who will? Remember, you are your own salesperson, and it’s up to you to highlight your strengths.
Be realistic:
You’re unlikely to impress your current or future employer if your career demands vastly exceed what they can offer for you. While a clear focus and drive is essential, you need to be realistic and put your career aspirations into the context of the current market. Bear in mind that market conditions are constantly changing, and consequently your expectations may need to fluctuate with the times. If you can remain flexible and open minded, then your chances of fulfilling your longer-term plans are more likely to come to fruition.
Maintain momentum:
In any market, it’s important to keep your focus and energy levels up. It’s been estimated that most of us work at just 65-70% of our potential, so it’s not hard to see that the real winners will be those who maximize their opportunities and keep themselves involved. Your lifestyle will help, so regular exercise, plenty of water, healthy eating and a good night’s sleep are all essential.
Build on feedback:
Other people very often have a different perception of you than you have of yourself, so it makes good sense to check your development points with peers. Ask your boss for regular appraisals if you don’t already have them, debrief with your project team after every piece of work, and ask your recruitment consultant for feedback on the best skills to demonstrate for your ideal step up. More importantly, take constructive feedback and build on it. Seek out the best possible ways of addressing, developing and up-skilling your competencies. That way you’ll soon fill the gaps that might otherwise hold you back from your next career step.
Choose your recruitment consultancies wisely:
Effective relationships are important in any walk of life or business. The type of relationship that exists between a candidate and their recruitment agency could have a huge impact on your career. Sometimes less is more, so when it comes to choosing the number of agencies or recruiters that you want to use, do it carefully. Registering with several agencies may make it harder to build strong relationships with each of them. And in some circumstances, you may lose control over where your CV goes, so be clear on whether agencies have your consent to send it on to potential employers.
Throughout your professional life, your own personal brand will be your best asset for career progression, so be sure to dedicate both time and effort into getting it right.
Make no mistake:
There are both right and wrong ways of handling your resignation. Resigning calls for diplomacy, good sense, calm, deep consideration and strength of character. Be sure to command your emotions and do what is right for you.
If you’ve decided to leave your current employer, you’ll need to write a letter of resignation to confirm your decision. There may also be a meeting to discuss your decision - even if it is not a formal meeting - so you’ll need to plan. That means knowing what you want to say, how you want to say it, and sticking to it.
Think before quitting:
It’s essential to know your mind before making such a big change. List your reasons for wanting to leave and ask yourself if you have exhausted all possible avenues within your current firm. Resigning is a big step if all you want is a new challenge and a change of environment, as you may well be able to get this where you are.
Quitting etiquette:
Always emphasize the positives of your time with your employer, as you never know how important they may be to you down the line. Prepare for an emotional or confrontational response, but stick to your plan to avoid reacting in a way that may harm your chances of a much-needed reference.
Letter of resignation:
A resignation letter is an opportunity to say what you want to in a controlled way. It’s worth remembering that your new employer has a right to see your resignation letter, so keep it positive. This letter also provides a good opportunity to thank your employer for the opportunities they have given you.
Be sure to include:
Name
Date
Person it is addressed to
Notice of termination of employment
When this is effective from
Your signature
Remember that a letter of resignation is the last reflection of your character, so make it graceful and professional.
Other things to consider:
Be sure to give your organization enough time to find a suitable replacement; particularly so during busy periods or in the midst of a project Your new employer may want to speak with your current one for a number of reasons, so do everything you can to leave them with a positive impression.
Be prepared for a counter-offer and set your boundaries first. If you are changing jobs purely on the basis of money then a counter-offer could be the perfect outcome, but think about the implications. Accepting a counter-offer could impact your integrity with your would-be employer and you could find yourself wanting that same job in the future.
Make sure you negotiate a fair settlement for any outstanding holiday entitlement, pay or commission. In return, you must deliver on any outstanding projects and remain positive about the company to your colleagues.
If you follow these simple rules of resignation then you stand a good chance of leaving your current position of employment with good grace and dignity, helping you to secure a winning reference whilst maintaining a truly professional reputation.
