Creating a CV
So, now you know what you want to do and how to go about it, you need to start telling people! That’s what your CV is – a marketing tool.
What makes a CV stand out?
Remember, he employer wants to know what you’ve done and what you can do for them. Where you did it is less important. Think of the whole of your experience, not just school, college, or uni. That’s one way around the problem of not having a lot of work experience – we all have life experience to draw on. Think about what’s relevant, what’s unique, what makes you stand out. Remember also: a CV is never finished. It’s always growing. You need to tweak it every time you send it out to make it fit the job you’re applying for.
Here are our top tips for CV writing…
- Keep it short and to the point. Employers want to be able to pick out the information they need quickly and easily. With a long-winded CV, it’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack. If you can fit your CV onto one page, perfect. Two at the most.
- Use your profile to get them interested. This should be the first thing they read after your name and contact details. You’ve heard of an elevator pitch? Imagine being in a lift with the employer – you’ve got the time it takes to get to where they’re going to tell them about yourself. Second: Flag up your greatest strengths, what makes you stand out.
- Everybody has experience! Chances are, this is your first job you’re aiming for, so you won’t have previous employment to talk about. So what? They know that! Show them what you do have. Talk about work experience you might have done at school, college, or uni. Talk about any volunteering you’ve done – I’ve been a youth mentor, for example.
- Start with the most recent thing and work backwards. Ancient history is boring to employers! By starting this way – whether it’s work experience or education – you’re showing what’s fresh and most relevant. Always use reverse chronological order. If you start at the beginning, the first date the employer reads might be ten years ago. What have you been doing since then!?
- Use key words. If you read job descriptions for roles like the ones you want to apply for, you’ll find certain words or phrases come up again and again. ‘Ability to manage time and priorities independently’ for example, or ‘able to work effectively and proactively in a team.’ Try to use these phrases when describing your own skills and experience – it will tie your CV in more closely to the job.
- Use bullet points. It’s a good way to keep your information clear and punchy. Especially when you’re listing job duties or qualifications, bullets are a great way for an employer to find what they need easily. Think of them as being like a shopping list.
More nuggets of wisdom from Meta Volunteers…
Some more CV tips from Meta volunteers when they visited our Life Without Limits Centre
- Make sure you get your CV on the ‘Yes’ Pile!
(Hannah Finch)
- Use the Job Description language in your CV
- What recruiters look for in a CV