If you are struggling to write your CV, are not sure if you are following best practices, or make a compelling case as a candidate, you would not be alone. We know CV writing is challenging, particularly if you are starting from scratch. To compliment our career advice and CV templates, we reveal our top CV tips and advice.
1. Proofread your CV
Grammatical errors (typos) are one of the most common mistakes in CV writing. They will hinder your chances of getting an interview, especially if you claim attention to detail or accuracy as one of your skills.
To prevent grammar issues, use your computer’s spellchecker. Better still, ask a trusted friend or colleague to proofread your CV. It is hard to spot some errors as you tend to see what you believe you have written, even when something is incorrect. Common mistakes include using the American spelling of words (optimize versus optimise) and words that sound the same but have different meanings (your versus you’re).
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2. Tailor your CV to the job
CVs should reflect not only your work experience and education but also the role you are applying for. We recommend reading the job description first, pulling out the skills and experience the recruiter is seeking, and prioritising these on your CV.
An excellent approach to creating a bespoke CV is to add a new personal statement to your CV each time you apply for a job. We also recommend focusing on skills and providing examples that show you know how to use them effectively.
We recommend reading:
- What to include within a personal statement on a CV
- How to identify the skills I should include on my CV
3. Format and use keywords
Your CV needs to be effective at a glance, so you should use a simple font, keep your CV concise, and include keywords a recruiter may use to search CV databases. Keywords include industry skills and variants of job roles.
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4. Keep your CV up-to-date
Outdated experience and jobs from twenty years ago will not add value to your CV. Refresh your CV, often adding new jobs and qualifications as you gain them. Keeping your CV up-to-date on issues like adding references and hobbies will facilitate your future job hunting and reduce your hassle, stress, and time, letting you focus on personalising the CV to the job.
We recommend reading:
- Should I include references on my CV?
- How much job history should I include on my CV?
- What education and qualifications should I include on my CV?
- Should I include hobbies on my CV?
- What information must I include in a CV?
5. Review CV templates
Our CV templates will help you create or update your CV. We have CV templates for your career, and these will provide inspiration and can work as a guide to creating your bespoke and effective CV:
- Accounting CV template
- Agriculture CV template
- Arts CV template
- Automotive CV template
- Banking CV template
- Charity CV template
- Construction CV template
- Customer Services CV template
- Education CV template
- Engineering CV template
- Environmental CV template
- Facilities Management CV template
- Finance CV template
- Healthcare CV template
- Hospitality and Leisure CV template
- Human Resources (HR) CV template
- Information Technology (IT) CV template
- Leadership CV template
- Legal CV template
- Manufacturing CV template
- Marketing CV template
- Media CV template
- Office Administration CV template
- Personal Care CV template
- Professional Services CV template
- Public Sector CV template
- Retail CV template
- Sales CV template
- Science CV template
- Social Care CV template
- Telecommunications CV template
- Transportation and Logistics CV template