During the COVID-19 pandemic, many employees found themselves placed on furlough, which in some cases also led to redundancy in the worst-hit industries, such as travel, aviation, and hospitality. If you are on forced leave and looking for a new job or have been recently made redundant, we cover how to create a CV explaining your furlough.
If you are currently on furlough, you are still employed and this means your employment dates remain the same (Jun 2017 - present).
Furlough personal statement
There is no need to provide an in-depth explanation on your CV. If you were moved into redundancy following a furlough period, your statement could include a short snippet saying redundancy following a furlough period.
Ensure the main focus of your personal statement is positive and shares who you are, what you offer the employer, and where you would like to see your career go. By reading the job description of the vacancy, you should be able to identify the skills and experience the recruiter is looking for. Where you possess these, mention them and provide an example as evidence.
What to include within a personal statement on a CV
Key skills section
Once again, study the job description and highlight your abilities that will transfer into the new role. A case of quality over quantity applies, and there is more value in providing facts and figures, awards, and achievements that back up your statements rather than creating a list of skills.
Placing the critical skills section ahead of employment is an excellent way to move attention to your strengths and away from the furlough or redundancy.
How to identify the skills I should include on my CV
-> DOWNLOAD A FREE FURLOUGH CV TEMPLATE
Professional history
Your professional history should start with your most recent job. The employment date can remain as ‘to present’ if you are still on leave. Duties and responsibilities may be a given for the positions you held, so aim to elaborate with examples of how you used your abilities and the successes your actions created.
If your furlough ended with a layoff, you could show that you remain active by mentioning or starting a part-time job or volunteer work. A temporary position is most valuable when a reasonable amount of time has passed since your employment ceased.
How much job history should I include on my CV?
Qualifications
Your qualifications should go back as far as your GCSEs, mentioning your most recent education first. You can show your passion for learning by enrolling in a relevant course, and online learning is a practical part-time option. Mentioning recent education will demonstrate to the employer your passion for new beginnings and is invaluable if you are changing your career or industry.
Grades should be listed, although GCSEs can be summarised if you have higher education or more recent certifications.
What education and qualifications should I include on my CV?
Hobbies & interests
Hobbies and interests are optional on a CV. However, if you lack work experience or have few qualifications, hobbies can be a superb way to illustrate transferable skills or your personality.
Should I include hobbies on my CV?
-> DOWNLOAD A FREE FURLOUGH CV TEMPLATE
References
It is no longer the norm to provide the contact details of references on your CV unless requested in the job advertisement. A statement saying references are available on request will suffice. Credible references can come from past employers, tutors, or career coaches.
Should I include references on my CV?
Furlough CV advice
Our CV template library and career advice will assist you in finding a new position or career. Our CV templates should be used as a guide, and you should make your resume unique by adding experiences, job-relevant skills, and career achievements.
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