You may have been made redundant (read Everything You Need To Know About Redundancy) for various reasons and are now looking to re-enter the workplace. Maybe your position was phased out, your employer ceased operating, or your company had to make cost cuts.
The reason for your redundancy will affect the wording in your resume and our redundancy CV template, and the advice below will help you craft a CV that secures you a new job.
Personal statement
Your name should be the title of your CV, followed by your contact details. Below these, you should write a personal statement that describes who you are, the skills you offer an employer, and where you see your career progressing.
A line within this paragraph can mention the reason for your redundancy. However, don’t provide too much detail. A personal statement is about selling your strengths, skills, and abilities and their value to your potential employer.
What to include within a personal statement on a CV
Key skills
A skills section before your employment history can be an excellent way to start your CV, rather than highlighting your redundancy. You should emphasise your desirable qualities, such as interpersonal skills or problem-solving, and accompany these with hard skills such as IT proficiency with a specific piece of software or application.
You should go beyond creating a list and provide examples of using your skills or attaining professional achievements and recognition.
How to identify the skills I should include on my CV
Career
Your career should be documented in reverse-chronological order, so your most recent role should appear first. You do not need to include all your past jobs if your career history is extensive. There will be little value in going back more than 15 years of employment on your CV.
Most employers or recruitment managers will know what a job entails, so it can be more valuable to mention your achievements or performance figures rather than listing your daily tasks and responsibilities.
Keeping active following your redundancy will show an employer that you are ready to re-enter the workforce. You could remain active by taking on a part-time job or volunteering your time to a charity or local business.
How much job history should I include on my CV?
-> DOWNLOAD A FREE REDUNDANCY CV TEMPLATE
Education and qualifications
Your education from GCSEs onwards should appear on your CV. As with your career history, start with your most recent academic achievements, which are likely to be most relevant or impressive. You should include the grades for your courses, but you can group these into a range for your GCSEs if you have a diploma or degree.
Tailoring your CV to the job opportunity can be effective. You can mention degree or diploma modules where relevant to achieve this objective.
What education and qualifications should I include on my CV?
Hobbies
Your hobbies can make a valuable addition to a redundancy CV. They can display your interest and knowledge of a subject if you are changing your career, demonstrate skills not mentioned elsewhere on your CV, and reveal personal traits and attributes.
Should I include hobbies on my CV?
References
References do not need to be added to your CV unless the job application specifically requests them. Stating ‘references available on request’ is acceptable and sufficient. Career counsellors and teachers are good reference sources. Your former boss will also make a good reference, particularly if the redundancy was no fault of your own, such as when a company closure has occured.
Should I include references on my CV?
-> DOWNLOAD A FREE REDUNDANCY CV TEMPLATE
Career and CV advice
Our career advice and CV templates will help you explore potential new careers or prepare yourself for continuing in your chosen profession. We recommend using the redundancy CV template for inspiration and making it your own by adding examples of your experiences and achievements.
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