CV Guide
Your CV is your first contact with any prospective employer. It plays an important part in the presentation of your skills, behaviours and career experience. Here are some general guidelines to bear in mind when writing your own CV.
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| Tip 1 – be brief |
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Keep your CV brief and to the point - it must be easy to read and understand. Readers are less likely to become bored with a CV that is concise and informative. A good guide is no more than 5 pages.
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| Tip 2 – show a history |
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Organise the content of your CV in chronological order with the most recent events first. It is a good idea to keep all your dates on the one side of the page for easy reading and reference.
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| Tip 3 – visualise your future |
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Start with a statement of your objectives and goals. This immediately grabs the reader and shows you have given thought to your future.
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| Tip 4 – show results
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Try to always refer to results that you have achieved and relate these to your role's requirements. For example: 'achieved a project objectives on time and within budget'.
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| Tip 5 – be correct
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It is a good idea to have someone else proof read your CV for errors and give you feedback on how it reads.
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| Tip 6 – lay it out neatly |
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Use a format that is easy to read and understand at a glance. Cluttered, untidy CVs send a poor message to the reader, and when time is money...
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| Tip 7 – make it legible
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Always use a point size from 11 to 14, depending on the font you use. This will make your CV more pleasant to read.
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Tip 8 – be relevant
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Only use information that is relevant to your career goals and professional objective. This avoids the need for the reader to sift through pages of out of date or superfluous information.
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| Tip 9 – keep it simple |
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Use standard-size white paper - only print on one side of the paper and avoid decorative fonts and graphics. Use two fonts at most.
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| Tip 10 – Would you employ you?
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Remember your CV has the power to set you apart from the crowd - it is well worth considering how a prospective employer will view your CV and what they will be looking for given the role you seek.
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