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Candidate Resources - GUIDELINES FOR A GREAT CV

It's a tough market - make sure your CV stands out from the crowd.

A busy hiring manager will scan your CV in a few seconds, so how can you make sure it grabs their interest. A compelling introductory paragraph summarising your skills, successes and winning traits is a great start. Ask yourself, would I hire this person?

This common sense approach will make your CV easy to read and help you to present yourself concisely and with clarity!

Structure

Think about how you structure the content of your CV to grab the reader's attention at first glance. These suggestions will help you to present your employment history and skills professionally.

Contact Details

Keep your contact details clear - your address, email and two contact numbers are all that's required.

Profile

A three or four-line paragraph highlighting your strengths and experience to grab the readers initial interest.

Employment History

Contracts or employment in date order with the most recent first - make sure your headings stand out.
Be sure that dates run concurrently and explain any notable gaps.

Systems Used and Relevant Skills

List all of the systems that you have used that are relevant to the role you're applying for.
For technical positions it is a good idea to provide a summary of the technical skills you have, including development methodologies, databases and operating systems.

Interests

Your hobbies and interests can be listed in a few bullet points at the end of your CV.

Avoid

Including non-essential information such as the number of children you have and your marital status.
Negative language and slang.
Cluttering up your CV with long-winded paragraphs.
Adding a covering letter or content or title page - the client will shortlist on what's in the CV itself.

Formatting

Clear and attractive presentation is important to make your CV stand out at first glance, so keep it uncluttered, with key points easy-to-spot.
Avoid over-formatting your CV with underlining, italics, images or borders.
Keep the font type plain and consistent throughout.
Display headings and important details such as client name, role title and dates in a larger and emboldened font to make them stand out.
Avoid using tables.
Use bullet points and keep sentences short.
Don't write your CV in the third person - you are presenting yourself, not someone else.
Always check for errors. Run a spelling check and ask someone else to read it for you.

Select Career Resource

	Guidelines for a great CV
	Before the interview
	During the interview

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25 March 2023

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