The structure of your CV is an important factor in your job search. A CV needs to look professional and present your information clearly.
Profile – an introductory paragraph
Core skills – bullet pointed snapshot of your main offerings
Career history – detailed list of your roles
Education/qualifications/technical skills
Recruiters and hiring managers will be the people reviewing your CV, so you need to think about their needs when you structure your CV. These are the most important factors to consider in the overall layout of your CV:
Format
Ideally you should write your CV in Microsoft Word because it is easy to use and is also the most commonly used CV format amongst employers and recruiters globally. If you don’t have access to Microsoft Word, Google Docs is a very good free alternative.
Clean and simple font
Simplicity is key with any CV, so don’t use a fancy font or loud colour scheme. Stick with a simple professional font that gives readers a smooth experience.
Clearly divided sections
Organise your CV sections logically with bold titles for each heading and even borders to break the page up further. This will allow recruiters to jump quickly to any information they need with ease.
Sufficient spacing
Nothing is more off-putting to a reader than huge unbroken paragraphs; they look messy and daunting to read. Put some blank space between sections to make your CV easy to navigate.
2 page length
In order to hold the attention of recruiters and hiring managers without boring them, keep the CV short and sharp – 2 pages is about right. Break your CV up into short sharp paragraphs and bullet points to avoid giving recruiters a headache.
Now that we have covered the basics, let’s take a look at each section of your CV and how to structure each one.
CV Heading
The top of your CV is hugely valuable because it is the very first thing that a recruiter will see. For this reason, you need to make sure it looks ultra-professional and makes a big positive impact.
Head your CV up simply with your name and a professional title that relates directly to the jobs you are applying for. Underneath the heading, add your location and contact details so that they are easy to find but do not take up much space. If you are willing to relocate, or looking for work far away from your current location, then you need to make this clear. Otherwise you risk being overlooked for roles as recruiters will assume you live too far away to commute.
Quick tip: Decrease the top page margin of your CV as much as possible to allow more content to appear at the top of the CV, without the reader having to scroll down.
Profile
Your profile sits just underneath your CV heading and serves as an introductory paragraph to summarise your offerings and grab the attention of recruiters. Another way to think of it, is like a quick sales pitch. Use between 4-8 lines to explain what you can offer an employer in the way of skills, experience and knowledge.
Important things to include in your profile are:
- Industry/market experience (length of experience, specialty)
- Type of companies worked for (sector, size, markets)
- Knowledge (education, qualifications, regulations)
- Environments worked in (large IT projects, busy sales floor)
- Tools and software used
- How your work impacts your employer (generating revenue, saving costs, increasing users)
Avoid the mistake of filling your profile with generic clichés like this: “Motivated hard-working team-player with a results-driven attitude and dedication to go the extra mile and meet challenging deadlines”
These statements may look impressive and possibly even be true, but they don’t actually explain what you do. These points aren’t factual and could be applicable to any role, so they won’t add any value to a CV. Stick to the facts when writing your CV profile and try to reflect the key requirements of the job you are applying for. Also, don’t include your reasons for wanting to work in the role in your profile, that should have already been covered in your CV cover letter.
Note: Junior candidates such as graduates and school leavers may benefit from writing a more detailed personal statement instead of a profile.
Core skills section
To give the top of your CV an extra boost, add a bullet pointed core skills section underneath your profile. This sections consists of 6-8 short bullet points of your most in-demand talents, and gives readers a great snapshot of your offerings from just the first glance. These points can also be easily edited to tailor your CV every time you make an application.
Work experience and role structure
Once you have introduced yourself with your profile, it’s time to start listing your work experience. For experienced candidates, this will consist of your paid roles – for junior candidates, you can include non-paid experience such as school/university work placements and volunteering. List your roles in reverse chronological order, starting with your current (or most recent) role and working your way down to your oldest role.
Employers will be mostly interested in your recent work, so include plenty of detail in the newest roles and less detail in the older ones.
The purpose of your role descriptions is to show recruiters how you apply your skills and knowledge in the workplace to the benefit of employers. A good structure is crucial to the writing of a successful role description.
Quick tip: If you worry that your spelling and grammar might not be correct, try using a free writing assistant tool like Grammarly to eliminate the risk of making mistakes.
Structuring your roles
As with the rest of your CV, each of your roles need to be easy to read, and they should also give readers a full understanding of the role with no uncertainties. Start with an outline that explains your employer’s business, where you sit within the organisation, and what the overall goal of the role is. This sets the scene for readers and gives them some context for the details that follow.
Then, list your responsibilities in punchy bullet points to demonstrate how you apply your skills and knowledge to contribute to your employers’ success. Round the role off with some impressive achievements to demonstrate the impact you have made during your time there.
For further help in writing your CV, you can contact 350VA and receive a free CV template.
Anja@350VA