Your CV will vary from everyone else depending on your experience level and the type of job you are applying for, but most employers will expect to see the following details in your CV:
- Name and contact details – It’s important that employers know who you are and how to contact you.
- A CV profile or personal statement – An introductory paragraph at the top of your CV that summarises your skills, knowledge and suitability.
- Work experience – A list of your previous jobs, demonstrating how you contributed to the employer’s success.
- Work placements/voluntary work – If you have no paid work experience, you should include details of voluntary work or school work placements.
- Education & qualifications – A detailed summary of your education and qualifications you have achieved.
- Hobbies and interests (optional) – These should only be added if they are impressive or relevant to the jobs you are applying for.
- Achievements – Any outstanding results you have produced in your work or education should be mentioned throughout the CV.
Name and contact details
At the top of your CV you need to show recruiters who you are and how they can contact you. Keep these details tucked up into the top of the page to save space for the content in your CV.
The details you should include in this section are;
- Your full name
- A professional title: To give recruiters an instant idea of your talents, give yourself a professional title such as; Marketing expert or Finance graduate
- Telephone number: Provide a number that you can answer quickly such as your mobile
- Email address: Use an email address that sounds professional and avoid using one that contains a nickname or anything unprofessional
- Your location: Put your town/city to give employers a general idea of where you are based. If you are looking/willing to relocate you must make that clear.
Tip: There’s no need to put your full address here as it will take up too much space and is not needed at this stage of the application process.
CV profile
Your CV profile is an introductory paragraph that sits at the top of your CV.
You should provide a short summary of your skills, experience and qualifications, and endeavour to reflect the qualities being asked for by the employers you are targeting.
The aim of your CV profile is to hook the attention of time-strapped recruiters and encourage them to read the rest of your CV.
Work experience
Your work experience is the section where you list your current and previous jobs, showcasing the skills you have used and contributions you have made.
List your experience in reverse chronological order (meaning newest to oldest) because recruiters tend to be more interested in your recent work.
Education
Your education section should contain a summary of your qualifications and educational achievements.
Junior candidates and people with no work experience should provide lots of detail here, including schools & universities attended.
Experienced candidates do not need to provide as much detail here and should only list a brief summary.
Hobbies & interests
This section is entirely optional, but you can add some if they could make you appear more suitable for the jobs you are applying to.
Get started on your CV today, in my next blog I will share more detailed information on what you should put in your “CV profile”.
Enjoy!!!
Anja@350VA