How to Write the Perfect CV

Help Producing a CV That Gives the Right First Impression

Aug 26, 2009 Zoe Robinson

CVs give potential employers their first impression of prospective employees and as such, it is important that it gives the right impression.

Although free CV templates can be found all over the Internet, it is important to tailor a CV to fit the specific job it will be used for. It should be brief, providing only the details the employer needs, and above all, it should look professional.

How Long Should a CV be?

Like a résumé, a professional CV gives details of work experience and education but, because it is longer, it can go into more detail. For work-based CVs, two pages of A4 is the widely-accepted maximum length. Academic CVs may be longer however, to accommodate a complete list of published papers.

How to Format a CV

Because a CV gives employers their first impression of an applicant it is important it looks professional. Use a clear font such as Arial or Helvetica throughout. Do not switch fonts between sections or print headers in a different typeset.

Headers should be in bold while highlights should be in italics. Do not underline, leave that to employers who wish to pick out points of interest. Because space is a premium, do not use more headings than are absolutely necessary. One heading per section is enough, and never split sections across pages.

Good spelling and grammar are very important. Most word processors now come with a spellchecker. Run it when after writing each draft; at the very least.

What to Include on a CV

Because employers already know it's a CV, using "John Smith", for example, instead of "Curriculum Vitae" not only avoids a superfluous title but also saves much-needed space. Similarly, the title should be followed by the personal details section but there is no need for a "Personal Details" heading.

Include contact details next: telephone number (work, home and mobile, if applicable), e-mail and postal addresses are enough. Only include a personal website URL if it is a professional one that is linked to the job or career being applied for, otherwise leave it out.

Although these details are not mandatory, it can be beneficial to include nationality details and ability to work in the UK. Asking for age, sex and marital status is illegal under UK discrimination law so there is no need to include these details.

When listing education history, begin with the most recent qualifications first. Don't include courses that were started but not completed unless they are ongoing. If still in education, include the last available exam results and a predicted overall grade for the course or courses.

For employment history, list the most recent job first and work backwards up to ten years; if the older jobs are relevant to the one being applied for. Add summaries of the duties for each position but do not make this section too long and try to keep the summaries relevant.

Note any gaps in employment by year only, and include a brief summary of any activities and achievements in this period, such as travelling. Do not try to hide periods of unemployment.

Unlike a résumé, a good CV details life outside of work with a section on "Other Achievements and Interests". List such things as hobbies, work in the community and with voluntary organisations if these are not already in the employment history. Again, do not mention projects that were started but not finished unless they are ongoing.

For academic CVs, include a complete list of published papers.

Finish with the contact details of two referees: one work or academic (ideally the last employer or college/university) and one character reference. The referees should not be relations. List their contact details and briefly summarise the relationship; e.g. 'former manager', 'headmaster', etc.

What not to Include on a CV

Aside from the standard advice of "don't lie or embellish details", there are several stumbling blocks to avoid. Never use 'I' when writing summaries, use the third person; and present all details in past tense.

Unless the CV is for an acting role or work in a similar field, do not include a photograph. Employers are wary of claims that they discriminate based on looks.

Do not try to make jokes. Remember this is a formal document.

When it is Done

When the first draft is complete, get someone else to read through it. Sometimes a second pair of eyes can spot problems which have been overlooked in the drafting process, such as missing details in job descriptions.

When the proofreader has read through the CV, make any necessary changes based on their feedback and then read through it all again. If it now looks like every point is covered, the CV is ready to send.

Good luck.

The copyright of the article How to Write the Perfect CV in Career Advice is owned by Zoe Robinson. Permission to republish How to Write the Perfect CV in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

The Perfect CV Gives a Good First Impression

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