The Do’s and Don’ts of CV Writing
When writing your own CV it is important to remember a few key things that you should and shouldn’t do, many people make the same mistakes in CV’s and these basic mistakes cost you the chance of getting the interview.
Don’t
Use artistic fonts, stick to the standard fonts like Times New Roman (your CV should remain business like)
Use borders or patterns around the sides of the pages (this detracts from the content)
Use multiple colours in a CV
Put a picture on your CV (if the job you are applying for specifically requests you send a picture send it as a separate file)
Write in the third person (i.e. David is a highly experienced project manager)
Include unnecessary information like your Religion, How many children you have, whether you’re divorced etc
Give you entire work history in great detail, most employers are only interested in the last 10 years, so anything older than that just a short who, what when will do
Try to make your CV funny or include hidden jokes etc
List your qualifications without giving details of where you studied and what grades you attained
Give salary details for either your current or past employment
Include details of your referees (only send these details if specifically requested to do so)
Rely on a spellchecker, check and double check, and then get someone else to speck the spelling and grammar for you (did you spot the mistake there?)
Write anything negative about yourself, or a previous employer
Use the MS Word CV template (it’s really not professional and isn’t specifically designed for the UK market)
Use online CV Builder websites, they are not personal or professional
Overuse industry jargon, the HR department isn’t likely to understand it
Most Importantly Don’t Lie or Over Exaggerate your responsibilities or achievements
Do’s
Use standard fonts, and no smaller than 10 or 11 in size
Stick to standard black text
Format your CV so that it flows seamlessly between each section, (i.e. don’t skip from a profile to your hobbies etc)
Use a professionally designed CV Template (WoWMyCV(UK) has a number of templates available Click here for more information)
List your career history/education from the most recent and work backwards
Start each job with your achievements followed by your responsibilities
Think long and hard about your specific achievements, and ONLY list the ones that are most relevant to the job(s) you are applying for
Adjust/edit your CV to suit each specific job you are applying for
Use short high impact statements, not long drawn out paragraphs
Use power words like: Accomplished, Broadened, Centralised, Diversified etc
Explain any gaps in your career
Use high quality paper, not the cheap stuff from Asda
Make sure you PC is set to English United Kingdom in the spell checker settings
Keep the level of jargon down, make sure the message you are trying to get across is done in the minimum possible words
Print a copy of the CV and check that it A: fits on an A4 sheet, and flows nicely through the document
Get someone else to read the CV before you send it out and ask them for any constructive feedback (don’t just listen to any feedback act on it and make changes if they are needed)
Check the spelling and grammar, then check it again
Be factual
Always send a covering letter, which introduces you to the employer and quickly points out why they should read your CV
Send your CV to WoWMyCV(UK) for our FREE CV review service Click Here to find out how
© The Career Engineer
WoWMyCV.co.uk
Tags: Curriculum Vitae, CV, CV Writer, CV Writing, Professional CV
