Writing a top notch CV - (Off Topic)

Yes, very off topic but I know there is a huge wealth of knowledge of NSC which can be tapped into for some very useful tips. Having graduated a few years ago I'm now looking for my first 'proper' job. I've been reading up on CV creation and some hints and tips and was wondering what people thought makes a good CV.

Here are some questions I had, any answers would be greatly appreciated:

• What tense/person makes a better CV, would you use passive voice? Or just short bullet point sentences with no real structure.
• Should I include a personal website even if my job application is in a completely unrelated field (e.g. banking, FS, management)
• What are the biggest mistakes you see in CVs / what puts you off the most if you read it in a CV.
• Are there any 'hidden secrets' to a great CV? I remember reading on NSC recently a 'thank you' note after interviews is a good idea - this is something I never thought about prior to reading it on NSC.

Any info or anecdotes would be welcomed and I'm willing to dish out up to one thumbs up per post for posts that are helpful. You can't say fairer than that.

My only experience of CVs is that the are mainly full of

Whatever you do, do NOT

Depends what role you are going for. We had a great one lately where a guy was applying for a programmer role and made his cv into an animated 1980s style game. It was very impressive.

I don't mind on layout etc. just make sure you try and make everything relevant for the role. It might mean having a number of variants of your cv written but it can make a big difference.

One that they hated in my last role was under interests people putting 'football and socialising with friends'. It doesn't really add much and unless you do something relevant or particularly extraordinary I would probably just not include it. A personal website is great - but make sure it is good. You also have to have enough to fill it without it being just a web based copy of your CV. If you can use it to showcase your talents and some past work then great. If not - I probably wouldn't be too keen.

I've done a fair bit of recruitment lately so drop me a line and I can tell you my experience. Another one to finish though - a few places are getting people to do video interviews and my team was one that trialled it. One word of advice - please smile!!


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keep it simple and to the point don't waffle on and check spelling

Lie and worry about it later. I know people in 6 figure jobs who blagged it at interview, some even been promoted.

It obviously varies depending on what type of work you do, the types of organisation/companies you are applying to and what your own background is but things like correct spelling/grammar probably apply across the board.

My CV, which was designed by Mrs Bennett, who is a careers advisor who specialises in CVs, is 2 sides of A4. Its got my name and contact details at the top and the rest of the first side is taken up with my 'Profile', 'Relevant Key Achievements', 'Qualifications' and 'Other Details'.

The profile is a bit of an overview of skills - to me it sounds very poncy and unspecific but apparently its the 'in' thing and usually says stuff like:

Highly competent in the areas of this, that and the other with a particular focus on customer-focused service delivery. Has an emphasis on problem solving and consensus building to deliver practical and workable solutions. A strong emphasis on inter-personnel skills and communication combined with an ability to work on own initiative and to take on responsibility.

Relevant Key Achievements is exactly that, 6-10 things that show you in a good light. Mine are just bullet points saying I successfully a delivered a particular project or led a team or was the lead person on a task etc. I think its meant to dovetail with the profile to build a picture of who you are and what you can do/deliver. (Could possibly be the area to include something like developing a personal website?)

I was told to limit qualifications to my degree and membership of professional institute - sadly the secondary school stuff was all too long ago and irrelevant for me!!!

Other details is just anything vaguely relevant such as a full driving licence.

The second page just covers my career history. There is a main 'Career History' title and then each position I've held underneath with my job title, employers name and dates in bold as a one line heading with the key aspects/responsibilities of the role underneath in bullet points. Start with the current/most recent job and give more detail on that job than your first job - my first job gets a single line to explain what I did for the two years I was there!!

Not sure how much the above is any use as the basis for a first proper CV?

fully recommend charlotte at ckfutures.co,uk used to work for her adhoc and was trained to write cvs... agree with mrs gordon bennett's advice, but for a small fee you will get what you need tailored for what you apply... and then you can tweak as and when... good luck

Two basic rules.

First, do NOT tell them what you will get from the job.

Second, tell them how you can help them solve the problem they have.

Over simplification I know but over the years I've seen hundreds of cv's that basically say "Please give me a job"

And relatively few that say "I realise you have a problem but don't worry, I'm hear to help you solve it"

Not in those words obviously, but that's the message you need to get across. Nobody is going to "give" you a job; they are looking to solve whatever problem they have that needs to be solved.

Cadiz Seagull said:

Two basic rules.

First, do NOT tell them what you will get from the job.

Second, tell them how you can help them solve the problem they have.

Over simplification I know but over the years I've seen hundreds of cv's that basically say "Please give me a job"

And relatively few that say "I realise you have a problem but don't worry, I'm hear to help you solve it"

Not in those words obviously, but that's the message you need to get across. Nobody is going to "give" you a job; they are looking to solve whatever problem they have that needs to be solved.

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Great point. Some of the best we have had and then interviewed we have looked back at and they have basically said what they will do WHEN they get the job rather than if.

It's a clever tactic and usually used by the ex consultants and very useful if done correctly.

Interesting that you should start this topic the day I was considering doing likewise.

After 7 years in the same FS company in a very specific division I have decided that my ultimate future might lie elsewhere. One benefit of working for such a large institution is the opportunity to cross pollinate and seek an entirely new challenge in what will seem like a different company.

Have gained three promotions in 6 years where I am but am throwing my hat into the ring for a newly created role that reports directly to a global head and it's an entirely different kettle of fish so wanted some sage advice. My 'internal' cv is pretty good and has had minor tweaks for each of my three promotions but am concerned that given the specificity of my existing position and how irrelevant some of the experience will be to the new role how to make it much more relevant to the new role without fabrication...

I like [MENTION=17286]Gordon Bennett[/MENTION] suggestion and is basically what i've done to date but really am worried that I won't accurately convey how much relevance there also is. Very fine line between shoe-horning oneself into role specific selling points and overselling.

Don't put your date of birth on it. I was advised that on the basis of security. Sometimes your date of birth can be used as an identity check, or part of one. But I suppose it could also avoid age discrimination (even unconscious discrimination)

Don't just put "I'm proficient with computer programmes such as Word and Excel", give examples of what you have used the programmes for "I use MS Word to create reports for such, and for writing letters" "I have extensive use of Sage, having used it to process the payroll for over 100 people in company at which I previously worked". You can tailor this section to the job for which you are applying - emphasise the tasks you use the programme for that are most likely to be relevant to the role.

Don't be afraid to repeat things. If it makes sense to include something in another section as well include it in both.

Try to emphasise key points. Sometimes employers have to read through a lot of CVs, and it can be dull and repetitive and they can start to skim read:


Would not be seen by someone skimming as well as

I have been told that the cover letter is as important, if not more important, than the CV. Also, the only responses I have ever got for my 150+ job applications in the last 12 months is when applying directly to companies, not agencies. It's a tad soul destroying because you have no idea whether your CV and letter is actually good or not! KBO, I guess.

KZNSeagull said:

I have been told that the cover letter is as important, if not more important, than the CV. Also, the only responses I have ever got for my 150+ job applications in the last 12 months is when applying directly to companies, not agencies. It's a tad soul destroying because you have no idea whether your CV and letter is actually good or not! KBO, I guess.

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There is a trick with agencies. Go through the job advert and pick out words that you think might be key ( some agencies actually list them ). Then try and tailor your CV to include as many of those words that you can. For good measure, in the footer, put all the key words ( with spaces in-between ) and colour them white so they can't actually be seen. Most agencies use software to search for these keywords first before your CV ever gets read by a recruitment person so by doing this you are ensuring your CV at least passes the first suitability test.

A CV has one job: to get you an interview.

Companies interview the candidates that best fit the requirements of the job they are seeking to fill, and make it easy for the company to see that the candidate does meet the requirements.

Read the job description and person specification - no, really read them closely, including between the lines. Ask yourself why they've asked for each specific thing. Ensure your CV illustrates how your experience and you personally meet most of their requirements - stated and implied (75% is close enough - no candidate will have 100%). This means tailoring your CV to each job opportunity (hopefully 80% will be standard).

If you're applying directly to the company, send a covering email pulling out how you meet what you consider to be 3 of their most crucial requirements. If you clearly demonstrate how you meet 3 of their top requirements you dramatically increase the likelihood of them reading your CV, which is all a covering letter is seeking to achieve.

By doing these things you are sending a strong message that you really want to work for that company/do that job and that you have invested a little bit of time in understanding them and their job. That time investment will be instantly recognisable and will immediately differentiate you from 90% of candidates (who will just bung over their standard CV, irrespective of how well it does or does not meet the requirements)

GingerBeerMan said:

Here are some questions I had, any answers would be greatly appreciated:

• What tense/person makes a better CV, would you use passive voice? Or just short bullet point sentences with no real structure.
• Should I include a personal website even if my job application is in a completely unrelated field (e.g. banking, FS, management)
• What are the biggest mistakes you see in CVs / what puts you off the most if you read it in a CV.
• Are there any 'hidden secrets' to a great CV? I remember reading on NSC recently a 'thank you' note after interviews is a good idea - this is something I never thought about prior to reading it on NSC.

Any info or anecdotes would be welcomed and I'm willing to dish out up to one thumbs up per post for posts that are helpful. You can't say fairer than that.

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I take the lead in recruitment for our small company, so will answer your questions from my personal point of view and experiences. Bear in mind that larger companies with HR departments may differ.

1st or 3rd person? - It make zero difference to me. 3rd person is traditional, but 1st person sounds more human. Maybe use 1st or 3rd person depending on the type of company and industry. I'd be surprised if it affects your success though.

Personal website? - I will check your LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter accounts. I'll also Google your name, so if you've got a personal website then this will be seen anyway. The only time I could think that highlighting it in your CV would be relevant would be if you're applying for an IT job and wanted to show examples of your work.
Biggest mistakes? - The only thing that puts me off a CV is if the person applying doesn't have the skills, qualifications or relevant experience for the job, so I suppose the biggest mistake would be failing to put some important relevant info in. Spelling and grammar is an obvious one and shows lack of care, but for me, it'd have to be on a level with HB&B's efforts to actually put me off someone who is otherwise a suitable interview candidate.
Hidden secrets? - None that I can think of. I'm interviewing a person based on their ability to do a job, not their ability to write a CV. As above, it's down to your qualifications and experience; if you don't have that, then the sharpest CV in the world won't make a difference. Just make sure that your qualifications/experience you do have are concisely summarised in an intro paragraph and then neatly presented in chronological order (dates started/ended employment and most recent job at top). 2 pages is generally optimum. It may be worthwhile tweaking the summary paragraph for specific jobs if you feel that certain past roles and experience need highlighting.

Anecdotes? - I know someone who threw a CV in the bin becuase the applicant put that their first language was Welsh. I think that he was pissed off about a rugby result at the time.

Tips - If possible, find out who will be looking at your CV and maybe even tailor it accordingly. For example: If you were to Google me, you'd find my LinkedIn account and have a good idea of the type of person I am from a professional point of view. You could also easily find my Twitter and find out that I think that Joey Barton is a wanker.

Good luck. Can I have my thumbs up now?

Some information in the field you're looking to apply for would be useful. I hire mostly internal but my partner hires mostly entry level and we look for different things. The advice in the thread has been decent so far (no idea about that agency advice), but for anything more specific some more information would make it easier.

Here are some questions I had, any answers would be greatly appreciated:
What tense/person makes a better CV, would you use passive voice? Or just short bullet point sentences with no real structure.

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Short bullet points. Its not a deal breaker though. No waffle though please. Some profile paragraph is fine, but really I skim over it. You're looking for failure in these sections to thin out the applicants more than winners. I'm not going to go "oh they are out going and detail focused - lock them in" - if you say detail focused and **** up anything though it is over. Job experience / qualifications/ background are what I'm generally looking at and as long as its formatted fine I don't care. Anything that might be relevant to the role could be listed in among your skillsets or experience and I might flag you as a maybe on the first pass if I think its relevant.

Should I include a personal website even if my job application is in a completely unrelated field (e.g. banking, FS, management)

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I'm probably not going to visit your personal website, and if i did it better be good - theres not a lot to gain and a lot to lose. I don't think everyones going to be the same though and if your website was a nice professional site with your personal photography for example there is a chance someone might actually like it. If this was software or something similar and the website was related then yes I'd include it. I've had heated debates about personal touches on CV's. I don't care, some people hate them.

Your going to be subject to the whim of someone you don't know. Don't stress out too much about it - you will win some and lose some and not even know why. Someone above said don't put your football team on your CV. I did for my first job and the first thing the interviewer did when I walked through the door was ask me about it and then we had some banter and he gave me the job. I don't know if it was because of the football but it sure felt like it played a big part in establishing the rapport. I'm not from the UK though, in the UK where rivalries are intense it could be a deal breaker.

What are the biggest mistakes you see in CVs / what puts you off the most if you read it in a CV.

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Bad grammar. Spelling mistakes. Bad formatting. My partner reviews hundreds of CV's for the entry level jobs and she will toss any that are below par in this area. I am fairly similar, although I will often know the candidate before interviewing them so tend to be a little forgiving if I know they are better than that.

I just went and asked her what her peeves are. I'm not going to type up all the things she just listed as some were incredibly picky, I think it just emphasises you really are at the whim of someone's personal preferences and you're going to get rejected for no reason other than you used some particular wording they don't like e.g. she said one of her peeves was cover letters stating "I wish to apply for" - then she yelled "I'm not your fairy ****ing godmother". Kind of wish I hadn't asked now.

Cover letters that are generic or look like they might have been for another role are real deal breakers. Sometimes the tailored bit for your role is in a slightly different font or font size. Rookie mistake

I saw one CV with their name printed diagonal across a white A4 page in gold 3d text. My colleague got one in crayon with a cover letter asking for it to be posted back as they spent a lot of time on it. There's no advice I can give these people though thats going to mask the underlying problem with their judgement.

Are there any 'hidden secrets' to a great CV? I remember reading on NSC recently a 'thank you' note after interviews is a good idea - this is something I never thought about prior to reading it on NSC.

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Nice formatting. If you look at your CV and think it looks nice, you're probably on the right track. Get someone who is blunt and has an eye for detail / formatting to give you some feedback as its all subjective. This allows your actual content to shine. You either have the skills and experience or you don't. If you know you don't have the experience, highlight something that you have done well that I can look at and think "if he can do that, he can probably do this". Obviously you can't do it where technical skills are a pre-requisite, but if I am hiring and know I need to train someone anyway, and I can see they did another job where they had to pick up some specific skills they wouldn't have known about before and then seemed to be successful - I'll give your application a real consideration.

More for the interview, but one of the things that people don't do well is get across their life situation. Especiaily fresh grads. I don't want your life story, but I do want to be thinking something like "oh this guy looks stable and this job suits him". For example if you have been travelling post study, just a little something that suggests you are now looking to be settled down and stable. Of course cover why you are going to be useful for the employer - but if you can combine that with why the job is what you are looking for, it helps ease any doubts of the person hiring that you're not just looking to land anything and work out what's really best later.

In my experience if a company gets a huge wad of CVs the first ones filed in the draw marked BIN are the overly protracted ones. Short and punchy, bullet points as opposed to heavy explanations. If you've had a few jobs just highlight the top four and gives dates and position held for the rest. Don't tell them your interests, it is of no interest. Don't tell them what you can do for them, explain it at interview. Put your previous positions first, that is more important than your qualifications. Make the CV no more than two pages. Link to your LinkedIn profile and/or personal website, they have the option.

Shropshire Seagull said:

I would have to disagree with that. Under "Hobies and Interests" my CV has:
"Sport, particularly cricket and golf, gardening and DIY. Currently delivering cricket coaching to young players having successfully completed the enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check before commencing this highly rewarding activity."

There have been many occasions where this has become a discussion point in the interview - agree not in every case, but probably more than not. Just keep it brief.

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I think they key part in your specific example is the youth coaching, as this demonstrates an additional skillset(s) you have and makes you stand out slightly more. If you'd just put just "Interests: Sport, particularly cricket and golf, gardening and DIY. " then I can't see that it'd add any value to your CV.