Tips for writing a CV

CITYside Recruitment

A CV is an information document; it shows your qualifications, skills and achievements to a potential employer, and informs them of your extra-curricular activities, employment history and hobbies/interests. Please be mindful of the fact that employers (who, after all are just people, like you and I) are likely to view your CV in a subjective light, consequently, what some may view as a good CV, others won’t necessarily. The important thing is to try to get over why you in particular, would suit a certain job opportunity. Whenever possible, try to tailor your CV to closely match the requirements of the job in question. Also, try to demonstrate some focused direction, by saying something about what you want to do, as well as what you have done.

On your CV you should ideally include the following:

Personal Details
Provide your name, Address, Telephone number, Date of birth, Nationality.

Short Summary/Direction you wish to pursue
Highlight your strengths, and how you would like to use them. What you have to offer a potential employer.

Education
Mention all degrees you have completed. Give the year of graduation, name of degree, school name, and a brief description of your studies (majors, minors, honours etc). You do not need to give a full list of courses you have taken or mention grades (although if they are good, you should). You should, however, give the topic of your thesis if it’s appropriate to the role in question.

Professional Experience
Mention all your professional experience in chronological order. It is usual to start with your most recent employment first and work back. Give start dates and end date. Try not to be vague by providing at least the month and year. Indicate the name of the role, the company and the place of work. Give a brief description of all duties and responsibilities.

Hobbies and interests
A brief description of your hobbies & skills can enhance your suitability to a potential employer, equally, they can put them off, so consider carefully what you say.

References
It’s quite usual to offer to provide references, but not necessary to list them on your CV. If an employer is seriously considering you for a position, it is at that point that you should be prepared to supply details of referees.