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HOW TO WRITE THE
PERFECT CV

Curriculum Vitae

Your CV is really important, it is the first impression given to your potential new employer and contains all the information they need to know on why you’d be a great fit for the job.

Here are some top tips on what you should include, presentation advice and how to structure the content.

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  • Contact details
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    • Make sure you put your personal details at the very top of the CV, including your full name, your address, your telephone number and your email address.

    • You should create a professional email address specifically for your job applications.

  • Personal profile
     

    • This is an opening paragraph all about you, introducing yourself and any relevant skills and experiences.

    • It should be a paragraph of four to five sentences summarising the most relevant skills, personal qualities and your achievements. This section can be easily tweaked to fit the job role, so your CV stands out to your potential employer.

    • It is an opportunity to really sell yourself to employers and to highlight the relevant skills and experience you possess.

    • As a school leaver, you should always focus on what you can bring to the business, as well as focusing on the knowledge and skills gained through education, rather than employment history.

    • Example key words to use: capable, friendly, enthusiastic, calm and relaxed, reliable, well motivated and keen to learn, self-motivated, punctual, honest and trustworthy, good team worker, hard working, competent, responsible, organised, committed, adaptable

Female Barista

  • Employment history
     

    • A chronological list of your work experience and employment history, with the most recent at the top.

    • You should include the company name, your job role, and dates you worked there, followed by a summary of your responsibilities and key skills.

Education Advocate

  • Education history
     

    • A chronological list of your education and qualifications, with the most recent at the top.

    • Include the institute, the qualification, course title, and date achieved.

  • Training
     

    • Include any recent work-based training you have received, or any other relevant qualifications.

    • If you have recently started training or are learning a new skill, remember to add this too.
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Trophies

  • Interests and achievements
     

    • Include relevant hobbies, interests and achievements in this section. For example, charity work and membership of clubs and sporting activities.

    • A potential employer uses this section to gain an overview of your character.
       

  • References
     

    • You should prepare at least two contacts for professional or personal references and should include your latest employer if possible and can include personal references such as a tutor, teacher or family friend.

    • You need to include their name, their job title and company they work for with their contact details, their relationship with you (former manager/family friend/former teacher etc).

    • Always ask permission from the reference to be included.

    • References are usually contacted once you’ve been given a preliminary offer. As part of the hiring process, your new employer will ask them a series of questions to determine your character and integrity on a personal and / or professional level.

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