CV Writing: How to create an outstanding CV

Writing a strong CV is the first step you need to take when searching for a job whether it be full time or part-time employment. This guide will take you through everything you need to know about CV writing including how to structure your CV and what you should include.

What is a CV and why do you need one? 

A Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a formal document that outlines a person’s previous employment experience, education, qualifications and skills. It will be used as part of an application for a job so that the employer can learn a bit about the person before deciding whether to employ them or invite them to an interview. 

When beginning to search for part-time or full-time employment, the first step is to create a CV. 

For anyone who has never written a CV before it can be quite daunting. That’s why I’ve created this guide and examples to help you create your CV. There are some templates available online where you can simply fill in your own details and complete each section with your own information. However, you can just as easily create your own using a blank document. Also, some of the templates do not look very professional and some may be recognisable to employers (meaning they will see that you have not created your own CV from scratch). 

This guide will take you through the process of writing a CV, explain what to include and what not to include and highlight some key hints and tips. 

Examples of CVs are also available for you to look at. 

Before we look at how to create your CV let’s cover the basics to get you started. 

• Your CV should be typed 
• Use a professional font 
• Text should be black. Do not use any other colours 
• Section headings should be in bold 
• Your CV should be 2 pages 
• Do not have too much ‘white space’ (blank space)
• Try not to use too many bullet points. One or two sections with bullet points is acceptable however should be used sparingly. 
• Do not use emojis or unprofessional font. Word Art is also a no no 
• Use software that is compatible with other computers I.e Word or PDF. Remember you may need to email your CV to an employer or attach it to an online application form so make sure other people will be able to open it and view it

Structure of a CV

Your CV will be divided into several different sections. Some sections absolutely must be included and these usually come first. Other sections are optional and whether or not you decide to include them will depend on personal preference and how much you have to talk about in each section. 

Personal Details 

• Full name 
• Address 
• Contact phone number 
• Email address 
• LinkedIn profile (if you have one) 

Make sure your email address is appropriate. It should not contain any poor language I.e swearing or inappropriate words or any nicknames. You may wish to consider setting up a dedicated email address for employment purposes that is professionally worded. 

Personal Profile 

Below your personal details, you should write a short paragraph about yourself. You should outline who you are, your key skills and qualities and what you are searching for. It is important that this is well written and makes you stand out (in a good way obviously). 

Experience 

After your personal profile, you should state your previous employment experience, the most recent first. If you are still at school or a recent school leaver without any relevant job experience you can leave this section out. But remember job experience can also include any work experience or shadowing (observing someone at work) no matter how short the experience was. 

You should include the following information: 

• Job Title 
• Name of company 
• Start date and end date 
• A short paragraph outlining your main duties, skills learned and any key achievements 

Education 

After employment experience, you will write about your education, again the most recent first. You should provide the name of the school or college/university, how long you were there for or if you are still there and what subjects you have studied or are currently studying and at what level. 

Skills and Qualities 

In this section, you should list the skills and qualities that make you the ideal person to employ. These should be tailored to suit the job however do not put anything that is not true. You do not need to offer a giant list of all of your skills and qualities. Between 4-6 is sufficient and it is perfectly acceptable to use bullet points. Remember not to repeat any skills you have mentioned previously in your CV. 

Voluntary Work 

Only include this section if you have carried out any voluntary work. 

Similarly to the employment experience section, you should mention: 

• Title of Role 
• Organisation 
• Start date and end date 
• Main duties, skills learned and key achievements 

Achievements 

In this section, you should outline any other relevant achievements you feel an employer may be interested in. You do not need to offer an explanation as to what each of them is, it is enough to simply name them. 

Examples of this include any awards, other qualifications such as First Aid or professional certificates. 

Miscellaneous 

Again this section is not compulsory however if you have anything else you feel may be worthwhile mentioning you can include it in this section. 

Examples of what may be included are: 

• Professional experiences i.e competitions or experiences that have been provided by a reputable organisation. 
• If you are still at school or a recent school leaver you can mention any additional roles such as Prefect, Head/Depute Head Pupil, House Captain or committee membership. 
• Any university/college society memberships provided they are appropriate. 

Do not put anything on your CV that is not true or exaggerated in any way. The employer will find out at some point and this will reflect very badly on yourself. Remember the interview can ask you about anything on your CV. 

Hobbies and Interests 

Whether or not to include your hobbies and interests in your CV is a common topic of debate. For school pupils/leavers or students with little or no employment experience, you can include a hobbies or interests section. People with lots of employment experience do not need to include this. 

Anything you mention here should be appropriate and if possible specific to the job. Avoid anything that is sensitive, controversial or extremely unusual. For example, you should not mention that you are a fan of a particular football team or that you are a member of a political party. 

Common questions about CVs

Do I need to include my grades? 

This is really down to personal preference. Some people may wish to include them, others won’t. Either way is absolutely fine. 

How long do employers spend reading my CV? 

On average an employer will spend no more than 2 minutes reading a CV. Remember they could have hundreds of CVs to look through and will need to reduce this to a smaller number to invite to an interview.

What do employers look for? 

Employers also look for things they can ask you about at an interview. This could be a specific achievement, qualification or voluntary work. Again this is a good reason why you must not lie or exaggerate about anything on your CV. 

What to include and what not to include

Do include 

• Examples of any achievements or experiences that are relevant to the job 
• Any additional languages you speak 
• Awards you have won provided they are appropriate to the job 
• Details of anything you have published i.e blog or online portfolio 

Do not include 

• Age or date of birth 
• Gender 
• A photo of yourself
• Irrelevant information i.e marital status 
• Anything that is exaggerated or untrue 

Top Tips 

• Proofread your CV. Use spell check to ensure there are no spelling or grammar errors (remember some employers may automatically discard CVs that have spelling/grammar errors). 
• Ask for feedback- parents, friends, teachers or employers you know 
• If you are printing it, make sure the pages are blank first. You do not want to hand an employer your CV which has another image or text on the back of it. Also make sure the paper is smooth and not crumpled or dirty. Consider keeping it in a folder or plastic pocket beforehand. 
• Keep a copy of your CV backed up. Even though your CV will change over the years you should have a copy of any previous or existing CVs to refer back to. 

Examples of CVs 

The names, addresses and organisations used for these CV examples have been entirely made up solely for the purposes of offering examples. Any similarity to real people or organisations is entirely coincidental and was certainly not intentional. 

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