CV / Resumé Preparation Tips

Getting your CV right is crucial to enable both consultants and hiring managers to quickly assess your suitability for the position in hand. It needs to stand out as the most relevant in what can be a large number of applicants. How can you achieve this? A good CV will:

• Be tailored to the position – emphasising your relevant experience
• Be truthful – emphasising relevant areas is one thing, a work of fiction is another and WILL be found out
• Contain examples of your achievements, not just a list of your duties
• Be concise – no more than 2 or 3 A4 pages long (or your relevant experience can get lost among the less relevant information)
• Be in an ordered, logical, uncluttered format
• Be free of errors (spelling, grammar, dates etc)

Format

CV format is a subjective matter – different people have different preferences for CV format. As time consuming and frustrating as it can be, tailoring your CV for individual roles is highly beneficial. Your Picture More consultant will be able to give you further information on a case by case basis, but here is some general guidance.

Generally speaking, the first thing a CV reviewer will look at is your current position, so this should be on the first page of your CV. If you begin with a lot of personal information, education details, a technical skills matrix etc, this key part of your CV can be pushed onto the 2nd page of your CV, reducing its impact.

First page

Picture More recommend that you start with your name, contact details, (including mobile number, email address and postal address or at least home town) and a brief personal statement. The statement should be no more than 3-4 lines and contain a few (brief) key pointers about your experience, character and future ambitions.

Then, begin your career history in reverse chronological order (most recent first). See below for a suggested format for the description of your role.

Career History

Date (i.e. December 2006 – present)
Company name & location
Job Title

Begin with a paragraph about the company (market sector, number of users etc) to set the scene. Then give some information about the team within which you work (or manage) – size of team, team’s responsibilities, technologies worked with etc.

Then include some bullet points about your specific responsibilities, followed by bullet points of your major achievements within the role.

Keep the same format for the rest of your career history the same, though keep the information more brief the further back you go – keeping the CV three pages or less is more important than an essay about what you did in 1982! Unless highly relevant to the post applied for, work 10 years or further back can be summed up with just the date, company and job title.

Education / training details

Some employers are more interested in your formal education than others – if you know a degree is very important, you may wish to include details of yours (if any) on the first page. Usually, the education details can wait until after the career history. List in reverse chronological order, showing the most information about your most recent qualifications. Also, list the training courses you have attended and certifications you have gained, using a table if necessary to save space.

Further information

If you wish, include your date of birth (though some clients insist this is removed to reduce the risk of age discrimination), details of your work permit if applicable, details of driving licence if held, marital status etc.

Interests/hobbies

These can provide a brief window into your character, but also present a potential minefield. Our advice is to play reasonably safe and be prepared to back up your stated interests at interview. Claiming to be the world’s biggest ‘Take That’ fan or something similar may raise a few eyebrows and should be avoided. However, also be prepared to tell an interviewer about the last book you’ve read or film you’ve seen if you play safe and claim to be an avid reader or film buff.

References

Picture More recommend that you state that references are available on request, but have the permission of referees and their contact details ready to provide when asked.

If you require further guidance regarding the format and content of your CV, please contact a member of the Picture More team.