Tips to Write First CV

Elements of a CV

Your CV must provide a good first impression because recruiting experts estimate that recruiters examine a CV for five to ten seconds on average. It should demonstrate why you are a strong candidate for the position in question and, ideally, lead to your being chosen for an interview.

Including the necessary information is crucial because a CV should only take up one or two pages of A4 paper.

• Personal Information

It is a good idea to use the header feature to include your name, address, and contact information (email and phone number), since it saves space and makes the information simple to discover for the recruiter.

Including additional personal information like age, marital status, or even a picture was once in vogue, but it is unnecessary. It is a waste of valuable space and could encourage prejudice.

• Personal Statement

You can quickly introduce yourself by including a personal statement or profile at the start of your CV.

This should summarise your qualifications for the position, including a few sentences about you. While providing as much information as feasible, it must be concise.

Every time you send your CV to a prospective employer, be sure to take the time to rewrite it. You can mention their business in the statement by customising it once more for their application. Consider this a chance to promote yourself.

• Skills

For your first CV, adding a skills section is very helpful because it enables you to highlight your abilities, which might not necessarily be related to work experience.

You will be able to identify the essential qualifications that the hiring managers are searching for by carefully reading the position’s job description and person specification.

As you concentrate on three crucial areas: foundations, principles, and practice, effective coaching and mentoring can help you improve your communication abilities.

The following are some examples of general skills that could be highlighted and discussed:

• Communication skills.
• IT skills.
• Leadership skills.
• Problem-solving skills.
• Organisational skills.
• Interpersonal skills.
• Collaborative skills.

Limiting the number of skills you highlight to four or five is wise. This can take the shape of a brief list with bullet points. For each, compose a brief sentence demonstrating your proficiency in that area, like “I have substantial IT skills, which I further enhanced by building and maintaining my website”.

Keep in mind that your hobbies and voluntary work will demonstrate specific skills. Despite not being related to former employment, these transferable talents may be helpful in the open position.

Consider your transferable abilities carefully. Participating in organised sports might have acquired teamwork abilities, punctuality skills, or resilience. Alternatively, making YouTube videos in your free time could demonstrate your proficiency in IT, public speaking, or communication.

If you are drafting a CV after taking a career sabbatical, taking transferrable talents into account is equally crucial. Consider your activities since leaving your previous position and the skills you have learned and routinely used. For instance, if you were providing child care during this time, you likely used a variety of abilities that may be listed on your resume.

• Education and Training Details

Include a section outlining any certifications you have obtained, listed in reverse chronological order, with the most recent first.

Mention the high school, college, or university you attended, your educational background, and the grade you earned. If you are still awaiting the results, you might indicate “grade pending” or, if appropriate, offer expected grades.

You might include any relevant academic courses you have taken if you are a recent graduate.

You could also list any other courses you have taken in this section. Taking proactive steps to acquire some industry-relevant training might demonstrate drive and dedication if you are seeking a job in a competitive market.

For instance, you might think about finishing a paediatric first aid course if you’re searching for work in a nursery.

• Work Experience

Your employment history is usually listed in reverse order in the work experience section. The following information for each entry:

The name of the company/institution you were employed.
Your position title.
Your employment dates there.
A brief rundown of the tasks you completed.
This section will probably be brief if you’re looking for your first job, but you should nonetheless list any examples of paid weekend or holiday work, work experience, or volunteer work.

• Hobbies and Interests

If your passions and hobbies are applicable to the position and strengthen your application, you should include a section on them.

Remember that you want to find things that will support your abilities. These might consist of the following:

• Sports.
• Art.
• Blogging or vlogging.
• Volunteering.
• Music.
• Drama.
• Travelling.

Avoid using general terms that don’t truly convey anything about you to the employer. “Socialising with friends” is too general, but “completing escape rooms” could be a sign of initiative, teamwork, and problem-solving skills (as well as giving employers valuable insight into your personality).

Finally, review your CV thoroughly (a few times, then once more!). Verify the grammar and spelling. You must proofread for clarity, catch mistakes, and ensure formatting uniformity.

A second set of eyes is often helpful, so you may ask someone else to review it.