A pointless guide to CV writing.
First time writing a CV? Or, perhaps you’ve not updated it for years.
Whatever stage you’re at, it can be tough to work out what to put where. To make things even harder, you’ve probably heard lots of conflicting advice.
We can’t even agree on how long it takes to read a CV – with some studies saying 30 seconds, others suggesting it’s around 6 seconds, and some recruiters quizzing you in forensic detail about your 6-week work break in 1998.
In any case, you’d like your CV to be good. You want it to catch the reader’s attention. When that person’s job is to read lots of CVs, an average to underwhelming effort is unlikely to hold their interest for long.
Here are some pointless questions people ask, instead of writing a compelling CV:
How many pages? Someone said it should only be 1 page, so let’s try and cram 15 years of experience onto that.
What about hobbies? Should I play it safe and say I like walking my dogs, rather than telling potential employers that I’m into extreme sports and skydiving?
How far back does it have to go? Should I include the paper round I did in 1968?
Should I feature a photo of myself?
Then there’s the cliched waffle trap.
This usually sits at the top of your CV and sounds something like this - “I’m a confident, motivated, hardworking and enthusiastic individual, who can work independently and also in a team.”
In fairness, every bad job ad uses those same words. So, it’s hard to blame anyone for falling into this trap.
But, you’re better than that. Honestly. TAKE IT OUT, NOW!
Here’s some guidance on how to do the CV thing, right.
I’ll even answer the pointless questions for you.
Firstly, formatting and fonts.
Recruiters hate boxes. You might not care, but what if it impacts your chances? Once your boxy CV goes through an ATS or PDF to Word converter, it’ll look like someone’s thrown a load of words at the wall.
However, if you’re a creative type, it’s OK to jazz it up and think outside the box. After all, that’s what you’re supposed to be good at!
Font-wise, use something people can easily read - so you pass the 6 second test.
You should include some personal information.
Name, contact details and links to professional social media.
If you’re a techy, linking your GitHub or similar is an awesome way to strut your stuff.
A general location instead of a full address is OK, just don’t put ‘United Kingdom’ and leave it at that. If you do, you’ll get calls about roles in Scunthorpe, not particularly useful if you’re based out of Plymouth!
A photo of yourself is quite popular in Europe.
However, in the UK, it’s a resounding no. If they want to see your face, I’m sure they’ll check you out on LinkedIn. Or better still, they’ll invite you in for an interview.
Next, let’s get to know you.
Write a short but punchy intro. Who are you? What do you want to be known for? What have you achieved? Don’t get sucked into the usual clichés and BS mentioned earlier in this article. Showing your personality here is good, but keep it short and simple or the reader will lose interest.
This bit’s important, skills.
Don’t just write a list, be thorough. The more detail around your skillset, the more likely a recruiter is to want to speak to you.
However, you should only include skills you’re comfortable with, not something you’ve touched upon once or twice. Sod’s law says that’s the thing you’ll be quizzed on in interview.
Education, certifications and training.
Got a university degree, masters or PhD? Add it here. Don’t worry about your GCSEs if you’re going for jobs with no relevance. If you have no post school experience, that’s fine too.
Professional training adds up over the course of a career – if you remember to take stock. Organised professionals know this, and this section of their CV tends to shine as a result.
Your work experience (where the magic happens).
Did I say magic? I meant shortlisting.
If it’s your first CV, include as much work experience as possible. That retail placement in year ten, volunteering, sports coaching, a Duke of Edinburgh award - you get my drift. Expand on what you learned in an academic environment, and make it relevant to the work you’re going for. Remember, everybody must start somewhere.
Otherwise, the focus should be your most recent work, with the detail tailored to the jobs you’re going for.
No one wants obvious day to day responsibilities - they want to know what you achieved, what you delivered on, what tech you used, as well as anything else you think is relevant, or anything you’re particularly proud of.
Historic work experience? Just add job titles and dates. It’s your most relevant stuff, probably in the last decade that people want to read about. There’s a handy space saver (you’re welcome).
Never mind the naysayers, hobbies can’t hurt.
They show your personality, and you might have more in common with the hiring manager than you think!
If you don’t want to include them (or hobbies just aren’t your thing) leave them off. It’s better than writing “I like to socialise” – which basically means your only outside interest is going to the pub (that’s fine btw – no one’s here to judge. But why would you write that on your CV?)
Include any personal projects. For example, if you code in your spare time, that translates to value you can bring to someone’s team.
Finally, the dreaded question of length.
2 pages is commonly regarded as the norm, but remember - your CV, your rules. In my experience, 1-4 pages is perfectly acceptable.
Just take the time to read it through so you can be sure it’s punchy, relevant and written without waffle.
Although it’s harder to be concise if you have lots of experience, you still want to catch the reader’s attention. And (in case you forgot) you probably have around 30 seconds to do that.
It’s worth remembering, this is about you.
I can give you advice all day long, but your CV should reflect who you are.
Rules are made to be broken, and if you think you can do it better by not listening to my pointless advice, you might be on to something.
Happy CV writing. Godspeed, and slay that ATS!