How to Write an Attention-Grabbing CV

Dividing your CV up into clearly defined sections is the easiest way to keep it organised and for an employer to quickly find the relevant information they’re looking for.

Personal Details

This is a brief section that comes at the top of your CV. You want to include all your basic contact information (name, phone number, and email address) but also consider including any other relevant information. It will vary depending on which industry you are working within. If you have a blog, website, or portfolio that helps showcase your work and who you are in more depth than a CV can. If you do, this is where you should link it. If you have a professional social media presence, include your handle. If it’s a personal one, leave it off the CV!

Things you don’t need to include:

• Date of birth or age
• National Insurance Number (NEVER put this on your CV!)
• Marital status
• Whether you have children
• Your current location or address
• A photograph

This is because CVs are frequently stored on unsecured databases, or if you choose to upload it to a job site then nefarious users posing as employers can steal all the information they need to commit identity fraud. More than that, it’s illegal for employers to discriminate on applications and candidates based on age, marital status, child status, ethnicity or how they look, and other protected characteristics like disability.

Personal Statement

This is a very short summary that immediately tells an employer what you are about. It only needs to be a couple of sentences; you want to be as concise as possible making every word count.

Think about:

• What are you best at? What are your best attributes?
• How will these benefit an employer?
• What makes you unique? Think about your own unique selling point.

• Work Experience

   

• Put your work experience above your education on your CV. This is what employers are most interested in, even if you haven’t got much experience yet.
• Simply listing off duties and tasks you carried out is going to bore whoever’s reading your CV. Realistically, if you lose their attention then you lose the job. Don’t just state that you have particular skills or traits but give examples to prove it. Did you successfully drive a project to completion ahead of the deadline? Did you beat your sales targets for last year?
• You should list from the most recent to the oldest employment experience. If you haven’t got much work experience yet, remember to also list things like voluntary positions and internships.

Education and Qualifications

How much detail you go into here generally depends on how recently you qualified. If you’ve just finished studying or only have a few years experience then you can afford to include more relevant detail here. If, however, you have a couple of decades of experience and a long career then this section just needs to be a brief description of your education history.

This section is also where you want to include any qualifications or professional training you’ve had. If they’re not directly related to the role then think about what transferable skills you learnt. Include relevant soft skills and training courses, too.

The advance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in recent years has made the hiring and recruitment process both much faster AND more competitive. That’s because some people rely on ‘improving’ their application with AI, while recruiters are using AI tools to screen applications.

This means an excellent candidate can be overlooked, if they don’t include relevant details. When you used to be able to get away with mass-applying with your CV and a generic cover letter, that doesn’t fly anymore. You need to spend time to tailor your job application to include the same words and terms in the job description, to make sure you’re passing AI screening tools.

Even if you don’t have a particular skill, try to find a way to include it in your CV or cover letter. For example, “While I don’t yet have management experience, I am confident it is time to take the next step in my career”. This will help include as many keywords as possible for AI screeners, and also show your potential employer that you pay attention to detail, and are willing to learn new skills.

These things crop up on CVs all the time but it looks unprofessional and careless to an employer if you didn’t take the time to make sure your CV was perfect. Make your attention-grabbing CV stand out for all the right reasons – avoid these things:

1. Spelling and grammar mistakes – avoid these by using spell check software and getting someone else to read through it for you.
2. CVs longer than two pages – any longer and you’ll be including unnecessary information and looks off-putting to an employer. You should be very careful with a CV length.
3. Jargon and buzzwords – it’s repetitive and mundane to be reading the same words over and over.
4. Unusual font, format, or style – be careful that your stylistic choices don’t detract from the content of your CV.
5. Casual tone and language – this is a formal document and you want to present yourself as professional to prospective employers.

Use your friends and family – a fresh pair of eyes always helps with proofreading and checking work. Have them read it over and check for spelling and grammar, ask whether they think the layout works, and if the right information stands out. If you know someone who is a hiring manager, even better. If you’re looking for a job because your current one is ending on good terms, such as the end of a fixed-term contract or because you’re moving away for family or university, ask your current employer if they will look over it.

Some situations can be difficult to explain to a prospective employer, like gaps in employment, temporary positions, or getting fired. Please never mention getting fired in your CV but be prepared to answer any queries if it comes up at a later date. Either include a sentence in your CV or cover letter that explains a gap in your career timeline. Talk about what you did during that time – why did you have a career break, did you complete any training courses or develop new skills that show you were still proactive.

It’s not necessary but some people like to include a hobbies or additional interests section. That’s fine – but make sure you’re not writing something irrelevant on your CV: explain why you do something. Do you regularly run marathons, for example? Say what drives you to do it – does it demonstrate your commitment and determination?

Finally, be prepared to tailor your CV for every job. Once you have an excellent base CV then just small alterations will need to be made depending on the job description or the specific role you are applying for.