Top 10 CV Writing Tips 

In this competitive job market everything can help…  

1- Spelling and grammar

The most common mistake and yet the most important thing to get right to make a good first impression. Get your CV checked and checked again  

2 - Where to start…

Recruiters want to know what you’ve done recently, so list your work experience in reverse chronological order and place your educational achievements after your work experience.  

3- Keep it concise

The average recruiter spends only a few minutes scanning a CV, so keep it to two pages or three at most for those in senior positions and attach a deal sheet if possible.  

4- Formatting

Remember what looks great on your PC screen might not display well elsewhere so keep formatting to a minimum. Recruitment consultancies often use their own templates, so make sure your CV is easy to copy and paste, and preferably in Word.  

5- Specify the key details

Great project manager, good communicator, dedicated employee – all great skills but worthless unless you demonstrate what you achieved. Ensure everything you say is quantified by specifying the actions you took and the results and/or benefits.  

6- Explain gaps in your CV

Your CV should read as a continuous, chronological flow of activities, so make sure you explain any gaps such as travelling, maternity leave, sabbaticals etc.  

7- Redundancy

In the current economy, stating that you were made redundant doesn’t reflect badly on you. And if you don’t include it the reader might assume you were fired.  

8- Exclude irrelevant information

If you’re unsure whether to include something, ask yourself: does this impact my ability to do the job? If no, leave it off. This includes: age, gender, marital and parental status and religion.  

9- Interests and hobbies

Although your hobbies and activities may be really interesting, unless they’re relevant to the role or demonstrate a particular skill, keep this section to a minimum.  

10- More than one version of your CV

Best kept secret - every role is different, so tailor your CV to that role. Go through the job spec and emphasise your relevant skills and experience on your tailored CV.

Best of Luck!

We hope our Top Ten CV Writing Tips helps

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 Accountancy & Finance Salary Guide 2013

Top CV Writting Tips - To Make your CV Rock

If you're keen to get ahead in your chosen career, then you need to make sure your CV is as strong as possible. Competition for the best roles is incredibly high and many employers will simply skim CVs to see which ones stand out. Others will disregard otherwise strong CVs for having basic errors in them. So don't risk being overlooked and follow our simple CV writing tips to improve the impact of your CV now.

CV Tips - Spelling and Grammar

CV writing is an art form and yet many people spend ages perfecting their prose without using their spell check. Even if the content of your CV is otherwise excellent, many recruiters will form a poor opinion of a candidate who is sloppy with presentation and grammar. It will suggest that your attention to detail is not good and that you struggle with written communication. 

Fix this simple error by ensuring that you carry out a detailed proof-read several times before submitting the finished version. Ideally, get a friend to read and check it too. And if you are still in doubt, consider using professional services such as Circle Square for the desired professional finish.

Vague Objectives in your CV

If you have clearly written your CV using a template and been vague in your personal statement and career objectives, the recruiter will think you are either scatter-gunning your CV out left, right and centre or you simply aren't sure of your skillset and ambitions. Avoid generic phrases and meaningless corporate jargon and employ descriptive language that explains your career goals.

Poor Formatting

Many recruiters will become cross-eyed with the volume of CVs they read. If the font is too small, the content cluttered or the presentation poor, they may simply give up and dismiss your hard work. Keep it as short as possible, ideally one page or two as a maximum and write concisely. There are plenty of formats available online, or you can use the services of a professional CV writing agency to ensure that your CV is presented to perfection.

Your CV Isn't Tailored to the Job

A template CV won't interest an employer. They will want to see that you are genuinely passionate about the job in question and keen to get into the company. You'll be overlooked in favour of other candidates who have tailored their CV to exactly match the job description and have shown their interest in doing so. Equally, by failing to incorporate the keywords used in the job description, you will find that automated software may reject your CV. So take the time and show your diligence in your application.

Actions and Accomplishments

Recruiters want to know what you have achieved in your role, rather than what you do each day. So don't simply list your jobs describe the achievements, results and company benefits that you have created through your efforts. This will interest the employer and illustrate your value in a graphic way.

Providing Too Much Information in your CV

Don't put details of every single position that you've ever worked in. Emphasise the outstanding accomplishments, skills and responsibilities and allow the recruiter 'space' to pick out the highlights. Show that you have the accomplishments and skills needed to do the job, but make sure that there are no gaps in your employment.

Incorrect Contact Details

This seems obvious, but it's a very common mistake. Many candidates submit old CVs to recruitment agencies and fail to put the correct contact details on it. Most recruiters don't have time to follow up and hunt you down. So check the basics carefully and provide a few routes to get in touch.

Incorrect References

Again, ensure that this information is accurate and that your listed referees are people that you would want to approach and ask for an assessment of your suitability for the role. A great reference from a former manager can be very powerful indeed. Recommendations from a former peer or colleague can be equally impressive. Make sure that their contact details are correct.

Failing to Include Interesting and Relevant Information. Don't just necessarily list your most recent roles - think about earlier jobs or responsibilities that show an interesting skillset that the hiring manager is likely to value. For example, telemarketing and sales might not be necessary for the job in question, but they can suggest that you have resilience and negotiation skills, which are ideal for the industry as a whole.

Creating the CV in an Unusual File Format

If you write your CV using Word, you run the risk that the recruiter is using a different version and this can cause difficulties. This is even more problematic if you use other word-processing programs. Always send your CV as a PDF file if you can.

Written by Adam Tachauer of Circle Square Talent

Other relevant  articles:

Interview Tips   Writing a Covering Letter    Common Job Interview Questions       

MBA`s what`s the real cost?     Answering Interview Questions    Resignation Advice

Moving on from Redundancy to a Better Career     Working whilst you study - Part-Time Jobs

Your new Job and the Probationary Period      Improve your Career By Improving your Contacts   

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To download the Finance & Accountancy Salary Guidelines 2015             

If you would rather view the salary guide online: Accountancy & Finance Salary Guide 2015

• Many job seekers believe they are either too young or too old to be considered for certain jobs. The main reason they end up at the bottom of the pile is the way they present their CV. 
• Those who present themselves as ‘up to date’ or 'tech savvy' WILL have an advantage, regardless of age. 
•  If you are worried that your many years of industry experience - or your complete lack of it - will submarine your chances of getting a job, there are a few things you can do to present
• yourself as a strong candidate. The correct contact information is essential. 

When writing out your work experience in your CV, choose your words wisely. 

A dead giveaway that you're less experienced is when your CV's content is written in sound-bites. While it's not necessarily a bad thing to be short and to the point in a CV, writing that's too short and punchy is likely to point to your age, especially if what you're saying doesn't detail a specific achievement. On the other hand, older job seekers are notorious for using verbose phrases in their CV’s, detailing the different tasks they've been responsible for throughout each position they've held

So……. 

How to Write Your CV

It should be clearly and simply written and should point to true accomplishments. Keep it current and avoid being too formal with your language! Steer clear of old-fashioned terminology like something you’d read on an invitation to an evening at the bowls club. And don’t use Comic Sans or Times New Roman. This is my opinion, I'm no expert in the art of Typography but the use of these i generally consider to be a faux pas……they look dated. 

With the rise in age of retirement and people looking to the older work force, your CV needs to be spot on more than ever! This is a blank canvas that could go on for pages and pages but these few simple steps could go a long way! 

Wise men blog because they have something to say; fools because they have to blog something. 

We hope this helps to present yourself & your CV.

To search our current jobs

Accountancy & Finance Jobs   Private Equity Jobs  Capital Markets Jobs

To contact one of our specialist consultants call 0207 492 0700 or email:

enquiries@circlesquare.co.uk

Our Finance & Accountancy Salary Survey 2015 is now available.

Most people spend a very long time crafting the perfect resume because they believe it will open up the door to their dream job. You have to know what happens when a recruiter is working on behalf of a company, but before you can do that you must understand what their job entails. They need to provide a company with the best candidates and their performance is based on the company being able to employ the perfect person for the job.

This means they need to go through a huge number of resumes and they don't have time to sit around reading each one thoroughly. You'll be lucky if they spend 20 seconds scanning yours, so think about that the next time you have your resume out in front of you. It's not their job to take chances, so if your recruiter isn't up to scratch they'll throw it away. Let's look at some of the things they want to see when they're rushing through the pile in front of them.

Recent experience

When applying for a job it's easier to step into a new one where you'll be doing the same kind of thing. If you currently have a job selling electrical equipment to overseas companies it's easy to do the same thing for another company, but if you've not done it for 20 years it's completely different. Obviously you don't have to step into the exact same role, but if you don't have relevant experience it means you'll need a lot of training.

Educational background

The educational system is getting a lot of bad press in some quarters at the moment, but that doesn't take away the fact your resume will probably get thrown away if you don't have a college degree. In some cases you will even need a master's degree if you want to get to the next stage in the interview process. Recruiters are looking for the best and whether you like it or not a degree is one qualifier they use.

Relevant industry

Applying for a job in a completely different industry is going to be difficult when you're dealing with a recruiter because they're trying to pick the perfect person who can slip straight into a company. If your current industry is similar it's a little more realistic, but if they're at two different ends of the spectrum you can forget it. The client will probably tell the recruiter they're not willing to take someone from a completely different industry, so their hands are tied.

Obvious extras

There are some things you're probably aware of because they are so obvious, but we'll mention them anyway so you don't mess up. If someone can't read your resume because of spelling and grammatical errors it's easy to throw it into the reject pile. If you leave someone guessing they won't take the time to work out what you failed to mention. Instead of rambling on you also need to get straight to the point so the recruiter can read everything they need to see.

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The author of this post, Kevin David, works at Resume Service, home to the finest CV writers in Perth. He keeps himself busy during the weekends by taking up restoration work for his home.

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Make Sure your CV Gets you the Job

CV writing is a crucial factor to get right. Job hunting is time-consuming, often boring and frequently frustrating. There isn't really any way of putting a gloss on the process but when it lands you the job of your dreams you'll feel that all the hard work of slogging away over applications and preparing presentations and interviews is well worth it. Getting your foot on the career ladder, landing a new job after a period of unemployment or making a big step-change in your career can give you a major sense of personal achievement.