CV Writing: Examples & Tips

A curriculum vitae (CV) is a document that outlines your key skills, qualifications and experience.

It helps to showcase the level of understanding you have about a particular sector, as well as builds a picture for future employers on why they should hire you.

With so many CV templates, formats and guidelines, knowing where to start can be confusing, including the structure and order.

Should you include a personal statement, your education and irrelevant roles are all common questions. You might even be wondering if you need a CV in the first place. If you want to advance in your career, then the answer is yes.

Before you get started on writing your CV, it’s a good idea to write down some of the significant moments in your career or education.

For example, you might have gained 3 A Levels at College or gone to university to study Computing. The Duke of Edinburgh Award you gained a few years ago may also be a great opportunity to showcase determination and team-building skills.

Whatever your skills, there are some key principles to remember before writing your CV:

• Don’t lie – you will only cause a headache for yourself. Plus, employers can soon spot if you’re lying and may even do background checks to validate these claims.
• Check grammar and spelling – first impressions count, so make sure you do a final spelling and grammar check.
• Be clear and concise – recruiters only spend a few seconds looking at a CV, so make sure it’s inviting and easy to read.

At the start of your CV, you should include your contact details such as your name, telephone number and email address.

However, we advise against adding your full address and date of birth – these details are not necessary. Simply noting the region you live in is enough explanation.

It’s also important to use a professional email address such as alex.james@live.com rather than alex.iscool@live.com.

A personal statement is an easy-to-read paragraph that sells yourself and gives an employer a reason to hire you.

With a core purpose to draw the reader in, a personal statement could be the difference between a recruiter reviewing your CV or not.

This should be 4-5 lines max, so be careful not to ramble or confuse the reader.

For example,

As an experienced Sales Manager, my ability to develop a strong rapport with key stakeholders and clients resulted in various wins over the years. This includes a 10% increase in contracts at Mediaworks, equivalent to £200,000 worth of investment over 2 years.

Further, this proactive drive has allowed me to always look areas of improvement and I am always seeking to find my next challenge, whether driving projects within the business or helping others to achieve their targets.

After eight years in sales, I am keen to use my knowledge, experience and drive to further develop in an equivalent sales role and increase revenue.

In the example above, note the use of quantifiable figures to back up the claims made. This helps to prove your worth to an employer and the impact you have on an organisation.

The use of an active voice in your personal statement also asserts your confidence.

Dependent on the level of experience you have, your CV will need to be structured in a digestible format so that a recruiter can clearly see the relevance.

This section can be tailored to include a brief overview of duties and achievements, referring to the responsibilities you had.

It’s also a good idea to consider using the STAR method, which is a way of identifying the key outcomes of an activity or responsibility. It translates to situation, task, action and result, allowing you to bring real life evidence into any situation.

Situation: For example, as a content manager I was responsible for the digital output of our company.

Task: I was given the responsibility of doubling the social media following in one month and increased engagement to the website.

Action: To achieve this goal, I conducted a full audit of our audience and outlined a clear content strategy that focused on targeting three main demographics. Next, I worked with the rest of the team to ensure our communications was aligned with our brand messaging.

Result: Over the course of six months, I increased our social media following by 60% and increased the number of visitors to our website by 25%.

As for education, it’s not necessary to add each grade gained in your GCSE’s if you have since gained a master’s degree or worked for more than 4 years. If an employer would like to see these grades, they can view them upon request.

Knowing how to format your CV can be confusing.

Should you keep it all one page, include a photo and address? Don’t worry, we’ve heard it all.

As a rule, you should stick to a maximum of 2-3 pages on A4 for your CV. If you feel there is extra information you need to send over, consider sending this over in an email as supporting work.

Regarding font, stick to a professional style such as Calibri or Arial and avoid block text if you can help it - lines, spacing and bullet points are your friends.

Most importantly, edit like a pro and cut down any irrelevant information. It isn’t necessary to add your paper round from school or outside activities. Ask yourself, will this help me get the role I am applying for?

Personalising your CV to the sector you want to pursue is essential.

For a career in tech, this can include adding a section to your CV to focus on your technical skills and highlighting examples of this in your work experience and education.

Remember, make it easy to read and include levels of competence such as:

• Expert: Python, Linux
• Intermediate: JavaScript
• Basic: Test Director, Mercury Quality Centre

You can link to your technical portfolio here to expand on the acquired skills and how you gained them, i.e., self-taught or via a company.

If you’re struggling with your CV, cover letter or general direction, we are here to help.

Whether you’ve got experience or not, our experts are able to provide a helping hand with jobs advice, interview skills and employability.

Plus, our mentorship programme has been carefully designed to pair you with an expert in the field, ensuring you can access personal advice and support.

Just get in touch today to find out how we can help you.