How to Create the Perfect CV

What personal details should be on my CV?

It may seem an obvious thing to say, but the Personal Details' section of your CV is your first opportunity to introduce yourself to a potential employer.
Get the basics wrong at this stage and you can wave goodbye to the chances of getting an interview. Your name Write your name in a larger font than the rest of your CV to make it stand out, after all your CV is a marketing tool used to market YOU td. !iddle names are o"tional, but don#t be tem"ted with $rank %&he &ank# 'icard. Marital status and family You don#t have to include details about your marital status or information about whether you have a family or not. (owever, if you think your status will make your a""lication become more attractive. $or e)am"le being single might make unsociable working hours more feasible. Date of birth You may include your birth date if you wish. (owever, it is no longer necessary since the *m"loyment *+uality ,-ge. 'egulations /001 made age discrimination illegal in the recruitment "rocess.

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ationality With the e)ce"tion of governmental "ositions, which may re+uire this information, your nationality should be omitted. &he 'ace 'elations -ct 2341 "rohibits discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, or nationality ,including citi5enshi", ethnicity or national origin.. -s long as you are either a native to the country in which you are a""lying or can "rovide a suitable working visa, there in no need to tell them where you are from. Contact details 6im"le logic a""lies here 7 don#t include your work contact details. Use your own "ersonal email address or create a new account s"ecifically for your 8ob search, es"ecially if your current email address is something like fo)ybabe9webaddress.com. :e sure to add the "hone number that will make it easier for "otential recruiters or agencies to contact you, most likely your mobile "hone. !ther information ;f the 8ob you#re after re+uires you to drive then you will "robably want to assure them about your clean driving license. ;f you are going for a web design role, you may want to direct them to a website you have created. Whatever you decide to include, 8ust be sure it hel"s, not hinders your a""lication.

CV "emplates
;f you<re having "roblems starting your CV we<ve "ut together a range of tem"lates that will show you how to lay out your skills and e)"erience to im"ress em"loyers. &ake a look here.

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How to Create the Perfect CV

What should be included in my personal statement?

Your CV is designed to do one thing and one thing only to get you an intervie!. Yet the average recruiter !ill only spend bet!een "# to $# seconds glancing at your CV !hich means that you need to ma%e an impression &uic%ly and sell yourself.
Your "ersonal statement is your first o""ortunity to do 8ust that. ;t is "erha"s the single most im"ortant "art of you CV. Get it wrong and your chances of being invited to interview are drastically reduced. ;ts aim is to highlight your "rofessional attributes and goals, em"hasising why they should continue reading the rest of your CV. -im to use no more than =0 words, making each sentence a key selling "oint. Unfortunately, too many "eo"le follow the tradition of using stock "hrases and %key# words that they think will hel" them stand out from the crowd. !any "hrases are tired and clich>d and don#t? have the im"act em"loyers need. @hrases such as '(oo%ing for a challenging opportunity)* should be avoided because they#re only focused on %me, me, me#. *m"loyers want to know what you will do for them. (ow will you hel" their businessA ;t should be clear from the 8ob descri"tion what they need you to do, so tell them straight that you can hel" them do it.

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;t is im"ortant that your statement doesn#t sim"ly tell a "otential new em"loyer what you have done or what you would like to do and why you are a""lying for the advertised "osition. -dvertising agencies use language that e)"lains the benefits that you, as consumer, will have if you "urchase their "roduct. 6imilarly, a list of un+uantifiable skills such as #team "layer# or #good communicator# don#t actually tell the reader anything about why you#re the right "erson for the 8ob. ink these to a tangible skill wherever "ossible such as '+se my e,cellent communication s%ills to attract and retain high profile clients.(ere are some e)am"les of evocative "ersonal statements that will grab the em"loyer#s attention. '.s an e,perienced /enior .dvertising /ales 0,ecutive my net!or%ing abilities could help your company achieve its goals. .ctive and potential clients !ill be impressed !ith innovative product presentations and the meticulous management of their million1 pound accounts, allo!ing long1lasting relationships to be formed.* 'If you're see%ing a 2et!or% 3echnician to improve the reliability and development of your company's server, my e,perience in design, implementation and maintenance !ill prove invaluable. 3roubleshooting and support come as second nature, meaning fe!er and less fre&uent connectivity issues for your large1scale net!or%.* &ake a look at your "ersonal statement and read it out loud you yourself. ;magine it was a television advert B would you buy the "roductA

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How to Create the Perfect CV

What skills should # include on my CV?

Your CV is designed to do one thingC to get you an interview with a "ros"ective em"loyer. &hat means that every section of your CV must contain information of most value B and relevance B to the advertised "osition.
Your %6kills# section is arguably the most im"ortant "art of your CV to em"loyers. (iring managers want to know what#s in it for them. What will you bring to their com"anyA &herefore, you need to sell yourself and demonstrate your skills and show how you are going to be a "ositive addition to their workforce. :efore you rush to com"ile a list of all the things that you are ca"able of doing, take some time to understand what skills are im"ortant for the s"ecific 8ob that you are a""lying for. ;f you are unclear about what skills the 8ob re+uires because the 8ob advert gives little information, then search similar 8ob titles on !onster and note what those "ositions are looking for.

$urther %eadin&
B B

(ow should my CV look if ;#m changing careerA What "hrases should ; avoid on my CVA

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&here are three key skills ty"esC

"ransferable B skills learnt in one field of work that can easily be ada"ted to a different field. 'ob(related B skills of +ualifications that are directly relevant to a s"ecific 8ob. )dapti*e B skills that are difficult to substantiate because they cannot be "roven by e)"erience but by "ersonality traits.

Clearly, transferable and 8obBrelated skills are the most desirable to include in your CV. :e sure to include the ones that will hel" you stand out. (ere is a list of skills that are "articularly "o"ular with em"loyersC Communication &eamwork ;nitiative @roblem solving $le)ibility Com"uter skills &echnical skills

;f you know a "articular "rogramming language, "ut it down. ;f you have basic understanding of $rench, the reader wants to know. You can#t be e)"ected to know the s"ecifics of the "articular bes"oke accounting system they use, but by demonstrating the broad range of things you do know, you#re giving the im"ression that you#re a good learner who can retain information.

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How to Create the Perfect CV

How should # list my pre*ious +obs on my CV?

*m"loyers s"end more time looking at your em"loyment history than any other "art of your CV. Conse+uently, this section needs to +uickly convince a "otential em"loyer of your suitability to the advertised role and effectively market you for your current career goals.
:ut, there are different formats of CV that can be used to communicate your em"loyment history and the ty"e that is most suitable de"ends on what stage your career is atC Chronolo&ical CV ;f you#re a""lying for a "osition that is similar to the one that you already have and can show a track record of gradually advancing your career, this CV is ideal. ;nclude the dates that you worked with each em"loyer ,e.g. !arch /004 to !ay /003. in addition to the com"any name, location, your full 8ob title, res"onsibilities and achievements. ist each "osition in reverse order starting with your current of most recent "osition. $unctional CV &his format is recommended for those who have been out of the workforce for a "rolonged "eriod of time or those seeking to change careers. ;t focuses on the e)"erience and skills you have that are relevant to the 8ob you are a""lying for instead of em"loyment dates.

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'e"lace the traditional com"any, 8ob title and date information with the name of the most im"ortant skills and e)"erience that you have develo"ed through "aid em"loyment, voluntary work of general life e)"erience. &his method ensures all of the information regarding your e)"erience and skills looks recent, and kee"s an em"loyer#s attention on your attributes. You will also need to briefly list the "ositions you have held and dates, but you don#t need to go into any great detail. Combination CV 'edundancy and 8obBho""ing have become more common"lace yet brief em"loyment dates will still signal red flags for "otential em"loyers and could harm your chance of securing the 8ob that you want. Counter this by %dividing and combining# your em"loyment history. @ut your various roles into batches and work out which have given you the certain skills that make you suitable for the 8ob you#re a""lying for. @ut the com"any names and dates at the to" of each grou" and list below the various achievements you have made and e)"erience gained below. Wherever "ossible, include measurable results for your work. $or e)am"le, D6ignificantly increased revenues and grew client base by E0FG.

$urther %eadin&
B B B

What makes a good CV design and layoutA What are the common CV design mistakesA (ow can ; make my CV more effectiveA

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How to Create the Perfect CV

Where should # include my ,ualifications on my CV?

*verything that a""ears on your CV is designed to a""eal to the needs of your "otential em"loyer and to answer the +uestion DWhat do you offer that other a""licants don#tAG
Where you include the *ducation section on your CV is de"endent on how well it enhances your a""lication and, regardless of whether you have a lack or abundance of +ualifications, the following ti"s will enable you "ut you on a level "laying field to com"ete with your fellow 8ob seekers. Positionin& ;f your educational background is your strongest selling "oint and can hel" you to stand out from the crowd, then you will "robably want your *ducation section to a""ear straight after your @ersonal 6tatement. &his is es"ecially the case if you#re a recent graduate, if you graduated from a highly regarded university and obtained e)cellent academic results. (owever, if your work e)"erience is stronger than your education, it is advisable to the %*ducation# section features after your %*m"loyment (istory#. What to include Hee"ing your target audience and the 8ob you are a""lying for in mind, look to e)"and on any areas of your education that will aid your a""lication.

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(owever, be careful not to include too much information. Unlike your work e)"erience, which needs to be +uantified with various achievements, your education can be summarised with the grade you achieved. !any em"loyers will still insist that a""licants have certain +ualifications such as a university degree but, many others will consider e)"erience, skills and "rofessional e)"ertise as more valuable. Iever be tem"ted to embellish your +ualifications, em"loyers can easily find out if you#re lying. "ailor your CV *ach 8ob is different and, as a result, each CV should be tailored to meet the re+uirements of that 8ob. You need to understand what information will be of most value to a "otential em"loyer and select only relevant educational content. ;n general, your education history should be listed in reverse chronological order starting with your most recent education. ;nclude dates, the name of the establishment you attended and "lace name. 6ummarise, don#t list, your GC6*s. *)am"leC '4# 5C/0s grades .1C including 0nglish and 6athematics* *ssentially you want to make your %*ducation# section clear, uncluttered and a""ealing, covering the three key +uestions that em"loyers want answeredC What do you knowA What have you done beforeA Can you do it for meA

$urther %eadin&
B (ow do ; com"lete a""lication formsA B (ow do ; include my ga" year on my CVA

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How to Create the Perfect CV

How can # tailor my CV to an audience?

$or many 8ob seekers, it#s not uncommon to find /0 or so "ositions you#d like to a""ly for when conducting an online 8ob search.
;t may sound like a time consuming "rocess, but making the effort to tailor your CV to suit the re+uirements of each "articular 8ob that you are a""lying for can greatly increase your chances of securing an interview. &he following are the main areas of your CV that should be ada"ted to meet the e)act re+uirements. Personal -tatement You have read the re+uirements of the advertised "osition and understand what +ualities the recruiter is looking for in a candidate. 6um u" your uni+ue selling "oints and, in a brief sentence, state your accom"lishments and how these will hel" you succeed in the 8ob you are a""lying for. .mployment History ;f you are a""lying for a managerial "osition but have never "reviously worked as manager, em"hasise that your "revious roles involved considerable res"onsibility and decisionBmaking duties such as delegation, chairing meetings, training staff, etc. ;f a se"arate role is more of a sideways ste", you may want to focus more on innovative ways you have achieved success in the role to show your com"etency.

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-kills @resumably most of the roles you#re after will have a similar set of skills, but that doesn#t mean you should leave this section alone. &hink how easy it would be for a recruiter to see that you#re suitable if the skills you demonstrate are in the same order that have on their 8ob descri"tion. Hobbies and #nterests !ost 8ob advertisements sti"ulate certain "ersonality traits re+uired for "ositions, so identify what they are and see how your hobbies can relate to the re+uirements. ;f you are a""lying for a senior "osition, then the fact that you ca"tained your football team and ran training sessions will demonstrate your leadershi" and organisational ability. ;f you are seeking a "osition as a designer, then make reference to the e)hibitions that you attend or are actively involved in and the designers that you admire. ;f you want to "osition yourself as one of the strongest candidates for the 8ob, it is worth doing your homework on the com"any that you are a""lying to. &heir 8ob advert will "rovide you with a glim"se of what the com"any is like, but you can find valuable information on their cor"orate website that will hel" you to understand what they may be looking for in a 8ob a""licant.

$urther %eadin&
B What are the alternative CV o"tionsA B What hobbies and interests should ; include on my CVA

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How to Create the Perfect CV

What are the classic CV mistakes to a*oid?

;t#s dece"tively easy to make mistakes on your CV and e)ce"tionally difficult to re"air the damage once an em"loyer gets it.
@revention is critical, so here are the most common "itfalls, and how you can avoid them.

-pellin& and &rammar B @oor writing shows a lack of care which no !anager will want in their team. Iever trust a com"uter#s s"ell checker and get someone else to read through your CV to s"ot errors that you may have overlooked. Writin& lots/ but sayin& nothin& B Use bullet "oints rather than long sentences? em"loyers aren#t looking for you to e)"lain everything you#ve ever done. o tailorin& 7 Jo not use a oneBsi5eBfitsBall CV to a""ly for lots of vacancies, each em"loyer is looking for a CV and cover letter that a""lies to their role you should make small ada"tations to your CV to matches their re+uirements. Hi&hli&htin& duties instead of achie*ements ( try to show res"onsibilities that you actually achieved whilst in your last role. Iot all roles have Hey @erformance ;ndicators ,H@;<s. that are +uantifiable but give "ercentage increases wherever "ossible.

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0reakin& the 1(pa&e rule B / "ages of -E is more than enough room to "ersuade your "otential em"loyer that you#re worth contacting for an interview. Use lots of white s"ace to make it easy to read, make all your sections stand out clearly. 2ea*in& out information B Whether it#s by choice or 8ust forgetfulness, some "eo"le leave "revious 8obs off their CV meaning a ga" in em"loyment. *ven if you weren#t working, there may have been transferable skills you "icked u" that will hel" your chances. 3sin& clich4s B DGood communicatorG, DWorks well in a teamG7 without any hard evidence of these you might as well write D:lah, blah, blahG. 0ein& *a&ue B Give them something s"ecific that focuses on their com"any#s needs as well as your own. *)am"le K;#m looking for a challenging entryBlevel !arketing "osition that allows me to contribute my skills and e)"erience to fundraising for a Charity.K Poor desi&n B Unless you#re going for a design role, layout should always be second stage to the content of your CV. Use one font styles and si5e with :lack and white te)t. #ncorrect personal details B Iot getting any calls des"ite your "erfect CVA &here may be a very sim"le reason for that 7 you#ve written down the wrong "hone number or email address check the.com isn#t a .co.uk, be sure to use a "rofessional email address rather then a funny address.

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How to Create the Perfect CV

How can # keep my CV up(to(date?

(ow often have you tried to "ut together a CV and had difficulty remembering the details of "revious 8obsA ;t#s not 8ust the dates of em"loyment that you#ll forget 7 tasks, "ro8ects and courses you were involved with are easily overlooked.
-s you develo" in your career, it#s too easy to fall into the tra" of sim"ly adding your most recent 8ob to your CV without considering how your e)"eriences in "ast 8obs may attract "otential em"loyers. -lways be aware of what em"loyers are looking for. $or e)am"le, if you "reviously worked as an office 8unior, you weren#t 8ust Ddoing the filingG? you were Dcontributing to the dayBtoBday efficiency of the com"anyG. You might have added significantly to your "eo"le skills, where "reviously your CV was more angled towards your +ualifications. -s your e)"erience develo"s, it#s im"ortant to ensure that the balance of your CV "resents the best reflection of the "erson you are now. :e willing to hack away old information from your CV. -s a general rule, if something is not actively adding value to your CV, it#s almost certainly diminishing its im"act. ;f you#re +uite far into your career and think it#s too late to get back the memories of things you did, try to get in touch with old managers to see if their recollection is any better than yours.

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How to &et on the radar of potential employers Lust because you#re comfortable where you are doesn#t mean you shouldn#t be ready to start 8ob seeking at a moment notice. ;t#s unfortunate, but sometimes things ha""en that are out of our control. Once you#re ha""y with how your CV looks and how relevant it is to your current situation, "ost it on 8ob websites and send it to com"anies or organisations you#d like to work for on a s"eculative basis. When you "ost your CV on !onster, you#re automatically shifted to the to" of the list so com"anies searching for someone with your skills will be able to find you easily. You can block certain com"anies from seeing your details so you can be assured your current em"loyer won#t stumble across your CV. You never know when it#s going to hit the desk at 8ust the right time, and it never hurts to show a com"any you are interested in them. &he more creative and "roactive you are in getting your CV out there, the better your chance of catching your ne)t em"loyer#s eye.

What e5t?
Once you<re taken all this advice on board and made your CV s"arkle, u"load your CV to !onster to "ut it in front of thousands of em"loyers.

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How to Create the Perfect CV

&hey say that the grass isn<t greener on the other side, but often it is. Our series of e:ooks brings together e)"ert advice to hel" you secure the 8ob you want and build a successful career. $or more career tools, visit career(ad*ice.monster.co.uk.