The Ultimate CV Building Guide

Whether you’ve just graduated or have spent 15 years in the working world, if your CV isn’t up to scratch, you simply won’t be put at the top of the pile from the word go. According to The Telegraph, you have 8.8 seconds to impress with your CV, so make it count!

A neutral presentation that doesn’t put off the reader

First and foremost, avoid a ridiculous curly font at all costs – use something simple and inoffensive such as Calibri, Arial or Tahoma. The same principle also goes for the layout of your document; a busy CV can be extremely off putting, so make sure to have relevant headings and bullet points so it is easy to find desirable information – you don’t want to make the reader work to find what they’re looking for.

As common sense as this seems, it still needs to be pointed out, make sure you use the correct grammar and spelling; if you doubt your grammatical judgement, get a friend or family member to check it over for you in case you missed something.

A personal profile that sells you

In approximately 3 sentences, you have the chance to grip the attention of the recruiter, so avoid making it wordy and irrelevant – no one wants to read your autobiography in your CV. Recruiters are looking for your key achievements, so this is not the time to be modest – get specific with facts and figures, and try to quantify your value wherever possible. Have you got a figure of the sales you have generated this year? Include the impact you’ve had on any roles in the past, but most importantly, make sure to boast the contribution you’ve made within your current role.

Tailor your CV for a specific audience

Throughout writing your CV, make sure to always keep in mind the job you’re applying for, and include relevant information in your profile. Job descriptions will usually outline a few traits they are looking for in candidates, so make sure to mention the ones you possess, and examples illustrating these.

Describe each role appropriately and concisely

You must illustrate the value you will bring to the company if they were to hire you – if you merely state your previous job titles, it becomes a guessing game as to what you actually contributed to the organisation(s). Again, the recruiter isn’t looking for an extended piece of prose, so bullet point your responsibilities and any key achievements.

Include relevant interests

Being part of a sports team can be beneficial to your CV because it shows the recruiter/hiring manager that you’re not only physically fit, but it demonstrates desirable qualities like discipline, competitiveness and teamwork (on the basis that the sport isn’t running alone). Make sure to mention if you were in a position of responsibility, such as being a team captain, because leadership skills are very desirable in a lot of fields.

Additionally:

• Make sure to have a professional email address, not an account that you set up when you were 13 for MSN – if you don’t have one, set up a Gmail account and try to keep it just as your name and a short number if necessary. This is also helpful in a job search as it keeps your professional emails separate from personal (or spam) ones.
• Don’t bother with a photo – it isn’t necessary, and the recruiter can always look you up on social media if they want to see what you look like (which is quite likely).
• Include a link to your Linkedin profile – we have a post on the benefits of having linkedin, read that in full to find out more.
• Write ‘references available upon request’ instead of including details of your references – this saves room and you’d know when they want to call about you, so you have the opportunity to give them a heads up.

If you fancy putting your killer CV skills to the test, and are interested in a role in recruitment, get in touch with us here at 5Q Consultancy for some expert guidance – we connect graduates, sales-people and recruiting professionals with top tier enterprises in London and across England. Contact one of ouer experts on 0203 7008483, or email caitlin@5-q.co.uk to find out more.