Write a great CV

For a job application to proceed to interview stage, you need to make the best possible impression with your CV. Follow our tips for writing a CV that stands out from the crowd.
CV Tips
  • Keep the layout simple, clean, tidy and easy to read. Headings should be attractive, brief and consistent, so that readers can tell where each piece of information begins and ends.
  • Try to keep it to 2 pages.
  • Show your personality but don’t overdo it.
  • Each step of your career should be prioritised so that the strongest and most relevant aspects take priority over the early stages.
  • Make your job descriptions informative – don’t assume that the person reading your CV knows what you do because of your job title. Detail what you did above and beyond the confines of your official job description.
  • Arrange qualifications with the most recent first, to demonstrate ongoing professional development.
  • Avoid highlighting any sort of failure. Reasons for leaving a job can be included but do not specify negative comments.
  • It is only useful to add hobbies if they positively enhance your image, such as team building or mind stimulating hobbies.
  • When you’ve finished, check over your CV and, if possible, get someone else to proof read it.
Suggested CV format
Arrange your CV in this order:
  • Personal details (name, address, tel, date of birth)
  • Brief paragraph summarising your attributes and experience
  • Relevant experience, skills and attributes
  • Employment history, starting with the most recent
  • Qualifications (including driving license)
  • Hobbies and interests
Download our CV template and exemplar

If you need help with your CV,
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