CV PREPARATION GUIDE

Candidates often ask us how to produce the best CV and in particular, what the employer is looking for.


The best CVs that we have seen are often the most simple and tailor-made for the job. Remember what the employer is really looking for is information. The most important work experience is going to be the most recent or most relevant to the role you have applied for.

SIX TIPS TO CREATE A GREAT CV:
  1. Include the dates (i.e. March 2013 to February 2016) with the most recent role at the beginning and then work backwards through your experience.
  2. Elaborate on the previous 10 years only. If you have more than 10 years’ of experience, then summarise the rest of your experience giving the date, place of work and position held only. Try to keep the CV to a 4 page maximum length.
  3. Keep it simple – list the specific job functions (4 – 5 bullet points should do it).
  4. Make it a personal reflection of who you are by putting in a personal profile, achievements and interests.
  5. Spelling – spell check everything as mistakes are very noticeable; especially if you want to use block capitals – make sure spell check is set to check CAPITALS.
  6. Formatting – use a clear, easy-to-read font so that the document looks tidy. Avoid colour and putting words in capital letters, if possible as it makes the text harder to read.


The most important thing in your CV is that the information provided is easy to find, clear and readable. This is a good opportunity to show your writing style and formatting skills – keep it simple. Your CV is always going to be a ‘work-in-progress’ so it’s good to update it every now and then and keep a hard copy in a safe place.


Here is a template that we recommend to candidates, click here to download.

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