How to Write a Good Resume

An employer or recruiter may only review your CV for 30 seconds when they will be looking to identify the key points that will help them to make a decision on your application. It is critical, therefore, to make sure that the content and structure of your CV promotes you in the most positive way.

Unfortunately there is not one magic rule to make sure your CV stands out from all of the others. However here are a few tips that will hopefully help you when writing your first CV.

1. Tailor your CV

Make sure that your CV is tailored to the job that you are applying for. Research the company and the industry beforehand to gain an understanding of what it is they are looking for. Once you have thought about your content, you are ready to write the CV. Make sure that when writing it you are consistent with the format throughout – a poorly produced CV is more likely to put off an employer/recruiter.

2. Make sure it looks professional

Don’t immediately look to use a ready-made template – other job seekers will have done this and your CV won’t stand out. The presentation of your CV is very important. It should be clear, concise and should outline your key selling points in a way that the employer/recruiter can quickly analyse your strengths and suitability.

3. Don’t think that telling lies on your CV will help!

Selling your skills is extremely important, however lying to potentially increase your chances during the hiring process is not a good idea. When a lie is identified (often during an interview or when references are checked) it will often lead to job offers being withdrawn or worse. You may also find that lying on a CV or during an interview now could stop you from getting your dream job in the future. It is a very small world and you never know who could become very important to you later in your career.

4. Make sure your skills are highlighted

It is crucial that you highlight the skills that make you stand out from the competition. You have researched the company and the job role, you understand the type of person and the skills that they are looking for – make sure you highlight in your skills section why you are the ideal person for the job!

5. Check for errors

Poor spelling and grammar within your CV is another certain way of decreasing your chances of success when applying for jobs. Make sure that you have re-read your CV a few times after you have produced it – spell checkers and grammar checkers can often overlook mistakes. An individual who submits a CV with spelling and grammatical mistakes can often be perceived as error prone and as somebody who doesn’t take care to check their work before submission – two very negative characteristics for employers!