Writing your CV

A well written, winning CV is a personal marketing tool, and its purpose is to get you an interview.

Your CV is the first impression a potential employer will have of you. A winning CV should show your achievements and value to the company in a short, sharp and proactive way. Huge number of resumes are often received, so managers usually only have a couple of minutes to scan each one. Make sure that the key information isn’t buried, or that your CV is hard to read.

Your profile is an ad for the rest of the CV. What you write must make the hiring manager want to read more. Your profile must quickly show who you are and what you can do for the company.

Employers are interested in what you achieved in your previous roles and your true responsibilities rather than just your job title. If your job title is weak, or inaccurate when compared with the duties you were responsible for, put a more accurate or descriptive title in brackets e.g. Head Waitress (Night Shift Manager)

In the employment market, education is always an advantage. However, if your education is incomplete or non standard, you will find many tips online to help you make your education work for you. Education includes continuing education; onsite training at your previous job and training seminars that you have attended just to list a few.