Are you looking to get your foot in the door?

Take a look at what it takes to write a strong CV – good enough to help you land job interviews.

Firstly, a CV should highlight your skills and strengths. You should talk about your past experiences as well as your hobbies. Don’t be shy to let your personality shine through. It may be what makes you stand out from the rest.

What should I include in my CV?

Your CV should contain the following:

  • Contact details: Your full name, address, email and/or phone number.
  • Your profile: Something about you, your key skills, your values – ideally between 100-200 words.
  • Qualifications and education: Starting with the most recent, list your education and qualifications.
  • Employment / work experiences: starting with the most recent, list your work experiences and past employment with the start and finish date
  • Skills and achievements: Write about your skills and things you have achieved. If possible, try and relate your skills to the job you’re applying for.
  • Interests and hobbies: This is where you talk about things that interest you to help the interviewer create a better picture of who you are.
  • References: You don’t need to provide the details of your references but give the interviewer the option to request that information. You can simply put ‘references available upon request’.

Keep in mind that your CV should be no more than two sides of A4. The interviewer will have many CVs to look through and may only take a quick glance to find what they need. Your layout should be clear, concise and eye catching. Play around with subtle colours and different layouts that not everyone will be using. Find something to help you stand out.
Don’t forget to attach a cover note. This helps you to tailor your CV to the job you’re applying for and shows that you’ve spent more time on the application instead of using the one click apply button. 

You can tailor your CV to the job by making small tweaks such as, mentioning the role in your profile, explaining why you want this role and matching your skills to the skill set of the role.

For more CV support, contact our team on 01427 677 277 or email enquiries@riverside-training.org.uk