Layout and Presentation
First impressions do count, and a good CV layout immediately appeals to the readers’ eye. So make your CV easy to read, make it clear, simple and well laid out. Your aim is to get to the next stage of the job application process and you need careful preparation at this stage to succeed.Keep the layout of your CV simple – we write a CV to get as much information to the reader as quickly and clearly as possible. If the format of your CV makes information about you difficult to find, then your prospective employer will quickly lose interest and move on to the next job applicant. Your CV layout should be free of background text or pictures, block capitals, tables and exotic fonts. Avoid using italics, and underlining, stick to Times New Roman or Arial and use a simple Word document format.
There is nothing worse than a CV with poor spelling and grammar. All employers look for good spelling and punctuation, and will judge you on your initial approach, so don’t waste all of the effort you’ve made into CV writing through easily-corrected mistakes. Use spellcheckers, and once you write your CV get a friend to read through it. Remember even a spell check won’t recognize the error of using the wrong word in the case of words like ‘there’ and ‘their’, so make sure you check them yourself.
Top CV Writing Tips…
- Keep your CV layout standard throughout
- Choose a simple clear font, between sizes 10-12
- Avoid the use of text decoration (italics, overuse of capitals etc.)
- Check spelling and grammar (then check spelling and grammar again!)
Layout and presentation of your CV makes the CV appealing to the eye of the reader, the content and structure is also important when writing your CV. If the content is delivered in a standard format, the reader won’t have difficulty in finding the information they want. So when you write your CV, keep the following in mind:
The title needs to contain your name. If you feel the need, you can add “CV”, “Curriculum Vitae” or “Resume”, but that’s all – remember to keep things simple. And make sure you spell it right if you do use it!!
Next, add personal details like address, and contact numbers – don’t forget these! It’s pointless to spend time on CV writing if your prospective employer or recruitment agency can’t contact you! In the UK, due to recent law changes on age discrimination you don’t have to include your date of birth.
A personal statement or summary could be included on the CV, below the personal details section. Frequently, employers and recruitment consultants will read the personal statement and decide whether to read the rest of the CV. So in CV writing it pays to spend time on getting the personal statement right. The aim is to show the employer that you have the necessary skills, experience and qualifications for the job. Keep it brief and to the point, it will probably be very similar in content to your application covering letter.
Qualifications and work history form the bulk of a resume, and so when writing a CV it’s important to give the more relevant experience and qualifications a higher priority. For example, if you write a CV shortly after leaving school or university, it’s fine to include your GCSE and A-Level exam grades early on in the resume. However if you have been working for many years, then your relevant work history and work related qualifications are going to be far more important.
If there are qualifications that are relevant to your trade, like offshore survival and medical certificates, trade certificates, codings, safety training, NVQs or IT qualifications, then include these at the earliest opportunity when writing your CV. Present them clearly in list form, with dates, under a general heading of Qualifications and Training.
You should start your work history with your most recent or present employment and work backwards, and to give more detail to recent and relevant jobs. Give the dates of employment, job title, employer, location and a list of your duties. Bullet points are good, as they can be read quickly. Remember again to put the most relevant points higher up in the list.
Hobbies and interests are not essential when you write your CV, but if you have an interest that is highly relevant and supports your application then include it here. Once again, good CV writing dictates that you keep it relevant, and to the point.
There is no need to include your references on your CV, as references should only be taken up with your permission. It would be wise to restrict the use of references until you are sure that you are in a position for these to be taken. For instance if you are in permanent employment you may not wish your current employer to be made aware you are looking for alternative employment. However if you are looking for contract work offshore it would be normal particularly for offshore oil and gas recruitment agencies to take up references immediately when you register in order to save time when a job offer comes in for you. Information provided by referees can not be passed on to third parties without the express permission of the referee.