Are you starting a CV from scratch? Do you want to know whether an existing CV includes relevant information? Read on to find CV writing advice from SigmaCV consultants on how to take your CV to the next level!
Structure
Unless you are applying for a role in the creative industries (and even then, there is no need for an overly artistic CV) it should always contain the following information in the order suggested:
Includes a short summary of 30 to 40 words which highlight your existing experiences
These are the phrases that summarise your CV and communicate to the employer you have what they are looking for. For example, a role as a financial crime analyst might include key skills such as KYC, AML, transactional analysis, transactional monitoring etc.
List your employment background starting with the most recent experience first. Be sure to include the company name, job title, dates and a bulleted summary of your key responsibilities and achievements
Provide a summary of your education history including the institution, the qualification (e.g. BSc, Masters, A-Level), subject studied and the grades attained
This is an optional section and will depend on how relevant it is to the specific role
Content
There are three key points to remember when writing content under the work experience section of your CV, we like to call this PAS, that’s Priority, Action and Specificity.
The content in the work experience section of your CV should be broken down into bullets for each role. You may have 5-6 bullets for each role you have worked in, but it is important that you prioritise the most relevant information in the first two or three bullets. What is relevant will change based on the company and role you are applying for, so small changes to the ordering of the bullets in your CV can make a big difference.
Each bullet should begin with a clear action verb such as: delivered, exceeded, oversaw, collaborated, etc. Not only does this make the CV more aesthetically pleasing, but it also allows a hiring manager to scan the left-hand side of your CV, to quickly gain an impression of your compatibility with their company. Take our word for it, by saving them time, you will certainly leave a positive impression! Try not to repeat the same action verb more than once – check this action verb word list out for some inspiration.
It is crucial that you attempt to make the CV personal to you. A good check to see if you have done this well is to ask yourself the question, “Can my colleagues easily copy and paste the text I have written into their CV?’ If the answer to this question is yes, then it is likely that the CV is not tailored to you. One way to get around this is to provide facts and figures.
- Over the last year I supported the company find new business leads
- Exceeded the companies new business generation target by securing £210K in new income revenue in 12 months against a KPI target of £125K
Look at the contrast between these two bullets, notice that the second bullet starts with an action word, and provides facts and figures personalised to the candidate, it is unlikely another colleague in the company can report the same metrics.
ATS Friendly
Many companies have started to use applicant tracking systems (ATS). What is an ATS? In short, it is a computer programme which reads your CV into a database and decides whether it deserves to be read by a human being. Typically, it is used by companies which have a large number of applications, therefore, hiring managers do not have the time to go through all the CVs they receive.
Avoid header and footers. This can cause issues when the ATS algorithm attempts to read your CV into the relevant database and your details may be copied into the wrong sections.
Do not deviate from the title headings we have provided under the structure section as this may confuse the ATS system i.e. stick with Personal Statement, Work Experience, Key Skills and Education rather than trying to be creative with headings such as About Me, Performance History etc.
Read the job description and make sure you have included important skills and phrases mentioned in their job description e.g. if they keep mentioning time management, make sure that it appears in your work experience bullet and under the key skill section
Connect with us
We hope this CV writing guide is useful. Please contact [email protected] for any further information and do submit a pdf copy of your CV at www.sigmacv.com/consultation for a complimentary review.