Spunout.ie give good advice on wrting a CV. We have included some of their recommedations below but to see the full list of advice and tips visit https://spunout.ie/employment/article/how-to-write-a-cv
Tips for writing a CV
- Keep it simple. Print the CV in black ink on white A4 sized paper
- Use a clear, easy to read letter font like Arial or Times New Roman
- Limit it to two pages of the most relevant and important information about you
- Start with your name and contact details at the top so that they’re easy to see
- Include your education, qualifications, relevant jobs and work experience, achievements and interests that help prove you’ve got the right skills for the job
- Look carefully at the job description and emphasise the skills or experience mentioned
- There’s no need to include information that’s more than five years old, unless it’s relevant to the job you’re applying for
- Don’t include personal information such as your gender, nationality, martial status or a photo of you
- Don’t lie about your experience and skills. You’ll get caught eventually
- Make sure you can account for any gaps in your CV – as you may get asked about this at interview
- If you’re asked for referees, include the contact information of a past employer, teacher or sports coach – Make sure to ask that person if they will give you a reference in advance, if you’re not asked write ‘References available on request’ at the end of your CV
- Tailor and change your CV for each job you apply for
- Read over the finished CV a few times and make sure there are no spelling mistakes
- Get someone else to read it and check it for mistakes and typos before you email it off
- Send it to yourself as well to make sure the formatting is correct
- If you’re emailing your CV, make sure to save the doc in your own name. If it’s just ‘CV.doc,’ it will get lost in a pile
CV language
- Keep sentences sharp and positive. Some examples are “Developed training manual for new employees” or “Gained valuable experience in team-leading and problem solving.”
- Be concise because chances are, your CV will be scanned in 30 seconds
- Use action verbs to highlight your achievements, not verbs such as “Responsible for”
- Use bullet points to list your duties, skills and achievements in recent jobs
- Try to be original, even when it can be tough trying to describe yourself. Check out LinkedIn’s list of the most overused words on Irish CVs and avoid them
- Don’t include useless information just to fill space
- Keep your CV positive. Make sure to talk about your achievements and don’t include what you can’t do
CV checklist
- Does the formatting look nice and simple?
- Did you included a mobile phone number and an email address that you check regularly?
- Did you leave out personal information such as your gender?
- Did you include your education, relevant jobs and work experience, achievements, skills and interests?
- Did you stay honest about your qualifications?
- Did you use positive and concise language?
- Did you use action verbs to highlight your achievements?
- Is your CV relevant to the job you are applying to? Did you tailor it?
- Did you include a cover letter with your CV?
- Did you proofread for grammar mistakes?
- Did you get someone else to read over your CV?
- Is your CV document saved under your own name?
