CV how to #1: The CV in Bullet Points

prompt journal - CV top tips

You should always spend a fair amount of time perfecting your CV and tailoring it to each vacancy. However, you can waste a lot of time debating over how to do the CV, what to include and how to set it out. So here is a quick run through of what I believe to be the key things to include. No debate.

Appearance

  • A4 paper (good quality) white/off-white.
  • Font: Times New Roman, Arial or Verdana. Size point 11 or 12.
  • Use Bold or Underline to separate sections
  • Have “White Space” so it reads easy
  • Use bullet points
  • Staple, don’t paper clip.

The Content

  • Third person
  • Check Spelling and punctuation
  • Check for typos
  • Avoid repetition, find some creative action words to use.
  • Reverse Chronological Order
  • 2 pages max
  • Personal Info: Name, Address, Phone Number and Email
  • Profile/summary
  • The rest: education, career history/work experience, further training and other details (achievements/interests)

Saving and Sending

  • address to a specific (and correct) individual, if possible
  • if sending by email don’t just name the document CV.doc, but also include your name e.g. troutycv.doc
  • include a “Subject” if sending by email – job title / reference
  • if sending by post – preferably use a C5 Envelope.
  • allow for posting (when considering deadlines!)
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