CV Writing Checklist

CV writing or resume writing can seem daunting but here are some tips to help your get that dream job. If you want to quit your job for pastures new here we go.

The average employer / recruiter looks at each CV for 6 seconds before making a decision whether to read more or not. How can you both make sure your CV stands out, looks professional, yet also avoid doing anything to put off a future boss?

Let’s go right from the start. What actually is a CV? In a nutshell, it’s a document used when applying for jobs. It allows you to summarise your education, skills and past experiences so you can (hopefully) impress your future bosses by selling your abilities. Employers will read tens, or even hundreds, of CVs for every position during the recruitment process, but there’s a few things you can do to make sure your CV stands out (and not in a bad way)to be the perfect candidate.

When CV writing, we sometimes think that to impress we need to write as much information as possible, using the fanciest formats and words to show how clever we are. This is simply not true! Keeping your CV concise by using clear spacing and bullet points allows potential employers to quickly skim read your CV, picking out the important information needed. Let your experiences and knowledge do the talking.

CV Writing Checklist

Personal Details

Clearly stated at the top of your CV.

Contact details – name, email, contact phone number and address.

Personal statement

Stand out from the crowd. Explain who you are, why you are a great choice, and what want from the role.

Statement to prove why you’re suitable in one short paragraph.

Work Experience

Gather all previous employment information.

Employer, Job Title, Business name, Dates in the role, and key responsibilities.

Previous Job Relevance – What will and won’t include. Jobs held a long time ago, or irrelevant for the job you are applying for, shouldn’t be included.

Education

School, dates, the type of qualification and level achievement.

Additional Skills & Achievements

Specialist training, first-aid, any other awards or achievements.

Should be relevant to the job. How you would apply these to the new role?

Identify if you have certain requirements like driving licences, safety training.

Interests and Hobbies

Can they help to back up your skills and make you to stand out.

Make sure it adds value, or leave it out.

Look and Feel

Professional, clear and easy to read

What style are you looking for? CV Templates are readily available to use to make your resume stand out.

Keywords

Keywords what are they looking for?

Words like “team player” and “self motivated”

Proofread

Check spelling and grammar. Use a spell checker also ask a friend or family to check over the document.

Find mistakes before handing it over to potential employers.

Leading on from this, do not waffle on for pages and pages – employers simply do not have the time to read it (and won’t). Ideally all your information should fit onto one page, two at the very maximum.

Similar to the first point, there is simply no need for the words ‘Curriculum Vitae‘ to be any part of your CV writing process. When sending this to potential employers, they will know the document they’ve been sent is a CV – they don’t need it pointing out to them with the very first words they will read. Instead, write your name. ‘Curriculum Vitae’ is not important – your name, however, is.

Covering letters should be a must (unless the employer states otherwise). As mentioned, a CV is a short, list of facts about your experiences and education. With a covering letter, you can let a little bit of your personality shine through.

It should be clearly formatted and short enough for a potential employer to be able to read quickly – and most importantly – it should always be tailored to the role you’re applying for.