100 Top CV Tips · 2013-11-28 · 1 100 Top CV Tips by Paul Hichens Top UK CV Specialist Paul...
Transcript of 100 Top CV Tips · 2013-11-28 · 1 100 Top CV Tips by Paul Hichens Top UK CV Specialist Paul...
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100 Top CV Tips by Paul Hichens Top UK CV Specialist
Paul Hichens is a leading CV specialist. In
addition to vast experience helping clients
globally with their CVs as head of top firm
CVSucceed.co.uk Paul is the author of the
most pioneering CV book in decades, The
One Page CV (published by top career sector
publishers Pearson Education).
More details about the book and author can
be found by clicking this link.
You can view the tips below...
Preface:
Most CV tips compilations are pretty
standardised, and say pretty much the same
thing. One of the main reasons for this is that
frequently the people who write them are
not actual CV writing professionals and so
often just recycle tips from other (non-
specialist) sources.
These tips, on the other hand, are written by
a bona fide top professional CV writer, with
genuine expertise and years of real hands-on
experience helping people from all walks of
life dramatically improve their CVs and
ultimately their job prospects. The author is
always in demand, and clients come to him
for help from all around the world; many by
personal recommendation.
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First of all some tips about tips!
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2 Clear your mind of any previous advice you
have had, together with any preconceptions
about what you should or shouldn't be doing.
A lot of standard advice is very much that;
and much of it is contradictory, flawed or
counter-productive.
At the same time, not all standard advice is bad.
Some of it is good. The trick is sorting out the
good from the bad. How do you do that?
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4 If you're not sure how useful particular advice
is (or otherwise), then one thing you can do is
do little bit of research before implementing
it.
One thing you should bear in mind is the
experience and credentials of the person giving
the advice. For example, some of the CV advice
on the Internet has been cobbled together by
Web content writers and SEO techies, rather
than real career sector professionals. Moreover,
even when a particular piece of CV advice comes
from a career sector professional, it doesn't
necessarily mean that it is any good; after all, not
all career sector professionals write CVs (let
alone day in day out), and very few at all have
conducted even the slightest bit of research on
what works best and doesn't with CVs.
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5 6 If the advice is original and has been written
by a genuine career sector professional, then
any professional career advisor worth his/her
salt should be happy to put his/her name to
it. If they don't, this could indicate that
perhaps the advice isn't original, the author
isn't sure of it, or it has been written by a
non-career sector professional. Just be aware
of that.
If the author gives details of his/her website,
then you can check it out.
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7 8 If they have a website then ask yourself does
it look professional? Are there any good (and
genuine) testimonials? And significantly - is
the website well-written?!
Bear in mind that lots of career sector
professionals, including many of those who
advise others on CVs, do not even write their
own CVs, but instead engage professional CV
consultants to do the job properly for them. Just
because someone puts an advisor’s hat on it
doesn’t necessarily make them an expert in the
subject. With many career sector ‘advisors’ all it
frequently means is that once upon a time
someone told them what they thought
should/shouldn’t be included on a CV – many
advisors therefore are merely messengers
regurgitating the same old standard (and
frequently flawed) information. Surprisingly few
‘advisors’ have done any real research about
what works best on CVs.
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9 10 Okay on to the main CV writing tips now (tips
that are based on real research and years of
genuine CV writing experience!)...
Whilst this may sound strange starting point,
the first thing you really should do before
writing your CV, is to stop and think.
And the first thing you need to think about is
your target. Just what job are you targeting?
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11 12 It helps if you can further sub categorise this -
what level of job are you targeting? Is it a
career change?
These are relevant questions because you need
to adapt the way you write, depending upon the
level and nature of your target. So hone in on
your target and focus.
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13 14 Once you have a better idea about your
target, the next step is to think about your
strategy for the CV. And yes you did hear
Think about the employer, and consider what
he/she will be looking for in a candidate.
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right - strategy!
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15 16 Similarly, think about whether or not the
employer has any specific
criteria/preconceptions about what they are
looking for in a CV.
Most employers won't mention specific
requirements for a CV in their job specification,
but some do so just beware. If something
specific is mentioned then you should adhere to
it. Check the advertisement and/or specification
just in case.
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17 18 For example, on rare occasions employers
might ask you to write using a specific CV
format, or include certain information on
your CV. However, as mentioned most
employers don't do this and give you more of
a free reign. In which case, talking of format
you should use the most effective format.
Take a look at your CV and assess just how
good/bad the format is.
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19 20 Don't take a long look at it - you need to put
yourself in the employer's shoes, and do what
Be honest with yourself.
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he/she will do, and sum up your first general
impressions within just a few short seconds.
Assess it for 5 or 6 seconds maximum.
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21 22 Ask yourself whether it is too long? Ask yourself whether it is too cluttered?
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23 24 Ask yourself whether it is too complicated? Ask yourself whether it makes a good or bad first
impression?
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25 26 Ask yourself if you think the presentation is
good enough?
If any of the above questions give you cause for
concern, then you need to address this. There is
no point sending off a flawed CV for job
applications. Competition for jobs is extremely
strong these days and you need the best
possible CV, even second-best will not suffice.
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27 28 If your CV is too long then you need to
shorten it. Ideally you should aim for two
pages maximum, and if you can write a
powerful one page CV, then all the better.
Nothing stands out more than a well
presented and well-written one page CV -
although admittedly one page CVs are the
hardest of all CVs to write – and especially
those that simultaneously do a great job of
selling your skills - which is why many
(although not all) professional CV
writers/companies struggle to do it properly.
If your CV is too cluttered then there are several
things you can do to help this, these include
changing format, writing more concisely,
increasing the whitespace, and removing or
consolidating some entries. So consider your
options.
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29 30 If you want to change format then you could
have a look at some CV templates. Just be
aware that some CV templates (even pretty
looking ones) are counter-productive and can
adversely affect the way your message gets
across. So be very careful about which CV
template you choose.
If you want to write more concisely then this is
actually quite a specialist skill, and it doesn't
come to most people naturally, particularly if
you want to write concisely yet powerfully -
which you need to if you want the best CV. If you
do feel you need help in this respect, then The
One Page CV not only covers this in detail, but
also provides practical sessions for you to
develop and hone your concise writing skills.
Please note that the ability to write effectively
yet concisely is not just useful for CV writing, but
it is also a valued skill that you can use to your
advantage in many areas (both professionally
and personally).
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31 32 If you decide that increasing the whitespace is
an option, then you can do this is by changing
format, reducing font size, increasing CV
length, or amending/removing entries. At the
same time just be aware that there are
dangers associated with all of the above. So
you need to prioritise and decide which
solution is best for your particular
circumstances.
If you decide that removing some entries is a
good option for you, then just be aware that you
need to sell yourself on your CV, and that by
removing entries you may well be eating into
your sales message.
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33 34 At the same time, a lot of people have
repetition on their CV, and it can often be
advantageous to remove any of the
repetition.
But before you act, it is usually a good idea to
assess and weigh up the pros and cons of
removing or retaining a particular entry.
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35 36 If you identified that your CV was too
complicated, try to work out why this is.
For example, ask yourself if it lists too many
jobs? Is sending out too many mixed messages?
Does it have incomplete or confusing dates? Is it
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missing any information? Or anything else?
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37 38 The next step is for you to have a think of
possible solutions.
When thinking of solutions think flexibly, don't
just do what typical standard advice would have
you do - remember that standard advice is
inflexible and is frequently flawed.
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39 40 So the next tip is to be creative if need be!
For example if your CV lists too many jobs, then
think about ways in which you can refine these
down or consolidate them. There are very
effective ways and means of doing this; again for
more details please consult The One Page CV, in
addition to explanations it also gives you hands-
on practical sessions to show you how to do it
properly.
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41 42 Similarly, if you are sending out mixed
messages this is only going to confuse the
employer. You need to send out a strong,
Many advisers will encourage you to concentrate
your message on what you have done
previously. However, such thinking is not
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focused and very clear message. So give this
serious consideration and act accordingly.
effective when it comes to job applications. So
the next tip is to think dynamically, rather than
statically and historically.
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43 44 Think about what the employer is looking for,
and then think about what you have done or
achieved that fits in with this expectation.
Going back to the issues raised in tip number 36,
if your current CV has confusing dates then this
is something you should address. One thing
which may help is to exclude months. You are
not usually obliged to include the start/end
month of each job.
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45 46 Again going back to tip number 36, if anything
is missing you should consider adding it.
Please note the word ‘consider.’ Just because
it is missing it doesn't necessarily mean you
should add it.
This leads us on to our next tip - make sure that
all of the entries on your CV are actually worth
including. It sounds obvious, but some people
don't realise this (including some recruiters I
might add!).
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While we are still on the subject of the way
your CV looks, another tip is to have a look at
it from a very general perspective. Does it all
look in line? Is there anything which stops it
from looking neat and presentable? A lot of
people present CVs which look okay in the
main part, but which have minor formatting
errors. It may not sound like much, but all
these little errors add up, and you really
should address them.
Okay, let's not assume that you have fixed any
potential problems with the way your CV looks.
Let's go on to other significant factors. One key
revelation is that although the way your CV looks
is important, your actual CV content is far more
important. Good presentation will help get your
CV noticed, but it's the actual content which
determines whether the employer puts your
application on the short list or in the reject pile.
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49 50 The next step is just to think about just what
is good content, and then re-read your CV
with that thought in mind.
Consider if your CV content is relevant to the
job?
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51 52 Read it out aloud and ask yourself if it flows
well. If it doesn't then you need to revise it
until it does.
The most obvious thing that people check when
it comes to CV content is the spelling. And
candidates have been known to lose out on jobs
because of spelling alone. If you are unsure
about the spelling then use a spellchecker.
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53 54 Similarly, double-check your grammar, and
use a grammar checker if necessary.
At the same time, there is far more to good
content than just spelling and grammar, so the
next thing you need to do is look at your
grammar/wording in more detail, and evaluate
it.
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55 56 Is it is too long winded? If so then you need to
refine/rephrase it down accordingly.
Is it is too complicated? If so then one tip is to
break it down into smaller entries, or into
new/revised sections.
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57 58 If you are not already using bullet points,
then you should do so. Bullet points help in
the delivery of your message. The most
effective way of presenting achievements is
using neat single line bullets. That said,
refining your achievements down to just one
line per achievement, is far easier said than
done. There are methods that you can use to
achieve this, but there is a lot more to it than
meets the eye. However, if you want to
Does the content sell you enough? If not then
you need to substantiate it.
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discover how to do it then The One Page CV
shows you with easy to follow examples.
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59 60 Selling yourself on paper isn't easy, and this is
one reason why the likes of HR executives,
recruiters and career advisers engage
professional writers to do the job properly for
them - really it is a specialist skill. Again The
One Page CV shows you how to do it via clear
practical sessions, but there is a lot more to it
than meets the eye and so is beyond the
scope of this limited text. At the same time
several further tips for starters are included
below;
One important tip is to remember that your
competitors will be selling themselves to the hilt.
So you need to do so too.
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61 62 Never omit impressive achievements out of a
false sense of modesty.
You may have heard of buzz words or action
words. Some advisers scoff at these, however,
they are significant and if used properly they can
help your cause. Just be aware that if you use
keywords and phrases then firstly they should be
the kind of things that the employer is looking
for, and secondly you need to use them
naturally, rather than artificially.
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63 64 A good way to see if you have included them
naturally or not is to simply read out your
sentences out loud. If you have not weaved
your keywords into your text properly the net
result is that it usually sounds too artificial. In
which case you need to revise it.
Many people make a point of listing all their job
roles on their CV. And a lot of recruiters (and
especially those who have done no research on
CV writing whatsoever) will advise you to do just
that. However, one danger of including all your
job roles on a CV is that you tend to come across
as someone who is capable, rather than an
achiever. So just remember that well-written
achievements out-trump job roles.
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65 66 Another tip that many recruiters don't seem
to realise, is that you can actually tell the
employer what you do (i.e. your job roles),
but in a more proactive format (i.e.
achievements). Obviously, it is harder to write
an achievement than to simply list a job role,
but there are ways and means of doing this
well, again these are fully documented in The
One Page CV.
Another thing which a lot of advisers (especially
those who haven't done any research on CVs)
don't seem to realise is that the way your
achievements are presented influences their
effectiveness (or otherwise). So for example your
message can come across far more clearly in
neat and legible sentences than it ever will in
long and cluttered paragraphs. So when you
think about selling yourself, you are better off
thinking about selling yourself in a concise
manner.
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67 68 Logically therefore it makes sense to look at
any paragraph in your CV, and to consider
refining it down if necessary. Again, just be
careful how you do this, as you have to strike
the right balance.
Examining other aspects of content, let us now
look at certain sections of the CV. The first one is
usually your contact details. As amazing as this
sounds not everyone includes correct or up-to-
date contact details on their CV. Just make sure
you double-check yours!
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69 70 The next section for most people is typically
the profile or objectives section. Noticeably,
there is no common consensus amongst
advisors on this (and numerous other) key CV
issues/choices. Arguably the main reason why
there is no common consensus on key issues
is because an awful lot of standard CV writing
practices are based on myths rather than
research, logic and rationale. The One Page
CV exposes the myths and gives you the logic
to help you make more informed decisions.
Talking of profiles, remember that your profile is
meant to be concise, try to keep it at five lines
maximum.
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71 72 As with all aspects of your CV, write your
profile with your target in mind. You should
be aiming to whet the employer’s appetite,
so it needs to be punchy, pertinent and
powerful.
Typically the next section is your work
achievements section. A very big tip is not to
underestimate this section, as it is the most
important part of your CV.
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73 74 Most people's work achievements sections
are either too basic or too complicated. You
need to strike the right balance. It helps if you
ask yourself the following;
Is the section too long? If it is then refine it
down.
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75 76 Does it come across as rather basic? If so then
you should wrack your brains to think about
things that you have done that will impress
the employer.
If you get stuck, even just have a think about
what you did well.
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Ask yourself if you have been praised for
anything? If so what?
Have you won any awards? If so consider
including these.
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77 78 Ask yourself if you have been praised for
anything? If so what?
Have you won any awards? If so consider
including these.
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79 80 Some people (including some recruiters) are
under the impression that the most effective
CVs are those which include the longest
achievements section. However, the reality is
very different. So think in terms of quality
rather than quantity.
Never lose sight of the fact that your CV needs to
be of relevance to the employer, this applies in
all areas of your CV including your work
experience section.
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81 82 If your content comes across as a bit too
complicated then consider why. For many
people the problem lies in the way they have
written it. There are pretty much infinite
Another reason why some people end up with
long and complicated work experience sections
is because they are under the false impression
that they need to separate out and include each
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ways of saying anything, so if your content is
a bit too complicated the first port of call is to
try to rephrase things. If you try that and
don't see an immediate improvement, then
you could consider getting professional help.
You would be by no means the first to do so.
Not everyone is a natural writer, and it isn't
easy to write clearly, powerfully and
eloquently on paper. Moreover, you would
be surprised at just how many HR executives
for example engage professional CV writers
to write their CV. Indeed, jobseekers at all
levels and in all sectors hire professional CV
consultants to give them the edge over their
competitors. If you hire a top quality CV
consultant it can frequently turn out to be a
very good investment. Of course, the old
adage ‘you get what you pay for‘ applies so
expect to spend £100-200+. It may sound like
a lot, but a top quality CV can pay for itself
time and time again (although the same
doesn't apply with an average or even a good
CV).
and every job role that they had ever done on
their CV. This just isn't the case. On the
contrary, it is a complete myth. Yes, you may
get the odd lesser recruiter quoting the myth -
if so just remember that the recruiter is just the
middleman, and it is the employer who is the
real decision maker.
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83 84 Fortunately, not all recruiters are stuck in the
dark ages, and some do understand CVs more
than others. So if you are being badly advised
by a particular recruiter, one thing you could
consider is simply use a different one.
Another good alternative is to apply direct to
employers’ advertisements, or via job boards.
If you do this you have the added advantage
of being able to tweak your CV to the job.
Part of tweaking your CV with the employer in
mind includes weaving relevant things and
achievements in to your CV. If you do this, then
just like keywords, remember to do it naturally,
rather than artificially.
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85 86 The next section on a CV is typically the
qualifications section. A particularly useful tip
here is that regardless of what certain lesser
recruiters will tell you, you are under no
obligation to list each and every course or
qualification.
Similarly, you are under no obligation to list
every grade. Again, think about relevancy, and
think about what the employer wants to hear.
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87 88 Another tip is to include professional training
if appropriate. Please note the term ‘if
appropriate.’ There is no value in listing all
your software programming skills if you are
applying for a job as a sous chef.
This leads on to another relevant issue. Try to
keep your CV as jargon free as possible. Many
HR executives do not appreciate jargon.
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89 90 Similarly try to avoid overuse of acronyms,
and in particularly less familiar acronyms.
As mentioned, some standard advice is good
(whereas a lot of it is flawed). Some good
standard advice includes the need to your CV to
be no longer than two pages, and also the
following;
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91 92 Be honest Don't over exaggerate
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93 94 At the same time a lot of standard advice
includes (as mentioned) many myths
including the need to include gender, marital
status, driving ability etc. Other myths include
;
The need to include company profiles (so ignore
this myth).
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95 96 The need to include all previous jobs roles,
each separated out (so ignore this myth).
The need to write rigidly to a set format. If you
do that you will come unstuck, because each
job is different, and you will find that the best
results come when you approach each
application flexibly.
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97 98 Some recruiters will have you believe that
employers are fixated upon every tiny trivial
little thing on your CV, such as whether or not
you include every last IT programme you are
familiar with. However, nothing could be
further from the truth. Employers are
primarily concerned about the big important
things you do include, rather than the tiny
less relevant things you don't. Just remember
that.
Another important thing to remember then is
that before you implement any advice you
should weigh up the consequences, as
sometimes these can be counterproductive.
Advisers with little or no CV writing experience
usually do not understand (or even consider)
the knock-on effects of certain suggestions. So
if you follow some advice willy-nilly you may
end up with a CV that is e.g. too long, too
cluttered, and too confusing to be effective
when put in front of a real employer.
99 100 Remember that this is just a list of 100 tips,
and as such, it can't possibly include
everything. On the contrary, it just highlights
and briefly summarises a fraction of the
things that you really need to know if you
really want to write a fantastic CV. There is a
lot more to good CV writing than meets the
eye. And hopefully this will have given you
some food for thought, but if you want to
know more (and a lot more at that) then...
...The last TOP TIP is to check out The One Page
CV, it only costs a few pounds and should help
you improve your CV beyond all recognition.
You’ve nothing to lose and so much to gain...
...See below for details.
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Click here to check out the book
I hope you found this helpful.
And all the best with your applications
Paul __________________________________________________________________________________
© Copyright Paul Hichens 2013. All rights reserved.
This 100 Top CV Tips eBook has been written with the intention of providing better quality advice to
jobseekers everywhere. This text is subject to copyright and cannot be copied, sold, reproduced or
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CV.co.uk has been approved by the author to offer this eBook free of charge to its subscribers for
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