How to structure a CV
Vital Information
- Personal details - including name, address, postcode, telephone number and e-mail address.
- Education - School name, dates attended
- Qualifications - Name (GCSE, A Level), Grade, Year Achieved
- Skills and personal qualities (Or a personal statement at the beginning of your CV, after Personal details)
- Employment history and experience (if you are a school leaver, this may not apply)
- Any special skills e.g. driving licenses, any other languages spoken etc.
- Interests, hobbies and achievements
- Referees - Name, Company, contact number and email. Alternatively you can write References available on request.
How you arrange and present this information is largely up to you, however the above order is a good place to start. If you have particularly relevant work experience to the role you are applying for, you could put the employment section before education to draw attention to it. Otherwise, the order on a CV tends to be quite standard.
Dos and Don'ts
DO:
- Keep it clear and well presented. Use bullet points, underline or bold titles to different sections, be creative with it but make sure it is easy to read.
- Have one master CV with all of your information on it. Each time you apply for a job adapt your CV to make it relevant to the role. This will involve adapting your personal profile, skills and interests sections to make sure they are drawing attention to your most relevant qualities.
- Have a look at the job specification and try to match the skills with those on your CV. Using industry terminology is key as well.
- Keep it concise - Never more than 2 pages long
- Write it in MicroSoft Word and proof read your CV : Spelling mistakes never impress the employer!
DON'T:
- Include results from exams you have failed!
- Lie! Keep it honest and play to your strengths.
Look at our sample CV.