How to write the perfect CV
Tips from Drax’s recruitment team that could help you get your dream job
Some people find applying for new jobs easy, others find it time consuming, stressful or even emotionally draining. As a recruiter for Drax I read dozens of CVs a week, so I wanted to share some of my CV top tips, hopefully helping you to find your perfect job.
1. Quality not quantity. Applying for jobs you’re not qualified for is not a great first impression to any perspective employer and it adds to your workload in trying to remember what and where you’ve applied to. Focus on researching either the type of job you want, or the type of company you want to work for. By focussing on a career or company you emotionally connect with, this enthusiasm will naturally shine through in your application and you’ll automatically stand out from the pack.
2. Personalise your application every single time. This might seem like a big task, but if you’re selective about what you apply in the first place then you’ll have more time to build a tailored application. Focus on pulling out key words from the advert or company’s website. Using common language can show how you could fit in and what you have to offer for the role in question. You should also consider your personal statement as an ‘Elevator Pitch’. Tell the reader why you want to work at their company, what drives you and what your aspirations are.
3. Don’t leave the reader to make any assumptions about you or your experience. Be clear in your application and try to anticipate any questions they might have. For example, if the role is Selby-based but you live in Manchester, use a cover letter to outline your intentions on relocation or commuting if appropriate. Help the reader to understand you’ve really thought about this application. If you don’t quite meet all the requirements noted in the advert but think you have something to offer, talk about this in your application and show the reader that you are ready to step up into this role. And if you have worked in different industries, cut the jargon and acronyms out. Spell it all out in plain English.
4. Ensure your CV highlights your experience relevant to the role in a concise way. For example, if it is a graduate role, I would want to understand all of the course modules you studied at university, so using space in your 2–3 pages for this is valuable. However, for a more experienced position, listing all the modules might not be relevant or necessary and so it may be better to talk about other attributes instead. If the role states that it needs someone with experience in business systems & Microsoft Office for example, make sure you refer to this when describing your experience. Something so simple could be the deciding factor in shortlisting you over somebody else.
5. Keep it simple. I find the most visually appealing CVs are the easiest to read, but to me this doesn’t mean having a ‘jazzy’ CV with colours or fancy formatting. It means clean sections with headings, consistent readable font and formatting, and sufficient white space on each page. Too many words per page can deter a reader from taking in all the information you have taken the time to write, and probably means that you are putting in too much detail. Generally, 2–3 pages is the right length for a CV, so if you’re struggling to hit this length, or messing with margins and font size, challenge yourself as to why. Is all the information really needed? It is very common to have versions of your CV that emphasise or de-emphasise certain aspects of your experience to allow your CV to be focused to what you’re applying for every single time.
6. Finally make sure your CV represents you. ‘Curriculum Vitae’ translates to ‘course or story of your life’. It’s your story. It can be useful to get help with your CV or to use a template as a starting point, but at the end of the day this document is representing you, so you need to make sure that you are comfortable with what is in it, the tone and the language. Also, feel free to add a little bit of your personality and personal interests.
There is so much guidance out there and people can often feel overwhelmed by conflicting advice. For me, the most important thing to consider is: does this CV really sell my skills & experience, and portray what I have to offer to the fullest? If you’re answer is no — start again.
