How to Write a Good CV?

Writing a CV used to be such a frustrating experience, until I became a recruiter. I found it really difficult to communicate clearly what it was I had done. Each line of the CV seemed to take me 20 minutes to write. My CV felt more like a scary factual time line, I thought more about what I hadn’t done instead of what I had achieved and found it really hard to get my work style onto a piece of paper.

Ironically I now write CV’s for a living. What’s even more ironic is the vast majority of the time I really enjoy it (I’d still like to be allot faster). I enjoy capturing a person on paper and knowing that I have explained clearly why a person should be called for interview. And in that lies the difference.

Instead of asking yourself ‘What jobs have I done?’ Ask yourself ‘What have I done in previous jobs that is of relevance to this particular role?’ And here’s the thing, the employer will tell you what it is they are looking for, it is written in their ad. Even if the ad is only two sentences, you know from that what the job title is and therefore what skills are required. It is your job to show them how you meet those requirements. Look up job descriptions of similar roles to get more insight if they have not provided you with enough information. Ask anyone you know who works in a similar role or in that business, what experience and skills are sought after. Employers are not able to read between the lines and see why they should call you for interview. You have to explain it clearly to them and in a way that is easy to read. When you make an effort of aligning yourself to the role requirements, it shows.

If this still sounds like too much hard work, then pay for a Professional CV Writer to do it on your behalf. One of the many great things about living in this day and age is that there are professional support service out there for almost anything you need. So why not avail of them.