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Make your CV shine

A CV gives you the chance to show just how great you are to potential employers. Whether you're applying for part-time work, work experience or jobs when you leave school - your CV will tell employers why they should hire you.

Discover how to write a CV and highlight your skills, experience and best qualities. 

Why you should have a CV

A CV is what an employer reads before deciding whether to interview you for a job.

When you write one, you're highlighting all your great qualities into one easy to read document. 

Your CV should include: 

  • basic details like your full name and contact details
  • your qualifications
  • your skills
  • any work experience you have
  • your hobbies or passions

Usually, your CV will be supported by a personal statement and a cover letter. 

It's also good to practice to keep your CV updated with any new work experience and skills you've learned. This means it's always ready for the next opportunity that comes along. 

Tips for writing your CV

There are some simple tips to follow for writing a great CV. 

Keep it brief 

Employers spend around 30 seconds looking at your CV before deciding whether to give you an interview or not. Keep your CV one or two sides of A4 and avoid long sentences.  

Read it back  

Proofread your CV and read it aloud. This is the easiest way to check for mistakes or sentences that do not sound right. It can be difficult to spot typos in your own writing, so getting someone else to check it can be very helpful.  

Be real  

Be honest about your experience so far and do not fill your CV with complex language, sarcasm or hard to read fonts. It’s important not to lie about your experience – this could mean you end up in the wrong role without the right support. 

 

Other helpful tips for writing a CV

If you're looking to build a more creative CV, learn how to create either a video, infographic or online CV in our CVs with a difference article. 

Stephen Cole, the managing director of Cole Advertising and Design explains why candidates who've done their research stand out. Find out more in our article 'why tailoring your CV will help you get a job'. 

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Learn how to highlight your skills on your CV

Skills are something we learn through experience and that we can apply to things we do. Discover more about what skills you have and how you can demonstrate these to employers on your CV.

Learn more about skills
cv and application advice

Start building your CV

If you're ready to start building your CV - use our CV builder tool to help. Just go through the tool section by section and once you're finished, you'll have a great professional CV to send to employers.

Use CV builder