How To Get The Job YOU Want – Make Your CV Stand Out

Apprenticeships General News Blogs

CV, Curriculum Vitae, Résumé – there are a number of names for what is essentially the same thing – a document which clearly shows your achievements and experience.

Writing a CV can be a daunting task – especially if it’s your first time. Few of us feel comfortable with shouting about how good we are at something but that is in effect what a CV does; it provides you with an opportunity to list everything you’ve accomplished and talk about how great you are.

Let’s get to grips with a few essentials first – a CV should never be longer than two pages of A4. It should be written in a clear font (no serifs or fancy scripts here please!) and lastly, but most importantly, we’d always advise you to get someone to check it before you send it out. Even the best writers need someone

Stand out from the crowd to proof read their work – spelling and grammar mistakes are easily made but can make your work look less than professional.

Make Your CV Stand Out

While a good CV shouldn’t look too much like it’s been written to a template, there are some things that should always be included:

Personal details; your name, email, phone number and address. Use your name as the header of the document; it’s probably the most important piece of information on there.
Personal statement; this is a paragraph which explains who you are, what you’re looking for and what makes you the ideal person to employ. Keep this real! Employers find it annoying when applicants say that they are good at something without giving a specific example of how or why.
Work experience; even if you’ve only had weekend jobs or work experience from school, make sure you include it here with dates, job title, the name of your employer and a brief description of your main responsibilities.
Education; include details here of where you went to secondary school or college and list any qualifications (including grades) which you might have. If you don’t have any (or many) qualifications stay positive – a lot of employers are interested in you as a person not how many certificates you have – just ensure that the rest of your CV is strong.
Achievements; if you’ve been on any training courses or hold qualifications not linked directly to education include details here – try to give examples of how the skills you’ve learned can be applied to the job you’re interested in.
Hobbies and Interests; you don’t have to include this, but if your interests and hobbies relate to the job then definitely add some details here. Hobbies and interests also provide talking points at interview.

Tailor Your CV

Lastly but perhaps most importantly, please don’t assume that one size fits all with your CV – you need to tailor the detail to suit each individual job that you’re applying for.

It can be a daunting task to compile your information, if you need more help contact us – we’re happy to assist.

Good luck!

Helpful Tips

We want you to be successful and happy. It’s what makes us tick, and it’s what makes us Leaders in Learning. If you want some additional helpful tips and pointers, to make you stand out from the crowd, please read some of our other articles on:

Top tips for being an apprentice

Five Steps To An Apprenticeship

Top 5 Tips To Ace Your Job Interview

Are your Social Media Profiles preventing you from getting a job..?

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