Tips for writing a brilliant CV

Careers expert John Lees FREC offers you some inside information about writing a CV that gets you interviewed:

1. Make your CV clear and interesting, but keep it concise. It isnít your life story. A CV only has one function: to get you an interview.

2. Donít forget to include an e-mail address unless you want to appear a techno-dinosaur.

3. Sell yourself on the first sheet, which should stand alone. Start with a profile of who you are, plus your key achievements, followed by a career history in brief.

4. Your CV should make claims about who you are and what you can do, and then provide evidence to back up those claims.

5. Translate what you know and can do into terms that will appeal to a recruiter ñ talk about solving problems, making a difference...

6. Try to say something interesting about your academic history - relate it to an employerís needs rather than regurgitating the syllabus, e.g. if you led a seminar or gave a talk, write about your facilitation or presentation skills.

7. Itís all very well being the best thing since sliced bread. Be specific: make claims and then give evidence. Express achievements in terms of awards, money, time or percentages.

8. Try to include something under ìinterestsî which is neither bland nor run of the mill. Include interests which make you appear a rounded person, and those which have some relevance to the job.

9. Avoid empty adjectives. Almost everyone is creative, dynamic, enthusiasticÖ. Focus on what you have achieved.

10. Remember your CV will be read in about 20 seconds, just to screen you into the ìYESî or ìNOî pile. Do everything you can to end up in the ìYESî pile by making the recruiterís job easier.


John Lees is the author of three of the UKís top careers books including How To Get A Job Youíll Love (McGraw-Hill, 2003; 12.99).