22 Jan CV Tips For The New Year!

The new year is a perfect time for anyone looking for a fresh start, whether you’re looking for a new job or looking for your first job, Kiwi Recruitment is here to help. Every CV is different, and you will want to show what sets you apart from the rest. We’ve put together a few tips that will show you how to write a great CV that’ll get you ready for 2021.

To get started let’s take a look at the best way to format a CV. Though there is no definitive way to structure a CV. These are some tips that employers prefer when looking to hire.

• Make sure your CV is divided up in sections by using headings. For example: Profile, Work Experience, Education. Using headings will make it easy for employers to find the information they need and will be appealing to a potential employer.

• The standard length of a CV is 2 pages or less. However it can be stretched to 3 pages for those with a wide range of experience.                                                                                                                                    
• Use a clear, easy to read font in black. – There’s no need for fancy, cursive fonts or colourful text. A CV should look professional and easy to read with correct spelling and grammar.

So, what information should you include on your CV?

Personal Contact details:

Believe it or not, this is a common thing that is missing from some of the CV’s we receive here at Kiwi Recruitment! When applying for a position, you need to provide at least two points of communication. We recommend a working telephone number, that you are easily available on and your personal email address. The best place for your contact details is right at the top, where they can be easily found.

About you:

You will want to include a personal statement in your CV. This will allow an employer a chance to get a feel of the type of person you are. Who you are as a person is just as important as your experience. Use this section to best explain who you are, what value you can bring to the company/role you are applying for.

Key skills:

List all of your relevant skills and achievements, with examples of how this will add value to the business you are applying to. Describe how you would apply these skills, to the new role. 

Relevant work experience:

You will need to include your previous employers but not all previous work may be relevant. Be sure to highlight the most relevant periods of employment on your CV. For example, if you are applying for a Director level role, they will not want to know about your paper round! Be sure to justify any gaps in employment and include responsibilities in previous jobs as this will show any potential employers what experience you have.

For all those who are looking to break into their first job, or have little to no work experience, we recommend that you include any relevant projects you have worked on in education. Even detailing any extra-curricular activities that show leadership, communication and problem-solving skills are great to include on a CV.

To format this section, start with the most recent, including your job title, dates of employment/attendance of education, the company/school name and a maximum of 5 bullet points of your key responsibilities.

Education: 

List here your educational experience. If you have spent more time in education, this is where you can expand this section. Ensure you list the type of qualification and level of grade achieved. If you studied more than 15 years ago, and do not possess any notable or relevant qualifications, simply leave the section out of your CV and expand more on the key skills and work experience sections.

Hobbies and interests:

This section is one that is totally up to you – If you’re writing a CV with more than a year of professional experience under your belt, the hobbies section does not need to be included. On entry-level CVs, the hobbies section is useful to include anything that is relevant to the sector you are trying to break into. What you don’t want to do, is put a CV section with generic hobbies such as “socialising with friends”.

These are just a few tips to help you with your CV. Our team at Kiwi Recruitment are always on hand to provide CV advice. Don’t hesitate to contact us via [email protected] or 01243 782763.

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