Articles From the Team

Will we ever see a perfect CV…?

With almost 11 years recruitment experience in mixed specialisms (civil engineering and legal) and having cast a sharp eye over thousands of CVs, I think it is fair to say ‘perfect’ is rare.

It’s easy to think you have a great CV. You have spent hours on colour coding text, picking the perfect font type and size, inserting unnecessary text boxes, using tabs, columns, tables and a photo which you think will help create a lasting first impression on the potential new employer. When, in reality, all a potential employer wants to see is a basic text size 10, black, easy to read CV proving you are capable of doing the job in which you are applying, not a whizz in word formatting (unless applying for an IT related job of course) and have the ability to put on password protection to prevent anyone actually reading your CV!

It’s quite difficult to have a perfect CV, after all, each employer is different, but by keeping in mind these simple key points, it will help ensure you are on the right track when creating your CV:

• Keep it simple - use a basic readable text type in a reasonable size (9-12), black • Save it as a word document • Use short sharp sentences, not a life story of every movement within that workplace • Outline all of your relevant qualifications with grades and dates obtained- if you were a school prefect 15 years ago, perhaps its time to get rid of such irrelevant information • Outline key points on specific jobs • Point out any projects of interest for that particular job you are applying for • Include any IT, systems and processes used • Always check spellings (including company names) and grammar • Keep the tense the same • Use a relevant (and professional) document name when saving as this will be visible • Contact emails- is yours now as professional as the career you are striving for? • Leave off the password protection- you want people to see your CV!

Remember, what really sticks in a potential employer’s mind is an easy to read, factual and informative CV that is appropriate for the role you are applying for.

For more tips and advice on how to write your perfect CV visit our website.

For more information please contact Maggie Barrett or visit our website BCL Legal.