How to write a great CV

Whether you’re a graduate seeking employment within your chosen area of study, or an experienced professional looking to refresh your CV before applying for a new opportunity, this guide will take you through the various steps involved in securing a new role.

Dedicating time to building a strong CV is essential, we will demonstrate how best to communicate your skills, experience, and suitability in order to secure your first interview.

In a competitive job market, it is imperative that your CV stands out and helps you to secure that all-important interview.

Invest time in your CV, this is your one opportunity to impress employers with your qualifications, skills, and experience.

Hiring managers review hundreds of CV’s every day and spend on average 20-30 seconds scanning each one.

• Display your suitability for the role in a clear and concise way.

• Your summary is a very important marketing tool where you will highlight your professional attributes and goals, emphasising why they should continue reading the rest of your CV.

• Tailor your CV to the role you are applying for. Review the job description and adapt your CV, ensuring it displays your skills and experience relevant to the role.

 

ORDER

CONSTRUCT YOUR CV WITH THE FOLLOWING HEADINGS

 

Name

Contact details

Personal summary Education (course, award, university, year)

Experience 

Achievements

Training

Skills Languages. 

 

Your CV should always be in chronological order with the most relevant information on the top. This might depend on your experience, educational achievements, and the role you are applying to.

Give context: Include details of the months and years you worked for each company as well as the city and country where the business was located. Explain any gaps in employment.

 

LENGTH The length of your CV depends on the amount of relevant experience you have. Graduate CVs should be 1-2 pages, experienced professionals should limit theirs to 3-4 pages where possible. Include 5-8 bullet points describing your responsibilities and achievements under each role, if this role is recent and relevant to the position you are applying to. 

 

FORMAT Your CV should be visually appealing but most importantly, quick and easy to read. Embolden or underline key points and headings. Use bullet points to separate details. Be consistent throughout with punctuation, indents, and bullet points. Submit your CV as a PDF or Word document.

 

DESIGN Use a legible font such as Arial or Calibri. Less is more when it comes to your CV, keep it plain and use muted tones. Bright colours such as red and background designs will distract from the content. Consider displaying some creativity on your CV if you are applying for a Graphic Design or Marketing role.

 

PERSONAL INFORMATION There is no need to provide information on your gender, marital status, age, religion, nationality or salary. Do not include your referee’s contact details on your CV. If the role you are applying to requires a full, clean EU driving license, reference it on your CV. If you hold a working visa, consider giving details of your visa status. 

 

CONTACT DETAILS Include your phone number where you can be contacted during work hours and ensure your voicemail has been set up Include your personal email, not your work email address. Include a full home address or the town and county you live in; mention “open to relocation” if applicable. If you have completed your LinkedIn profile, attach a link.

 

Quorum Search Partners are the largest food industry recruitment team in Ireland, discover your next career opportunity today.