When looking for a new career, a great CV has the power to create the right first impression and help win you an interview. Your CV is how you sell yourself to prospective employers and should summarise the skills and experience that set you apart from other candidates, and with employers only spending an average of six seconds reading a CV, you haven’t got long to grab their attention. So it’s important to get the format, layout, and of course the content just right.

From the different types of CV to the essential dos and don’ts, read our expert tips on how to write or update your CV.

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You Can Also Download Our Free CV Template Here

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Which Is The Best CV Format To Use?

How you structure your CV and the amount of space you devote to each section will depend on your level of experience, the role requirements, and what you feel are your strongest selling points.

There are two main types of CV: chronological and skills based. Let’s take a look at each one.

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A chronological CV is great when you have recent, relevant work experience for the job you’re applying for.

Most chronological CVs include six main sections:

• Contact Details
  Include your full name, address, telephone number, email address and the link for your LinkedIn profile if you have one. Read our blog on maximising your LinkedIn profile.

• Profile
  Keep it concise - not more than 2-3 sentences long. Summarise relevant experience and qualifications, along with your career objective.

• Education
  Start with your most recent qualification first and work backwards. Provide the title of your qualification, the grade you were awarded, where you studied, and the date you achieved it.

• Work Experience
  Consider splitting this into two sections: ‘Relevant Work Experience’ and ‘Other Work Experience’, to really highlight the industry experience you would bring to the role. If you’re going for a customer service role for example, you could have a ‘Customer Service Experience’ section, which quickly signposts recruiters to your most relevant experience. Including an ‘Other Work Experience’ section will also help to explain any gaps in your work history without distracting the recruiter from your suitability for the role.

• Interests (Optional)
  Keep this section brief and consider the impression your hobbies will create. Include any hobbies or activities particularly relevant to your chosen job sector, as it helps to demonstrate your interest in the industry and any additional knowledge you’d be bringing to the role. If in doubt, miss this section out.

• References
  Simply writing ‘available on request’ will do here unless the job advert specifically asks you to include them.

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We hope this helps you on your journey to writing a winning CV and helps land your dream job, if we can help in any other way, speak to our professionals who will assist you further.