The 5 Essential Do’s and Don’ts of CV Writing

Let’s be honest here – CV writing is a major challenge in the entire job search process. And it’s rightly so – condensing all your skills and experience into one slick document is no piece of cake. From font size and format to photos and filling in the gaps, there is a certain etiquette that should rarely be broken. On average, a recruiter or hiring manager receives a constant stream of CVs in a typical working day, any basic mistake can land yours straight to the bottom of the pile. Here are the 5 essential do’s and don’ts from our Adecco resources that can help you construct your CV the right way.

1. Do: Keep it short & simple.

When it comes to length, try to think of your CV as a tasty appetizer that will get people coming back for more. It should be around 2 pages long to ensure that you get your message across quickly, without dragging on like an old encyclopedia. Our consultants advise to include only information relevant to the job you’re applying for, and do not exceed the three-page limit.

Also, forget cursive text that makes your CV look like an excerpt from Tom Riddle’s diary. Use a simple font that looks professional and is easy for recruiters and employers to read. Size matters too – you can’t go wrong if you stick around the 10/12pt mark.

And lastly, save bright colors and excessive decorative patterns for greeting cards. Instead, opt for a clean, minimal layout for your CV with proper sections, headings and bullet points to make it easy for recruiters or hiring managers to grasp key information.

2. Don’t: Fabricate your CV.

Well, this is pretty much obvious, but some people pad their resumes to seem more qualified for a job than they really are. The truth will find a way to come out in the end, often during the interview or reference check process. When it does, you might get blacklisted from the company and tarnish your reputation to your references as well. That’s why “honesty is always the best policy”.

3. Do: Tailor your CV to each specific job you applied to.

When you’re applying for multiple jobs, it may seem like a daunting task to tailor your resume for each job. But it’s not that much work, and it will pay off in the end. Sending out a generic resume will make it look like you’re just applying blindly for every job you’re remotely qualified for, and that’s a sure-fire way to kill your chances of being hired!

To tailor your resume for the job you’re applying for, start by really reading and understanding the job description. Which requirements stand out the most? Is anything mentioned repeatedly? Does anything seem unusual about the job? What duties are directly related to your experience and skills? Once you have a better understanding of the job and what the employer is looking for, re-organize your resume so that the most relevant experience is at the top.

4. Don’t: Waste “prime real estate” on your CV.

Everybody’s time is at a premium, so you need to sell yourself quickly as recruiters and hiring managers make judgments within 30 seconds as to whether your CV is worth reading. The top third of the first page is what our recruiters call “prime real estate”, the area that sells the fastest. However, it’s not uncommon for our recruiters to see this precious space filled with:

• The obvious: Curriculum Vitae, Resume (d’uh, you’re applying for a job and already named the document CV.pdf)
• The unnecessary: photo, age/date of birth, nationality, gender, marital status. Thanks to equality and discrimination legislation, such information is deemed irrelevant to your ability to do the job as well as eating up that valuable real estate. Just omit them.

Instead, you should include your name, contact number, email and a “Profile” paragraph that gives a summary of the professional and personal attributes the employer will find most compelling even if he or she reads no further.

5. Do: Proof read, and proof read again.

The most important process in constructing a CV, though, is using correct spellings and grammar. They’re the most damaging errors you can make as they suggest you are sloppy and don’t care about attention to detail, which is important in any job. Yet 60 per cent of the CVs we see contain mistakes. So, check, check and check again. Then have someone else check for good measure.

Your resume is the first impression that an employer will have of you, and it’s often the deciding factor in whether you get called to interview or rejected on the spot. That’s why it’s crucial that you mind these do’s and don’ts. You can’t control the employer’s decision to hire you, but you can control your resume and how it portrays you as a strong candidate.