There are two main styles of presenting a CV:
1. Chronological CVs are traditional; they list previous employers and job roles with them in detail, and are suited to professionals who have a formal history of experience.
2. Functional or skills CVs are better suited to contractors, graduates, people who have moved around a lot or taken time out to pursue charity work or similar activities. They are also useful when making a complete career change i.e. from finance to IT. These types of CVs are more descriptive and focus more on skills and direct experience.
How long should your CV be?
The overwhelming opinion from recruiters is that a single summary page and a secondary page with employment history and education details perfectly makes good sense.
For professionals, I recommend a combination of the two - a skills-based summary page, followed by a chronology of experience.
The summary page
All modern CVs now include a summary page. Remember that the recruiters may have received many CVs for a single position, and can find it tiresome to go through pages in detail, often glossing over the important bits and ruling out your chances for an interview.
The summary page is a chance to make an impact, and it gives you a chance to show off your personality and personal attributes. If it is well presented and articulate, it will speak for itself.
Begin by including your contact details, letterhead style.
Profile This is a descriptive overview of your professional profile. It occupies most of the summary page and consists of three key elements:
1. A descriptive introduction of your professional designation (e.g. a Management Accountant or web designer), backed up by key features of your professional self, and also including your immediate ambitions. Ideally this should be punchy, precise and no more than three (15-word) sentences.
2. Key skills, listed as bullet points. Eight points are sufficient; make sure they're relevant to the particular position and concisely written.
3. Achievements: these should be presented in the same manner as skills, although about three significant achievements are enough.
Experience The next important part of your CV is your most recent or relevant work experience. The manner in which this is presented depends on which CV type you choose to use. Either way, you should leave enough space on the summary page to include at least the most important outline of your experience. The rest of your experience can follow on page two.
Note: Try not to clutter the summary page with too much detail. Clear use of bullet points and white space should effectively draw attention to a handful of key points that will prompt the recruiter to read on or even confirm an interview.
The Contents The rest of the CV should ideally be no longer than two pages, although professionals with a long career history will need more.
The three sections are:
• Secondary experience
• Qualifications
• Personal summary
In order to squeeze everything in you're going to have to be ruthless. Qualifications and previous work experience that is unlikely to make a significant impact should be left out.
For instance, a complete list of Matric or O/A Levels is not necessary if you've subsequently gone on to complete an MBA. Likewise full details of early job roles won't be read if you've made a career change, or if subsequent positions you've held have included far more important responsibilities.
Here are some details that you can leave out:
• Details of jobs held more than 10 years ago
• Minute details of more recent jobs
• Reasons for leaving a previous job
• Current and past salaries
• Failed examinations
• Nationality and age
• Details of referees
• Full details of hobbies and interests
Work experience This follows on directly from the summary page. Ideally you should aim to squeeze the details of your current or most important recent position onto the summary page, the rest can follow on the second page.
Job title Using the official title may be misleading, therefore consider rewording it to more accurately describe your role.
The responsibilities section This is clearly the most important section and will require some clever use of words to keep it brief yet informative. Use bullet points and remember that the aim is simply to catch the recruiter's attention. Elaboration can take place in the interview.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
• Avoid specific terminology
• Clearly state what you were accountable for
Qualifications This section should be quite brief, outlining only your most recent qualifications and any courses which are relevant to the new role.
Your highest professional qualification is the most important one (i.e. degree) and should be listed first. You may want to follow this with professional courses (e.g. Marketing management diploma), and reserve your secondary level qualifications (e.g. 'A' levels) for last. Details of older qualifications should be left out. Any other relevant courses can be listed below this.
PC skills These have become an integral part of business management, and most office-based jobs for that matter. It is worth listing software with which you are proficient.
Layout The name of the qualification should always be mentioned first, thereafter the order is usually determined by the most efficient use of space. Juggling long words is often necessary to optimise the use of each line. Remember to remain consistent.
Interests and additional information Mentioning personal interests may be an unnecessary waste of space and annoy the reader unless they are likely to show relevant skills which are relevant to your professional profile. Recruiters often take a glancing look at CV summaries for any other useful information.
If you feel that your interests show that you are a responsible person, show them.
Customising your CV Each time you apply for a job your CV should be customised to suit that position. This requires assessing the position you are applying for and identifying the key strengths which you can apply to the role.
Starting with the personal profile, eliminate those strengths which are unlikely to appeal to the specific employer, and then elaborate one or two key areas, particularly experience which is most relevant to the new role. Showing that you've done your homework about a company will certainly impress, and this is where you reveal that.
The work experience section of your CV is going to need the most work. Minimise previous roles that are not similar to the new job, and elaborate on the responsibilities which are likely to show your suitability for the new position.
The manner in which your CV is presented is a direct reflection on your own standards of professionalism.
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