Recruitment fulfils the basic laws of supply and demand – and your CV is your marketing material.

Pay particular attention to the section on Work History. There are differences between the systems in the UK and your country and it is important to carefully explain your work experience. It is up to you to show that which is relevant to your employment prospects in the UK, briefly and clearly.

There is high demand for professionals with work experience, there are also jobs available for career-starters who wish to develop. There are lots of settings in a variety of geographical areas. Your care and attention in the completion of your CV will help us to make a good match for you.

PLEASE DO NOT USE TABLES OR FRAMES IN YOUR CV. WE NEED A SIMPLE WORD DOCUMENT

For whom are you writing your CV? “The CV reader”

The person reading your CV is usually busy and wants to understand quickly and easily what you have to offer and how that matches the requirements of the job.

What are the requirements of the job? If you have a Person Specification and a Job Description you should look at what is required and present your matching experience. This is very important. Use some of the same terminology where possible and applicable.

If you are writing your CV with no special job in view, write it with your own career goals in mind. Don’t make assumptions about the things that you know well and others may not e.g. “Caritas” is well known to you, but the “CV Reader” may find it useful to have a one line explanation.

The order:

It is still usual to see Education first on a CV.

In general be sure to put the most important items at the top of any lists, e.g. lists of responsibilities. What will be most relevant for the CV Reader?

In any given section, make sure there are no gaps in dates – give a one-line description to explain why there was a gap of 6 months between your jobs e.g. private travel, job seeking etc.

Categories:

The preference is for fewer categories of information. Try this:

• Profile
• Contact Details
• Education
• Work History
• Skills and Interests
  
  
• Profile
  This is a succinct description of yourself, your education, experience, career goals and other relevant information.
  e.g. A fully qualified Social Worker with 3 years’ experience in working with children and families, particularly statutory responsibilities and in residential settings. A focus and interest in substance misuse and child protection and desire to put skills and knowledge gained in Germany and USA to good use in the UK for a minimum period of 2 years. A team-player and able to work well individually. Full, clean driving licence.

CAN YOU SEE HOW MUCH INFORMATION THE CV READER HAS WITHIN A MATTER OF SECONDS? PLEASE DO NOT COPY THIS EXAMPLE, IT IS INTENDED TO GIVE YOU IDEAS ONLY.

• Contact details
  This should include your postal address, telephone numbers and email address.
  
• Education
  How long were your studies? Did you have a specialist subject? It might be worth listing the core subjects you studied.
  
• Work History
  You can include practical placements, paid jobs and voluntary work in this section.
  
  You should show the exact dates of your employment (i.e. September 2002 – March 2004); the name of your employer and a brief description of what they do; your job title and a list of your responsibilities. It is easier on the eye if you write a concise list of responsibilities, rather than a paragraph.
  

  (Name and description of your) Employer: is this a state employer or private? If it is private, is it governed by legislation? Describe in no more than one line the role of the organisation.

  Job title: make it clear what your role was. State the capacity in which you worked e.g. volunteer. How large was the team/who were you working with?

  Responsibilities: this section is VERY IMPORTANT.
  Have you worked in accordance with laws and statutory requirements? Did you manage any staff? Did you control a budget? In the case of social work, have you done court work? In the case of building control and planning, have you dealt with planning applications from the public?

• Skills
  In this section you can include the fact that you have a full, clean driving licence, that you speak 3 different languages (qualify the level). You could also include your interests in this section. Only do this if you have something interesting to say – almost everybody likes “meeting people” and “reading”.

Language:

If your first language is not English, be aware that your “CV Reader” may find words in your language difficult to read, this includes place names in your home country and this may form a barrier to their overall understanding. They might not give up reading your CV, but it may be a difficult experience for them. Is this what you want…?

If you are writing about your “Fachhochschule”, use the English translation. If you quote project titles, translate them and write the actual name, underneath, in smaller font. This is much easier on the eye. Make the experience of reading your CV an easy one, not complicated, for the “CV Reader.

How long should it be?

There is not a fixed rule for the length of a CV. It needs to say enough, but it also needs to be concise. If it goes over 4 pages, it is too long and you need to edit it down. Ideally it will be 2-3 pages.

Format:

Choose a font type and size and make sure that you are consistent in its use.

PLEASE DO NOT USE TABLES OR FRAMES IN YOUR CV. WE NEED A SIMPLE WORD DOCUMENT

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