The time it takes to write a CV depends on a number of factors.   But if I were writing a CV for myself I would allow at least half a day and probably more time than that.   And why not!   

When you consider how much is at stake – that this CV represents the only contact you have with an employer – that if you have a bad CV you are simply not giving yourself a chance – that your job is pivotal to your life and your lifestyle – that a good CV can make all the difference between success and failure in your career – then I can truly say that you should spend as much time as it takes to produce the very best CV and that you need all the help you can get.  

Trawl the internet to find advice on CV writing before you start.  Some of the advice you will want to take on board and some you will not agree with – that’s fair enough – after all it’s your CV.   You may decide to invest in a template to give you some guidance on the structure of your CV.    Make a plan, get all your information together and only then should you start writing your CV.  

But remember – it will take a good number of minutes to create the very best possible CV.  

Peter

As a recent graduate or school or college leaver, you may well feel you don t have an awful lot to offer, and you may well be right. But what about the other candidates, will they be any different from you in that respect At this early stage of your career you can t be expected to have much experience, and the employer will know that. They are going to be expecting applications from people just like you.

There is no need to try to big up your achievements and make unsubstantiated claims just to impress. Don t describe yourself in glowing terms using words and phrases which cannot be verified. The employer will see right through it. Bear in mind that they are bound to be experienced in business, so they are unlikely to be impressed by such claims, and anyway that s not what they are looking for. They will probably bin that type of CV without even bothering to read it through.

So, what will make your CV impressive The first thing to do is to read the job description carefully. Do you have the qualities they are looking for If you do, then make sure that your CV demonstrates very clearly what you have to offer.

Be careful that you don t just paraphrase the job description, but make it very clear that you are willing to work hard and continue to learn. Use examples of achievements from your school, college or university. Demonstrate that you are trustworthy by referring to any positions of responsibility or things that you have done during any periods of work experience. Sporting activities can be helpful in showing that you work well as a team member and get on well with other people. Or you could mention any academic group projects or activities. If you have done any voluntary or extra curricular work that, too can be useful in showing the type of person that you are.

Set out your education and qualifications very clearly with dates so that the information is easy to understand. If you think it helps, include details about the modules you have selected in any of the courses you have studied.

Always be truthful, straightforward and rely upon the facts. Work out what the employer is looking for and then demonstrate that you are a suitable candidate. That way you will achieve a CV which will be impressive because of its honesty, so there will be no need for any exaggerated claims at all.

I do think, however, that it’s a bit like carrots which are jolly good for you, but even the best of things can be bad if taken to excess. I’m not at all sure that the personality profile can really tell you anything about yourself that you didn’t know already. The biggest downfall is where people take elements of the psychometric test and include them in the CV in an endeavour to describe the type of person they are. I think this is a big mistake. It’s a bad idea to include anything in the CV that is not demonstrable.

The type of profile that I come across all the time, when doing assessments, goes something like this:

“A highly dynamic and flexible person. Intelligent and hard working with an agile mind. A pro-active problem solver and excellent communicator ……….”

Now, this may all be true but how can it possibly be proved Because it is only a perception it is simply a waste of space. The profile is a very important part of any CV but it needs to be an introduction that focuses upon your achievements and skills to demonstrate, in real terms, what you have to offer to a prospective employer

The main subject under discussion was how to get around ’glitches’ in your career when you are writing your CV.   It was a very interesting discussion and raised all sorts of issues that people may face in their lives.   I have been inspired to write an article covering how to deal with problems that may face you when you are writing a CV, which I will be publishing some time very soon.  

One point that emerged from the discussion was one that I found really interesting.  It was the fact that some of the ‘problems’ were not problems at all.   For example, since one would never include ‘reason for leaving’ when writing a CV you don’t need to show that you were sacked.   The only problem here might be with references, but that doesn’t doesn’t arise in the CV writing process because you don’t include names of references either.   Incidentally I am fairly certain that most employers would prefer not to get involved in disputes so they would usually give a non-committal reference in any case. 

I would usually only include years when writing a CV, so short periods of unemployment would not show at all.   Long periods of unemployment can easily be shown as a ‘career break’.  This is perfectly acceptable, particularly where there are young families involved or if you can demonstrate that you were studying towards further qualifications. 

I recently had an e-mail from a lady who said ‘I’ve had five years out of work to bring up my family - what excuse can I make when I am writing my CV’.   A classic example of somebody who saw a problem where there wasn’t one.   Employers are human beings and they will understand the need for a mother to be with her children.   With a little careful thought it can even be turned to advantage, for example you might say in the covering letter that you are now eager to return to work and to commit yourself once again to developing your career.  

The subject of people taking time out to travel was discussed.   Again this is simply not a problem.   Many employers would regard this as an advantage, especially as it would enable the candidate to demonstrate that they were adaptable and had gained an understanding of different cultures.

So the lesson here is that when writing a CV think positive!  Remember that your CV is not an autobiography and is not all about your life history.   Writing your CV is your opportunity to demonstrate your transferable skills and competencies and what you can bring to the prospective employer’s organisation.   Don’t put in too much detail and never make excuses such as ’reason for leaving’.   Try to view everything from a positive viewpoint and use your previous experience to demonstrate what you have to offer. 

Now, many people believe that there are certain gimmicks that will get your CV noticed, and they are probably right, but it will be for all the wrong reasons.   The way to get your CV noticed is by making sure that the presentation is such that it can be clearly understood what you have to offer to the prospective employer.   Use short sentences and leave out those unnecessary adjectives.   Use bulleted lists rather than long paragraphs of prose.   Don’t use jargon or acronyms, unless you are very sure that they will be understood.

Be brave and don’t feel compelled to include too much detail in your CV - if the employer wants more information they can always ask for it.   A clear, concise presentation with emphasis upon skills and achievements will make you stand out from the crowd for all the right reasons.   

The functional or hybrid CV is particularly useful because it gives you the opportunity to lead with information about your abilities.  It placed less emphasis upon the detailed career history.  This type of CV also gives the opportunity to draw attention to skills which may have been gained through voluntary work or sport.

Always express dates in years without the months.   This means that short gaps in your employment will not show at all.

Gaps due to unemployment can be a little more difficult to deal with.  However, employers will understand that it can sometimes be difficult to find a job, and if all else fails you could put ‘job seeking’ opposite the dates. 

Sometimes gaps in employment can be due to family commitments.  If this is the case, then simply put in ‘family commitments’ opposite the date.  This is quite usual, especially where there are young families involved.

Probably the very best way of dealing with gaps in employment is by demonstrating that you were undertaking further training.   There are a large number of training agencies, suited to training for every type of employment.   

Try visiting this page http://www.jobcentrevacancies.co.uk/career-links.php where you will find loads of links relating to this and other job-related subjects.

What you do need to do is to demonstrate the level you are working at by including in your CV information about your actual job.  Say something about your employers so that the reader can identify the environment you are working in.  Try to include some metrics to demonstrate the size and scope of the business so that the employer can asssess the level of your function.   

Then say whether you are working alone or as a team member.   If so, how large is the team    Who do you report to   What is your particular area of responsibility   Try not to make your job sound boring by just stringing out a long list of responsibilities.   Use short bullet points to explain why you are doing the things that you are doing.   For example, don’t just say ‘data input’ say something more interesting like ‘maintaining accurate records to support management reporting’.   By sounding enthusiastic with a real interest in your job you will be able to present yourself in a more positive light to the prospective future employer.  

He said ‘I’ve got a job interview tomorrow, but I don’t hold out much hope.   I’ve already been for loads of interviews but at my age I haven’t a lot to offer, and my health’s not that good either’

Now, I must say I agree with him.   With an attitude like that I don’t suppose he will get the job.   So I said to him what I am saying to you

Be positive.   They must have liked something about you otherwise they wouldn’t have given you the interview in the first place.  Smile and let them know you still have plenty to offer.   Think of all the positive things you can bring to the job.   You have excellent experience and a proven track record of success in the past.  

But if you don’t believe in yourself, how can you expect them to believe in you    With the right attitude you have every chance of success – without it, there isn’t a hope! 

When considering a CV, the employer will definitely not be interested in hearing all about ‘me’ and my perceived strengths, mainly because this information is too subjective and can’t be quantified.   I may say that I am wonderful in every way with superlative personality traits which are just what an employer is looking for.   However, it is only me who is saying that and there is no way of proving it.   What you really need to do is to demonstrate in your CV what you have achieved in your life, so that the employer can realise that in order to have done that you must be a certain kind of person.  

In order to find out how you will fit into a team, the employer will use psychometric testing techniques.   These tests are designed specifically for that purpose.

However, having thought this through I will modify the advice I give in future.   I will say that employers are only interested in what you can bring to their organisation.   Your qualities need to be demonstrated, an employer will be unlikely to  place any value upon your own assertions of your peceived strengths, so it’s not a good idea to include them in your CV.       

There are CV writing firms who offer to help you ‘write your CV in minutes’ – do they think that the rest of your career is worth so little to you.  There are others who will offer to provide you with a professionally written CV from only £35.   Now common sense tells us that every firm is in business to make a profit.   So if the firm is to make a profit, how much out of the £35 can they afford to pay to their CV writers.   How much time are they investing in writing your CV    Are their CV writers working for peanuts, or are they only spending a very little while on each CV.   It seems to me those are the only two alternatives.   Either way it seems quite mad to me so think that such an important document is worth so little time and effort. 

If you are on a limited budget and feel you need help with writing a CV you will get much better value by investing in a high quality CV writing template.   Don’t be tempted to go for a cheap service – if it sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is.