Welcome to the CV writing workshop

This comprehensive guide offers you everything you need to help create a winning CV. Don't worry: we know exactly how you feel. Hunting for a new job can be a time consuming and stressful process.

It is, however, one of the most important tasks you'll undertake, and the creation of a winning CV is central to the whole process. In creating this workshop, we consulted many recruitment experts who work with us and read through many of the numerous CV writing books available. Most importantly, however, several of those involved in compiling this have recently found themselves a new job and have first-hand experience of the success of a good CV. By working through this step-by-step workshop you'll cover all aspects of the CV writing process, from initial self-assessment, through to customising, checking and dispatching your CV for a particular job. To assist you, we've included a template and several examples of impressive CVs.

Contents:

Preparation - Who am I really? The basics. The modern CV

CV Wizard - The summary page. Templates. The contents. Customising your CV

 Proofing and checking a CV - Facts and fiction. Minimising negatives

 Writing a covering letter - Dispatching. Auxiliary material

 The 10 minute guide to writing a CV

Don't start creating your new CV until you've spent a few minutes laying the basic foundations.

Before you begin, you need to have a clear idea of what you are aiming for. It may have been several years since you last wrote out your CV; since then the industry and your own goals and ideals may have changed considerably.

Even before you begin creating your new CV, it's important to establish what your ideal new job would be (be realistic: Britain already has too many struggling rock stars!) and what information would need to appear on your CV.

So, to start off let's take a few minutes to lay the basic foundations.

Who am I really?

Part of your job hunting or career change process should be a self-assessment. This may sound long-winded, but without a clear idea of your strengths and weaknesses, a realistic idea of what you can expect or step up to, and confidence about your own unique selling points, you may never find an ideal job

Remember, you can't be all things to all people and your CV needs to be tailored towards a targeted sector. Why not spend five minutes sketching down a few notes about your professional profile to date? Here are a few guidelines

• What are my strengths?
• In which areas did I excel in my previous position?
• In which working environment would I thrive?
• How can I minimise my weaknesses?
• What are my mid to long-term professional goals?
• Which areas of past experience are no longer of any relevance?
• Can I define exactly what it is I do, professionally?
• Do I have a proven track record?
• What personal attributes can I bring to the role?
• How motivated am I towards this change?

The basics

Your CV is a reflection of your professionalism. It needs to state quite clearly that you are the man or woman for the job. A good CV should contain:

• How can I minimise my weaknesses?
• An attention grabbing summary page
• A clear, uncluttered layout
• Active and precise description
• Job specific information
• Articulate, concise language
• No mistakes
• No more than two/three pages

Throughout this process we'll be considering what the recruiter would like to see on your CV. Further on in the workshop we'll be discussing customising individual CVs for each application, but at all times you should consider the following points which recruiters look for in a CV:

• An attention grabbing summary page
• The right skills and quantifiable experience
• Suitable interpersonal and communication skills
• The ability to flourish in the company's environment
• The competence and confidence to adapt to the job

The modern CV

With the advent of word processors, the visual impact of CVs has improved dramatically. Attention to layout not only reflects your sense of professionalism but, more importantly, makes it easier for the recruiter to browse through.

Bear in mind that they may be shifting through dozens of CVs and may not take the time to notice the important details. Without creating a CV that looks like a Christmas tree, you should aim to effectively impart a limited amount of information which will ultimately secure you an interview. Quality takes precedence over quantity

The most significant change is the introduction of a summary page. Although there are several popular styles which we will be discussing, the summary page is the first and last selling point of your CV. It outlines your professional profile, key skills and experience, and strengths and achievements.

Follow our three-part procedure to creating and customising your CV:

This step-by-step procedure consists of three parts. Firstly we'll introduce you to the CV summary page and tips for improving it. We've provided a CV template, making step two easier. Working from your old CV, you can fill in the relevant details and remove the unnecessary or outdated information. Finally we'll show you how to customise your CV for a specific job application

There are two main styles of presenting a CV

Chronological CVs are more traditional; they list previous employers and job roles in detail, and are suited to professionals who have a formal history of experience

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. These types of CVs are more descriptive and focus more on skills and direct experience.

How long should my CV be?

The overwhelming opinion from recruiters is that a single summary page and a secondary page with employment history and education details is more than adequate.

For professionals, we recommend a combination of the two - a skills-based summary page, followed by a chronology of your experience. Begin by using your old CV as a starting point

The summary page

All modern CVs now include a summary page. This is a descriptive 'teaser' which outlines your main selling points and can give the recruiter an immediate overall impression of your suitability.

Remember that they may have received many CVs for a position, and can find it tiresome scouring through pages and pages of 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

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 Chartered 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 is sufficient, make sure they're relevant to the particular position and concisely written. This will include not only your formal training, but also workplace acumen (e.g. proven skilful negotiator). Make sure you quantify your results (e.g. increased turnover by 40 per cent), and be careful of meaningless phrases (e.g. good team player). Try to avoid single words spilling over on to a new line, this wastes space.

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
• Qualification
• 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 'O' levels isn't 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

Master copy

Before you take a red pen to your current CV, we suggest you create a master copy, including any detail which may be relevant to any application. This copy can be as long as you like because no one else is going to see it. The reason behind this is customising.

Shortly we will be discussing how to tailor each individual CV to the relevant application and it becomes much easier if we have this lengthy master copy to work from.

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. Starting with the most recent jobs, or positions within the same company, list them according to the following example.

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