A CHECKLIST FOR YOUR CV / RESUME

1) CONTACT INFO - IT’S IMPORTANT THAT YOU INCLUDE CONTACT DETAILS ON YOUR RESUME, OR HOW WILL EMPLOYERS GET HOLD OF YOU IF THEY WISH TO INVITE YOU FOR AN INTERVIEW?! A POSTAL ADDRESS IS NOT ALWAYS NECESSARY, BUT IT’S A GOOD IDEA TO INCLUDE A CONTACT PHONE NUMBER AND EMAIL ADDRESS (A PROFESSIONAL ONE – KEEP COOL_DUDE1000@GMAIL.COM FOR YOUR PALS!)

2) HEADLINE - TO START YOUR RESUME, WRITE A SHORT STATEMENT THAT OUTLINES WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU CAN OFFER. THIS SHOULD HIGHLIGHT THE SKILLS AND QUALITIES YOU CAN BRING TO A JOB, AS IT MAY DETERMINE WHETHER THE RECIPIENT READS THE REST OF YOUR RESUME. IT SHOULD BE SIMILAR TO YOUR 30 SECOND ELEVATOR PITCH, EXPLAINING WHO YOU ARE, WHAT YOU DO AND WHY YOU MAKE THE PERFECT CANDIDATE.

3) EXPERIENCE - ONE OF THE MAIN PURPOSES OF YOUR RESUME IS TO SHARE YOUR PAST WORK EXPERIENCE. LIST YOUR PREVIOUS ROLES IN REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER, FOCUSING ON THE LAST 10-15 YEARS IF YOUR CAREER SPANS LONGER THAN THAT. FOR EACH ROLE YOU MUST INCLUDE THE NAME OF THE COMPANY YOU WORKED AT, THE DATES YOU WORKED THERE, THE POSITION YOU HELD AND ANY RESPONSIBILITIES/ ACHIEVEMENTS WHILE IN THAT JOB.

4) EDUCATION - WHEN IT COMES TO EDUCATION, IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO LIST YOUR ENTIRE EDUCATIONAL HISTORY AND RATHER THAT AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL, FOR EXAMPLE IF YOU ATTENDED COLLEGE, IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO LIST YOUR HIGH SCHOOL RESULTS. WHEN LISTING EDUCATION YOU SHOULD INCLUDE THE DEGREE YOU COMPLETED AND RESULT, THE COLLEGE YOU ATTENDED AND THE YEAR YOU GRADUATED.

5) SKILLS - LIST ANY SKILLS THAT YOU HAVE THAT YOU FEEL WOULD BE RELEVANT TO THE ROLE YOU ARE APPLYING FOR.

6) EXTRAS - IN THIS SECTION YOU CAN LIST ANY LICENSES/CERTIFICATIONS/AWARDS THAT YOU HAVE. YOU MAY ALSO WISH TO INCLUDE LINKS TO YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS (IF YOU USE THEM PROFESSIONALLY), BLOG OR PORTFOLIO.

7) FORMATTING - YOUR RESUME SHOULDN’T BE TOO LONG, SO KEEP IT TO 1 - AND ONLY GO TO 2 PAGES IF REALLY NECESSARY. USE BULLET POINTS, AS THIS ALLOWS EMPLOYERS TO SKIM THROUGH AND FOCUS ON ANY RELEVANT INFORMATION. BY INCLUDING KEY WORDS WITHIN THE TEXT ATS (APPLICANT TRACKING SYSTEMS) SHOULD PICK THEM UP.

8) GRAMMAR - MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE PROOFREAD YOUR RESUME TO CHECK FOR SPELLING OR GRAMMAR ERRORS AND ASK FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO READ IT THROUGH IN CASE YOU’VE MISSED ANYTHING. DO NOT USE SLANG.

Step by step guide cv from Howard Burns English language trainer and coach

CV types Focal point	Chronological Work experience	Functional Skills	Combination Both
Work experience	Detailed	Not detailed	Detailed
Time on each position	Present	Not present	Present
Skills	Not present	Present	Present
Use for changing career	Not convenient	Convenient	Not convenient
Layout	Professional / Traditional	Creative / Non-conventional	Midpoint between professional and creative
Main Benefit	Shows information recruiters want to know about job positions and activities	Displays key skills needed for the new position	Includes the best features of both formats: work history, skills, and achievements
Main Downside	The lack of experience is more obvious than in other formats	Recruiters may not favor it, as it isn’t straightforward about previous jobs	May be redundant