CV Preparation Advice

It is accepted that a CV should be no longer than 2 pages long. Whilst we agree with this principle for non-technical roles, this doesn’t provide enough detail for someone with a technical skillset.

Even if Human Resources are coordinating the recruitment project, at some stage, a technical person will be assessing your CV for suitability. Technical people are generally analytical by nature and so will want to see much more technical detail in your CV. Try not to write War and Peace but, by the same token, don’t be afraid to go to 4 or 5 pages.

To make as much impact as possible, tailor your CV to the specific role you are applying. Think about what the employer is looking for in a candidate and arrange your most relevant skills and experiences as early as possible in the CV. This will demonstrate how you meet the most important requirements of the job. We recommend you lay out your CV in the following way :

• Your Full name
• Your contact details including your address, telephone number(s) and email address.
• Your personal profile / objectives
• Education & Professional Qualifications - List your academic history. Include dates, type of institution, location and principal subjects and examination results. List your highest qualifications first and remember to include memberships of professional bodies.
• Skills Matrix / Skills Summary – List your technical skillset. Its best to set this out in table format and try to order your list according to the skills an employer is looking for. Against your list of skills enter the length of experience you have and score yourself, 1 to 10 for example, on your level of expertise.
• Employment History - List Companies and/or Contracts from your most recent position backwards. Please remember to describe the nature of each business and describe your responsibilities at each. Incorporate where you used your technical skills in your role and don’t be afraid to highlight some of your best achievements.
• Interests and Hobbies - List a few of your principal leisure activities, so that the employer can get an idea of the sort of person you are.
• Referees – Referee details can be provided at the appropriate stage of the recruitment process. When you are first submitting your CV “References available on request” is sufficient.