A CV is your chance to impress an employer. It is an advertisement for your skills and experience. Make your CV the best it can be.
What to include in your CV:
Personal Profile
Your Personal Profile needs to be about 4 or 5 lines about your main strengths and skills.
Tips to get you started - some of the strengths employers look for:
- Good communication skills
- Teamwork
- Ability to work alone
- Organisational skills
- Enthusiasm
- Reliability
- Good timekeeping and punctuality
- Trustworthiness
- Ability to follow instructions
- Work well under pressure
- Motivation
Read the job description and our Job Information Leaflets to find some strengths and skills to include.
Employment
Include:
- Your job title
- Company's name and place of employment (not the full address)
- Start and end dates of your employment
- A bulleted list of what tasks you did on a daily basis
- Extra responsibilities you undertook
- Achievements or successes you had in the job
- Any awards you were given
Education and Qualifications
- Start with your most recent and/or highest level of qualification
- Put down the most relevant qualifications to the job.
- Include the qualification, the year you achieved it, and the name of the provider
Training
Include any relevant training such as:
- Short courses like Food Hygiene or Health and Safety
- Licences or certificates
- On-the-job training
- Home or online learning
- Evening classes
Volunteering and Work Experience
Voluntary work or unpaid work experience can add value to your CV. They show employers extra skills and experience you have gained.
Include:
- Name of the charity or employer
- Start and end dates
- A bulleted list of the tasks you did on a daily basis
Find out more on our Volunteering and Work Experience pages.
References
Put in the words: References are available on request.
You usually need to provide at least 2 references. Don't include referee details on your CV itself, just have them ready.
Ask the people you want to use as referees if they are happy to give you a reference.
Possible referees could include:
- Employer - past or present
- Teacher, tutor or lecturer
- Youth worker
- Charity where you have volunteered
- Someone you know that can give you a character reference (not a relative)
Additional Information
Use this section to add any other relevant information including:
- Sports you play or support
- Community activities you are involved with
- Interests and hobbies
- Achievements and awards
- Memberships of professional organisations
- Driving licence
Keep this section short and relevant to the job you are applying for.
Example CVs:
This CV highlights employment history and skills, starting with the most recent job.
This CV highlights skills, strengths and personal qualities.
This CV is useful when emphasising skills and achievements relevant to the job.