The Young Lady's Guide to... Writing the Perfect CV

Hey guys!

One of the most important things you will ever learn is how to write a CV. I can’t even count the number of CV drafts I’ve made over the years, from the usual “I am a hard-working student” to something a little more sophisticated. I’m not going to pretend to be an expert on CV writing – I’ll leave that to the grown-ups – but in the endless rounds of careers clinics I’ve attended I’ve picked up a few tips, which I’ll try to share properly here…

• ·      ALWAYS USE EXAMPLES. Don’t just say “I have great customer service skills”; write something like “Demonstrated great customer service skills during my time at *****. This led to additional time spent in customer-facing roles” or such-like. Employers don’t care about your opinion – you need evidence.
• ·      A subsection of the above is write in the past tense. I don’t know why this is a thing; it just is.
• ·      Get your formatting right. If your CV looks ugly/messy, they will chuck it in the bin.
• ·      Get your grammar perfect. Maybe it’s just my grammar-nazi tendencies, but there is nothing more annoying than someone what talks like this. Not cool.
• ·      Start with your most recent roles. That way, your employer can see who you are/what you’re doing now, rather than the person you used to be.
• ·      Be concise. Use 3 bullet points per role; only use more if you were in it for a long time or you were ‘unofficially promoted’ during your time there. Your CV should not be more than two sides of A4. Get rid of “babysitter” or anything that’s not relevant to what you’re applying to.
• ·      Don’t feel you have to provide references on your CV. Most companies will ask for it separately anyway, and it takes up precious room.
• ·      Don’t lie. You will be caught out; it will be embarrassing.

And that’s my two-pence worth! Your CV is one of the most important things you own; take your time on it, get your friends/family/dog to read it, and check it every couple of weeks to see if you can add anything new! Good luck... And if you've got any more tips, you know what to do; theyoungladysguide@gmail.com

Love,

Blaise