How to Construct a CV for a New Job

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee

When it comes to applying for a new job, your CV can be one of the most important parts of the whole process. It is the first thing any employer will see about you and will steer their opinion on you as a potential employee. If it's good your CV can get you an interview every time, if it's not up to scratch then you could find it difficult to get past the first step.

A CV is your introduction. It is what you're all about in a nutshell. Therefore you need to be succinct and make sure your best features are highlighted effectively.

So what needs to be included?

Career history - Whether this is your first full-time job or you're a seasoned professional, it is important that you demonstrate the kind of work that you have been doing previously. Therefore include the names of your past/current employers, the amount of time you've been there and an overview of the role and your responsibilities.

Employers like to see that you have the skillset that matches what they're looking for or that you have shown progression. With this in mind it can be beneficial to re-write or tweak your CV to match individual job applications. This way you can make sure that you are showing off your specific strengths and not just general ones that you might usually feature.

Always put your most recent role first and then work backwards though. Don't feel like you have to include all jobs either. Your new employers probably won't be too concerned about where you had a paper round.

Education history - Again, this is all about getting your most important and recent education up front. So if you have earned a career, don't bury it beneath your GCSEs. Equally, if you have done further education, you shouldn't feel the need to include all your school grades. Simplify them and show what you got and how you fared in the key subjects - English, Maths, Sciences.

Personal profile - Employers will want to understand a little bit more about you, so feature a short explanation of who you are, what you enjoy and just give an insight into your personality. This should be tailored to each application, although many things will remain constant of course.

All of this information should really be contained within one sheet of A4 - one side or two. If you find that you're getting carried away with describing yourself, get somebody to objectively review it and ensure they are critical. It's best to get some opinions from a friend or family member rather than going straight to an employer - it can save you a lot of wasted effort.

So keep it short and sweet, make sure layout is clear and in some form of chronological order - with the newest experience first. If there are any holes in your education or work experience make sure you say what you were doing during that period. Also, if you have done some voluntary work, gained experience away from work or are a member of any professional bodies, be sure to flag these up.