Your CV is the tool that helps you get your foot in the door when applying for jobs. It’s your opportunity to document your skills and experience as well as qualifications and hobbies / interests to represent yourself.
A CV ideally should be around 2 pages long, but it may be shorter if you’re a recent graduate, or longer if you have gained lots of experience or working in multiple jobs over the last 5-10 years.
A profile is a small compact statement that highlights your key attributes and helps you stand out of the crowd. A profile can include who you are, what you can offer and your career aims.
A small list of key skills you have that are transferable to the role you are applying for.
List your previous roles in chronological order with the most recent position at the top. Include the month and year you started and finished, job title, company name and 5-10 bullet points to summarise your duties and responsibilities.
List your previous and current education and professional qualifications. Place the most recently gained at the top. Include the month and year you gained the qualification / education as well as the company / school you gained it through. Include the level of the qualification / education and any expiry dates if necessary.
Relevant hobbies and interests can provide the employer with a clearer picture of who you are, but make sure they support your application - if they don’t, leave them off.
Although you don’t need to provide reference details at application stage, it’s good to confirm to the employer that reference details can be provided when requested. If you don’t have any previous work experience, you can provide character references such as your tutor.
