CV Builder

Video Transcript: CV Tips from employers

Introduction: In this video, employers suggest techniques and rules to follow when creating your CV.

Cormac Twomey, Director, Consultancy: So, if I were to give you 2 tips about how to structure a CV - Firstly, always make it relevant to the audience you are aiming it at. Secondly, what frustrates employers, is reading something and being left with the question ‘so what?’. If you read something and it says ‘so what’ you need to take it to the next step. So this means I can do this, or I achieved that. Make it relevant, make it a real example of how you achieved something.

Claire McIntosh, Head of Lateral Recruitment, Morgan Stanley: It needs to be very clear and concise and specific to what you are applying for. Think about bullet points that are accurate and relevant. Personally, from a personal profile perspective something that is cheesy or not really relevant I would not bother putting it on, if something is relevant and draws your attention to a certain point, yes put it on, but keep it very clear.

Abhi Lachina, Recruiter, Leisure Agency: Keep it really simple, keep a chronological order of things you have done in the past few years, do a spell-check, make sure there are no major errors, mistakes or any lies, because you will get quizzed on them eventually, so keep it honest.

Kirsty Scuffil, Recruiter, Leisurejobs: A general tip that I have is that the most important thing is structure. That is because if you see a CV and it is all jumbled up, that consumes my time and I can’t see any clear progression. So start with your most recent job or experience first, I can scroll down to the bottom first and work my way up to see where your progression has been, or how your previous experience relates to the job you have applied for.

Louise Robertson, Chief Marketing Officer, Palm Tree Technology: Check the CV and lose historic things that aren’t pertinent to the job you are applying to.

Robert Michaels, Director, FTSE 100: My biggest bugbear with traditional CVs is a total lack of third party validation of individual claims until the very end of the process.

Cormac Twomey, Director, Consultancy: When going through the interview and CV process it’s as important to articulate the ‘how’ you have achieved what you achieved as it is to what you achieved. This will enable you, and the organisation, to be able to assess if you are a good fit for each other.

Phil Payne, CEO, Global Marketing Agency: So what’s helped me in business is that learnt a dictum many years ago  - the say it out loud trick. If you can actually practice not by writing it on paper, not by just thinking about it, but by saying it out-loud to somebody, presenting it. It’s a technique that actors use themselves before they go on stage, to test that they can actually perform it for themselves in the right way.

Summary: Remember different employers value different points. Your job then is to do cover as many points as possible to maximise your chances. Make it relevant to the audience, answer the so what question, where possible include references, explain what you achieved and how you achieved it, finally, see how your content sounds by saying it out-loud.

Audio Transcript: Before Writing Your CV

Before you start to write your CV there are some things you should think about first:

If a recruiter or employer is only going to spend 30 seconds looking at your CV initially before they decide whether it’s worth reading again your CV needs to do a great job of selling you at first glance.

You need to highlight your strengths, use positive language and make sure the points most relevant to the employer are blindingly obvious.

But your CV also needs to get you to interview so ensure there is a depth of content about which you can comfortably answer all sorts of questions.