You’ve reached the time in your life that you need a CV. It’s not the best realisation in the world – but it has come no less. You need to put all of your skills, experiences and achievements onto a two-page document – but how is it possible to fit your entire life into one simple document?
Really, you can’t… But here are some tips to make a great CV to help you get the best apprenticeship for you. I’m going to use my own experiences to give you examples of what you can include
When you send your job application, make sure you also supply a cover letter.
Do's of CV writing
Do tailor your CV (Curriculum vitae)
You can make so many of your experiences tailored towards each job that you’re applying for. For example, I volunteer at a Girl Guiding group. This is for girls aged 7-10, so it shows I can work with young people – perfect if I wanted a job in childcare. It also shows teamwork, leadership and time management – perfect for an office or even management role.
Do make it neat and tidy & easy to read
Make the important parts bold to emphasise when parts of the CV start. For example there are different sections to your CV such as Qualifications, Skills, Relevant work experience (& work history), Hobbies and Interests. Each of these should be clear. Remember, you don't have to include all of your personal details for example your date of birth.
Do be Positive
Even if you didn’t enjoy something find the value that it offered to you. Detail the skills you learnt from it using positive language. I struggled to use the systems they had in place as it was quite unorganised, which motivated me to create a new register for the business.
Do put it in reverse Order
When you’re writing about education and work experience, start with what you did most recently. Put your work experience first and afterwards include the qualifications that you have. Don’t have many qualifications? Try to focus on the skills you’ve learnt through your work experience.
Do prioritise
Don’t include everything that you’ve done in a job role. Include what is most relevant to the job you are applying for. In one of my jobs I had to ensure that the facilities were kept tidy, however I focus on the administration side in my CV.
Do use bullet Points
When it comes to work experience and skills. List your roles in bullet points, it makes it a lot easier to read. Employers have a lot of CVs to get through, so you want yours to be legible and stand out.
Do include dates
Include the dates you started different jobs and your education. It gives the employer an idea of what you have spent your time doing. If there are any large gaps not in employment or in education, be prepared. Your employer might ask what you were up to during that period.
Do ask for help.
Ask a friend or family member to look through your CV to check for spelling mistakes and ensure that it makes sense. I always ask my Mum and family friends to have a flick through my CV – I’d rather them notice a silly mistake rather than a potential employer!
Do use a sensible email address
Don’ts of CV Writing
Don’t handwrite your CV
It looks unprofessional and is more difficult to distribute to employers or put onto your GetMyFirstJob profile! Also, when you want to update it, it’s a lot easier to make changes on a computer rather than re-write it. Not to mention that IT skills are important for almost every job now, a typed document shows you have a good grasp of IT and using Microsoft or Adobe products. Don't use comic sans! You want to make sure you're standing out from the crowd but not in a bad way.
Don’t be negative
If you have something that may be viewed negatively don’t lie, just don’t put it on the CV – you don’t need to say why you left a job or that you have points on your driving license. Although you may need to declare this later on, if you will be driving as part of your job or need a DBS check.
Don’t include salary expectations
Don’t negotiate your salary when you’re going into your first job, especially not in your CV. If you think a payment negotiation is needed wait until after your interview.
Don’t make your CV more than 2 pages
Making your CV too long gets boring. People don’t want to read through an essay they want to scan over it and see what they think of you. If they want to know everything about you, they’ll invite you to an interview or the next stage of the application process.
Don’t use acronyms
This is very formal, and you shouldn’t be using acronyms like NCS say you did NCS – National Citizen Service. They might not know what you’re talking about and they might not research it to find out what it is. It’s not worth the risk!
Don’t Lie
There is no point lying, employers will find out. Whether you lie about your GCSE grades and the employers then ask for your certificates or lie about your experience. You don’t want to lose your jobs, and the employer could offer you an alternative if you don’t have the right requirements.
Don’t leave questions unanswered
Sell yourself to the best of your ability. Don’t say that you were happy about a job you did. Say why you enjoyed it so much!
Your CV is something that you should be proud of. Make it something you’re happy to show off.
