What is a CV?

A CV, which stands for curriculum vitae, is a document used when applying for jobs. It allows you to summarise your education, skills and experience enabling you to successfully sell your abilities to potential employers.

How long should a CV be?

A standard CV should generally be no longer than two sides of A4. To save space only include the main points of your education and experience. Stick to relevant information. 

What to include in a CV

• Profile - A CV profile is a concise statement that highlights your key attributes and helps you stand out from the crowd. Usually placed at the beginning of the CV it picks out a few relevant achievements and skills, while expressing your career aims. A good CV profile focuses on the sector you're applying to.  Keep CV personal statements short and snappy - 100 words is the perfect length.
• Education - List and date all previous education, including professional qualifications. Place the most recent first. Include specific modules only where relevant.
• Work experience - List your experience in reverse date order (most recent first), making sure that anything you mention is relevant to the job you're applying for. If you have plenty of relevant work experience, this section should come before education.
• Skills and achievements - The key skills that you list should be relevant to the job. Don't exaggerate your abilities, as you'll need to back up your claims at interview. If you've got lots of job-specific skills you should expand on these areas.
• Interests – Only include if you have relevant interests that can provide a more complete picture of who you are, as well as giving you something to talk about at interview. Examples include writing your own blog if you want to be a journalist, or being part of a drama group if you're looking to get into sales.

CV format

• Choose a professional font, clear and easy to read such Arial or Times New Roman.
• Use a font size between 10 and 12 to make sure that potential employers can read your CV.
• Ensure all fonts and font sizes are consistent throughout.
• Section headings are a good way to break up your CV.
• Ensure they stand out by making them larger (font size 14 or 16) and/or bold.
• List everything in reverse chronological order so the hiring manager sees your work history and most recent achievements first.
• Keep it concise by using clear spacing and bullet points. This type of CV layout allows potential employers to skim your CV and quickly pick out important information first.

How to write a good CV

• Use active verbs when possible. For example, include words like 'created', 'analysed' and 'devised' to present yourself as a person who shows initiative.
• A good CV doesn't have any spelling or grammar mistakes. Use a spell checker and enlist a second pair of eyes to check over the document.
• Avoid generic, over-used phrases such as 'team player', 'hardworking' and 'multitasker'. Instead, provide real-life examples that demonstrate all of these skills.
• Tailor you CV. Ensure you target your CV to the role and NIE Networks.
• Create the right type of CV for your circumstances. Decide whether the chronological, skills-based or academic CV is right for you.
• Don't put the term 'curriculum vitae' at the top of the page.
• Don't lie or exaggerate on your CV or job application. Not only will you demonstrate your dishonesty, but there can be serious consequences too.