10 Tips to a Successful CV

Your CV, or Curriculum Vitae, says a lot about you to a potential employer. It is the door opening (or closing) to an interview. MotorsportCareers.co.uk can give you some helpful advice on preparing the perfect, or at the very least, an excellent CV. Here are ten tips to guide you:

1. Keep it concise
Usually a CV should be no more than two sides of A4 paper. Recruiters spend an average of just 8 seconds reviewing a CV - if you send them an encyclopaedic rundown of your career to date, they won't find the information they want. Keep it punchy, to the point, and save the details for the interview.

2. Tailor it
Take the time to adapt your CV to each role you apply for. Research the company and use the job advertisement to gauge exactly which skills you should signpost and which aren't perhaps so relevant.

3. Include a personal statement
Don't assume a recruiter will see the connection between your experience and the job: use a brief personal statement to tie your work history to the specific company and role.

4. Prioritise your information
Ensure that the most important information catches attention first, and don't focus on trivia. Select where to place your emphasis: it could be knowledge and education, or results and experience. This depends on what stage you are in life and what experience you have.

5. Don't leave gaps
Gaps make recruiters suspicious - if they spot something's missing, they're unlikely to give you the benefit of the doubt. If you've been out of work, put a positive spin on it - did you develop soft skills such as communication, teamwork or project management, for example?

6. Keep it current
You should update your CV regularly, regardless of whether you're actively jobseeking. Every time something significant occurs in your career, record it so nothing slips through your memory.

7. Ensure it's mistake-free
One of the easiest ways to identify weaker CVs is to scan them for mistakes. David Hipkin, head of recruitment and resourcing at Reed Business Information, warns, “With most employers experiencing massive volumes of applicants right now, giving them the excuse to dismiss your application because of avoidable errors is not going to help you secure an interview.”  Always use a spellchecker and ask someone else to proof read your work.

8. Tell the truth
Never tell blatant lies on your CV as many companies will check the facts. And if they don't, it's likely you'll get caught out at the interview stage instead - where any inconsistencies in your story will be ruthlessly probed.

9. Include compelling facts
Include enough evidence of what you have to offer to appear convincing and professional. Back up your achievements with numbers and facts. When writing your work history, don't just tell the recruiter you increased sales; tell them you increased sales by 70% over a six month period.

10. Make it look good
Spend time formatting your CV. Use bullet points and keep sentences short. Use the graphic design trick of leaving plenty of white space around text and between categories, to make sure the layout is easy on the eye (using 9.5 point size can achieve this). Choose an attractive style, which means simplicity: avoid boxes, graphics, templates in your WP programme, and use suitable fonts (Tahoma and Verdana work best with web or email based CV's).