‘Hi. Many thanks for your e-mail. I start a permanent job as a Project Manager next week, with ABC head office. I am looking forward to it as it means an exciting new challenge for me,
within a new industry. Employers liked my CV, especially my
key skills section which highlighted my attitude.’
KG (IT Project Manager – DIY CV service)

CV ADVICE

CV writing is not an exact science as any reputable company will tell you. There are of course a few standard rules to follow, but as with many things in life the CV world goes through trends and what should and should not be included in them can vary. This is why at RED CVs we make the effort to use and gain further industry contacts and regularly survey recruiters from all sectors to determine what the current thinking is and reflect this in your CV when we write it.

This section of the website is devoted to passing on our findings and expertise in order to help you beat your competitors to interview.

Listed below are the top 5 most commonly made mistakes that we are currently seeing. Check through them to see how your CV compares!

• Poor spelling and grammar. It’s a cliché – but there really is no second chance to make a good first impression. Get your CV checked and checked again. It has to be perfect.
  
  
• Too lengthy. We even saw one CV 16 pages long! Try to keep it to just 2 pages or 3 as a maximum for those in more senior positions (exceptions being technical professions). Similarly don’t make it too short – make full use of those two pages.
  
  
• No personal profile. Having one is highly recommended as it’s a great way to start your CV. It’s a short 3-4 sentence selling statement summing up your key experience, skills, achievements and motivations whilst conveying a little of your personality.
  
  
• Work experience written like a job description. Instead, this should be all about your achievements and the benefits that your work has had for an organisation, backed up and quantified with facts and figures wherever possible.
  
  
• Complex formatting and gimmicks. This includes shaded headings, use of boxes, tables, columns, stylised fonts, underlining and gimmicks etc. All should be avoided as they detract from the content and make a CV difficult to read, fax, copy or scan on a database. Vital information may be lost as a result.