CV DIY Basics - A Quick Guide to Creating Your CV

Okay so you want to do it yourself. You need a CV and you need it now. The trouble is
a) You"ve never done it before or
b) You have one but it is really old or
c) It is pretty recent but it does not seem to be doing its job – getting you an interview for your dream job!

Do not panic! While I am a strong advocate of having your CV polished by a professional (it is important if you want to stand out and make sure your CV does not end up in the bin), here are some tips for those of you who prefer to go it alone.

One of the main mistakes I believe people make when preparing a CV is to begin with the layout and design. I am not saying that this aspect of your CV is not important – it is! – but you need to get the content right first.

So before you do anything else:

Step 1 – Think over your career to date and consider what have been the highlights. What do you consider to have been your greatest achievements? Write them down!

Step 2 – What are your main strengths and key skills? Write them down!

Step 3 – Now look at the job description for the job you want – what are the main requirements? Write them down and look at how they fit with what you have written under Steps 1 & 2
Now you begin to draft your actual CV:

Step 4 – By now you should have some sense of how you can match your skills and experience to the requirements of the job – so depending on the level of job you are applying for you might want to highlight some of your key skills at the top of your CV

Step 5 – Next, starting with your current job, list all your relevant work experience. Make sure to include dates and employers / company name. Give a brief description of your role and set out your responsibilities or main achievements in each case

Step 6 – Include your Educational Qualifications (unlike work experience this should start with your earliest qualification and move to the most recent)

Step 7 – List any other relevant skills, experience or training

Step 8 – List referees or provide a statement regarding the availability of references.

Step 9 – Format – put the information, in that order, into your desired format. There are lots of templates available but please remember to keep it simple. This is a professional sales document so unless you are going for a job in a creative environment you should skip the animation and graphics!

Step 10 – Review the information – have you highlighted / included all achievements or responsibilities which link to the requirements of the job?

Step 11 – Spell check and then check manually for spelling and grammatical errors.

Step 12 – Okay you are almost done but do not forget to include your name, address, a telephone number where you can be contacted during business hours and your email address.

That"s it – you have a CV. Now here are some of the things you should avoid:

1. Do not use too much jargon without it is relevant to the job

2. Do not put so much detail on your CV that the reader is bored – you should be stimulating their interest

3. Generally do not include hobbies and interests – especially if they are lies. Hobbies and interest are unnecessary unless they are relevant to the job – for example being involved in a local community or voluntary group would be relevant for a job in An Garda Siochana, Ambulance Driver, Care Worker or numerous other community related jobs – or they are really interesting and different

4. You do not have to include your Date of Birth, Marital Status or Nationality (although you should ensure that you have the necessary documentation / are allowed to work in the particular country)

5. Do not have complex formatting – avoid boxes etc as many CVs are scanned and this type of formatting will cause problems

6. Do not leave time gaps – it raises questions that can easily be avoided

7. Do not opt ​​for a generic CV – it is important that you tailor your CV to each job application. This will significantly increase your chances of being called for interview

8. Do not have a CV longer than two or (if you really must) three pages – nobody will read it!

CV DIY Basics - A Quick Guide to Creating Your CV