Features and blogging

Want to write a cracking CV but not sure where to start? Next to take the guest blog slot here at Wordfairy is Catherine Debray, a career consultant and coach who works with individuals to help them find their career purpose – and a job they love.

Make a great first impression
You may have heard it before, but first impressions really do count. Your CV should be beautifully presented with clear, consistently spaced text that is easy to read. Step away from overuse of Arial and try fonts such as Calibri, Tahoma or Verdana for a fresh modern feel. Automated spelling and grammar checks are helpful, but make sure you also sense-check your CV by asking someone else to read it. Does it make sense to them, and is your message coming across?

Tell us about yourself
A short personal profile of three to five lines at the start of your document provides an opportunity to tell the employer directly about yourself. Try to encapsulate what you offer in terms of key skills, experience and values. What is your unique selling point? If you find this tricky to write, think about the times when you’ve had positive feedback. What would your friends say are your key qualities? Draw on these points to help you write about what you can offer.

Highlight your achievements
A common way of falling short when writing a CV is to list your former responsibilities as job descriptions. This tells potential employers very little about you and what you can achieve. Instead, consider each bullet point as an opportunity to outline all of your achievements. What did you change for the better? What project did you successfully manage, and who did you mentor? Make the points specific by including numbers, timescales and percentages.

Take the time to tailor every CV
Making your CV bespoke for every role is essential. Before you begin an application, grab a highlighter pen and mark off each of the skills, qualities and competencies that have been mentioned in the job advert. Use examples of as many of these as possible in your CV. Include the relevant key words to give your CV a better chance of getting through candidate selection software – and helping convince the reader that you’re the right person for the job!

Please get in touch with Catherine if you feel it’s time to refresh your CV. To find out more about the services she offers go to www.careerpotential.co.uk