February 16, 2016, by Nathan Goodey

What I Learned Starting A CV From Scratch

By Nathan Goodey, student blogger.

Whether your CV is bare, or was written a while ago, it’s my opinion that a CV should never stand still. It’s easy to write your name and contact details at the top of the page, but it’s what you write next that can seem daunting. Here are some tips that helped me to develop my CV.

I was starting from scratch, so I brainstormed everything I had undertaken, managed and accomplished. I thought broadly, looking back over my education, work history, responsibilities and even any awards I had won. I compiled this into a long list of bullet points.

From here I split my CV into sections, shuffling my bullet points into education, experience, skills and interests. I focused on expanding the list I’d created, considering what an employer might like to hear. Recently, the thesaurus has become my best friend. It can be a really powerful weapon in your arsenal, so make sure you use it.

Whenever I was struggling for ideas, I’d ask for a second opinion. And then a third. Then a fourth. Everyone’s idea of a CV is different, and it is this that makes it unique to you. I decided to book a CV appointment with the Careers team, who helped me to highlight any changes that needed to be made.

Here are 3 things I learned from writing my CV:

Be bold, be different

Sure, I used Google to give me ideas, but I didn’t just copy them. I wasn’t afraid to use colours, font size and headings to separate my CV from others.

Quality over quantity

You’re not writing an essay; cut out the filler words you’re used to writing to meet your word count.

Don’t overthink it

It can be easy to treat your CV as the be all and end all. I kept mine clean, clear and concise. You can’t include everything you’ve ever accomplished and you don’t need to.

The most difficult part I’ve found is tailoring my CV to specific jobs. I know that many people don’t put in time to tinker it here and there and although it’s tempting to just want to leave it alone, by putting in this extra effort, I believe my applications will stand out from the crowd.

If you want more ideas on how to improve your CV, you can check out our range of resources online. If, like Nathan, you’d like an adviser to look through your latest draft, book an appointment on My Career. 

Image Credit: Flazingo Photos

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