How to create a great CV

You've got the time it takes our recruiters to read your CV to show you have the right skills and capabilities. A well constructed CV will considerably boost your chances of getting a face-to-face interview.

Curriculum vitae literally means 'the course of life'.  It is an essential career document needed to present yourself effectively in the job market.  There are no rights and wrongs when it comes to writing and presenting a CV. Constructing one can be a rewarding experience and, when completed, it will feel like an achievement in itself.

The basics of a good CV are

• Well-chosen, accurate and relevant content
• Excellent presentation

For most opportunities with Ashfield In2Focus you'll need to upload your C.V and we would expect this to cover the following areas:

• Personal details
  As a minimum please include your mailing address, contact phone number(s) and e-mail address.
  
• Work experience
  List your most recent experience first, as it brings to the fore the most recent and, often relevant and responsible work. Describe your work experience in shorter sentences, using straight-forward, positive language and concentrate on your achievements rather than just responsibilities.
  
• Education
  List brief details of your qualifications and academic achievement, and grades for your most recent/relevant course of study.  
  
• Publications
  List details of research publications which are relevant to the position you have applied to and focus on those where you were the primary or secondary author.
  
• References
  All our job offers are subject to satisfactory professional references. Out of courtesy we would re-confirm your consent to contact your referees before following up and this is usually at the last stage of the recruitment process.

CV - hints and tips:

• Reflect on the role you are applying for and make your most relevant experience and skills prominent
• Use a confident tone and positive language
• Concentrate on your achievements, not just your responsibilities
• Quote figures and improvement/success metrics where possible
• Keep to the point, we prefer quality not quantity. 2-3 pages is usually enough
• List other relevant skills which could be of wider benefit to the role; e.g languages, I.T skills
• Check thoroughly for spelling and grammar
• Get a second opinion from someone you trust
• Avoid leaving any gaps in your work experience record
• Keep your presentation simple, clear. Avoid fancy fonts and colours
• We recommend writing your CV in Microsoft Word
• There is absolutely no need to send us a paper version as a 'back-up'