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100 Top CV Tips by Paul Hichens Top UK CV Specialist

Paul Hichens is a leading CV specialist. In

addition to vast experience helping clients

globally with their CVs as head of top firm

CVSucceed.co.uk Paul is the author of the

most pioneering CV book in decades, The

One Page CV (published by top career sector

publishers Pearson Education).

More details about the book and author can

be found by clicking this link.

You can view the tips below...

Preface:

Most CV tips compilations are pretty

standardised, and say pretty much the same

thing. One of the main reasons for this is that

frequently the people who write them are

not actual CV writing professionals and so

often just recycle tips from other (non-

specialist) sources.

These tips, on the other hand, are written by

a bona fide top professional CV writer, with

genuine expertise and years of real hands-on

experience helping people from all walks of

life dramatically improve their CVs and

ultimately their job prospects. The author is

always in demand, and clients come to him

for help from all around the world; many by

personal recommendation.

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First of all some tips about tips!

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2 Clear your mind of any previous advice you

have had, together with any preconceptions

about what you should or shouldn't be doing.

A lot of standard advice is very much that;

and much of it is contradictory, flawed or

counter-productive.

At the same time, not all standard advice is bad.

Some of it is good. The trick is sorting out the

good from the bad. How do you do that?

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4 If you're not sure how useful particular advice

is (or otherwise), then one thing you can do is

do little bit of research before implementing

it.

One thing you should bear in mind is the

experience and credentials of the person giving

the advice. For example, some of the CV advice

on the Internet has been cobbled together by

Web content writers and SEO techies, rather

than real career sector professionals. Moreover,

even when a particular piece of CV advice comes

from a career sector professional, it doesn't

necessarily mean that it is any good; after all, not

all career sector professionals write CVs (let

alone day in day out), and very few at all have

conducted even the slightest bit of research on

what works best and doesn't with CVs.

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5 6 If the advice is original and has been written

by a genuine career sector professional, then

any professional career advisor worth his/her

salt should be happy to put his/her name to

it. If they don't, this could indicate that

perhaps the advice isn't original, the author

isn't sure of it, or it has been written by a

non-career sector professional. Just be aware

of that.

If the author gives details of his/her website,

then you can check it out.

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7 8 If they have a website then ask yourself does

it look professional? Are there any good (and

genuine) testimonials? And significantly - is

the website well-written?!

Bear in mind that lots of career sector

professionals, including many of those who

advise others on CVs, do not even write their

own CVs, but instead engage professional CV

consultants to do the job properly for them. Just

because someone puts an advisor’s hat on it

doesn’t necessarily make them an expert in the

subject. With many career sector ‘advisors’ all it

frequently means is that once upon a time

someone told them what they thought

should/shouldn’t be included on a CV – many

advisors therefore are merely messengers

regurgitating the same old standard (and

frequently flawed) information. Surprisingly few

‘advisors’ have done any real research about

what works best on CVs.

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9 10 Okay on to the main CV writing tips now (tips

that are based on real research and years of

genuine CV writing experience!)...

Whilst this may sound strange starting point,

the first thing you really should do before

writing your CV, is to stop and think.

And the first thing you need to think about is

your target. Just what job are you targeting?

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11 12 It helps if you can further sub categorise this -

what level of job are you targeting? Is it a

career change?

These are relevant questions because you need

to adapt the way you write, depending upon the

level and nature of your target. So hone in on

your target and focus.

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13 14 Once you have a better idea about your

target, the next step is to think about your

strategy for the CV. And yes you did hear

Think about the employer, and consider what

he/she will be looking for in a candidate.

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right - strategy!

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15 16 Similarly, think about whether or not the

employer has any specific

criteria/preconceptions about what they are

looking for in a CV.

Most employers won't mention specific

requirements for a CV in their job specification,

but some do so just beware. If something

specific is mentioned then you should adhere to

it. Check the advertisement and/or specification

just in case.

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17 18 For example, on rare occasions employers

might ask you to write using a specific CV

format, or include certain information on

your CV. However, as mentioned most

employers don't do this and give you more of

a free reign. In which case, talking of format

you should use the most effective format.

Take a look at your CV and assess just how

good/bad the format is.

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19 20 Don't take a long look at it - you need to put

yourself in the employer's shoes, and do what

Be honest with yourself.

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he/she will do, and sum up your first general

impressions within just a few short seconds.

Assess it for 5 or 6 seconds maximum.

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21 22 Ask yourself whether it is too long? Ask yourself whether it is too cluttered?

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23 24 Ask yourself whether it is too complicated? Ask yourself whether it makes a good or bad first

impression?

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25 26 Ask yourself if you think the presentation is

good enough?

If any of the above questions give you cause for

concern, then you need to address this. There is

no point sending off a flawed CV for job

applications. Competition for jobs is extremely

strong these days and you need the best

possible CV, even second-best will not suffice.

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27 28 If your CV is too long then you need to

shorten it. Ideally you should aim for two

pages maximum, and if you can write a

powerful one page CV, then all the better.

Nothing stands out more than a well

presented and well-written one page CV -

although admittedly one page CVs are the

hardest of all CVs to write – and especially

those that simultaneously do a great job of

selling your skills - which is why many

(although not all) professional CV

writers/companies struggle to do it properly.

If your CV is too cluttered then there are several

things you can do to help this, these include

changing format, writing more concisely,

increasing the whitespace, and removing or

consolidating some entries. So consider your

options.

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29 30 If you want to change format then you could

have a look at some CV templates. Just be

aware that some CV templates (even pretty

looking ones) are counter-productive and can

adversely affect the way your message gets

across. So be very careful about which CV

template you choose.

If you want to write more concisely then this is

actually quite a specialist skill, and it doesn't

come to most people naturally, particularly if

you want to write concisely yet powerfully -

which you need to if you want the best CV. If you

do feel you need help in this respect, then The

One Page CV not only covers this in detail, but

also provides practical sessions for you to

develop and hone your concise writing skills.

Please note that the ability to write effectively

yet concisely is not just useful for CV writing, but

it is also a valued skill that you can use to your

advantage in many areas (both professionally

and personally).

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31 32 If you decide that increasing the whitespace is

an option, then you can do this is by changing

format, reducing font size, increasing CV

length, or amending/removing entries. At the

same time just be aware that there are

dangers associated with all of the above. So

you need to prioritise and decide which

solution is best for your particular

circumstances.

If you decide that removing some entries is a

good option for you, then just be aware that you

need to sell yourself on your CV, and that by

removing entries you may well be eating into

your sales message.

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33 34 At the same time, a lot of people have

repetition on their CV, and it can often be

advantageous to remove any of the

repetition.

But before you act, it is usually a good idea to

assess and weigh up the pros and cons of

removing or retaining a particular entry.

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35 36 If you identified that your CV was too

complicated, try to work out why this is.

For example, ask yourself if it lists too many

jobs? Is sending out too many mixed messages?

Does it have incomplete or confusing dates? Is it

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missing any information? Or anything else?

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37 38 The next step is for you to have a think of

possible solutions.

When thinking of solutions think flexibly, don't

just do what typical standard advice would have

you do - remember that standard advice is

inflexible and is frequently flawed.

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39 40 So the next tip is to be creative if need be!

For example if your CV lists too many jobs, then

think about ways in which you can refine these

down or consolidate them. There are very

effective ways and means of doing this; again for

more details please consult The One Page CV, in

addition to explanations it also gives you hands-

on practical sessions to show you how to do it

properly.

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41 42 Similarly, if you are sending out mixed

messages this is only going to confuse the

employer. You need to send out a strong,

Many advisers will encourage you to concentrate

your message on what you have done

previously. However, such thinking is not

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focused and very clear message. So give this

serious consideration and act accordingly.

effective when it comes to job applications. So

the next tip is to think dynamically, rather than

statically and historically.

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43 44 Think about what the employer is looking for,

and then think about what you have done or

achieved that fits in with this expectation.

Going back to the issues raised in tip number 36,

if your current CV has confusing dates then this

is something you should address. One thing

which may help is to exclude months. You are

not usually obliged to include the start/end

month of each job.

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45 46 Again going back to tip number 36, if anything

is missing you should consider adding it.

Please note the word ‘consider.’ Just because

it is missing it doesn't necessarily mean you

should add it.

This leads us on to our next tip - make sure that

all of the entries on your CV are actually worth

including. It sounds obvious, but some people

don't realise this (including some recruiters I

might add!).

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While we are still on the subject of the way

your CV looks, another tip is to have a look at

it from a very general perspective. Does it all

look in line? Is there anything which stops it

from looking neat and presentable? A lot of

people present CVs which look okay in the

main part, but which have minor formatting

errors. It may not sound like much, but all

these little errors add up, and you really

should address them.

Okay, let's not assume that you have fixed any

potential problems with the way your CV looks.

Let's go on to other significant factors. One key

revelation is that although the way your CV looks

is important, your actual CV content is far more

important. Good presentation will help get your

CV noticed, but it's the actual content which

determines whether the employer puts your

application on the short list or in the reject pile.

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49 50 The next step is just to think about just what

is good content, and then re-read your CV

with that thought in mind.

Consider if your CV content is relevant to the

job?

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51 52 Read it out aloud and ask yourself if it flows

well. If it doesn't then you need to revise it

until it does.

The most obvious thing that people check when

it comes to CV content is the spelling. And

candidates have been known to lose out on jobs

because of spelling alone. If you are unsure

about the spelling then use a spellchecker.

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53 54 Similarly, double-check your grammar, and

use a grammar checker if necessary.

At the same time, there is far more to good

content than just spelling and grammar, so the

next thing you need to do is look at your

grammar/wording in more detail, and evaluate

it.

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55 56 Is it is too long winded? If so then you need to

refine/rephrase it down accordingly.

Is it is too complicated? If so then one tip is to

break it down into smaller entries, or into

new/revised sections.

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57 58 If you are not already using bullet points,

then you should do so. Bullet points help in

the delivery of your message. The most

effective way of presenting achievements is

using neat single line bullets. That said,

refining your achievements down to just one

line per achievement, is far easier said than

done. There are methods that you can use to

achieve this, but there is a lot more to it than

meets the eye. However, if you want to

Does the content sell you enough? If not then

you need to substantiate it.

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discover how to do it then The One Page CV

shows you with easy to follow examples.

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59 60 Selling yourself on paper isn't easy, and this is

one reason why the likes of HR executives,

recruiters and career advisers engage

professional writers to do the job properly for

them - really it is a specialist skill. Again The

One Page CV shows you how to do it via clear

practical sessions, but there is a lot more to it

than meets the eye and so is beyond the

scope of this limited text. At the same time

several further tips for starters are included

below;

One important tip is to remember that your

competitors will be selling themselves to the hilt.

So you need to do so too.

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61 62 Never omit impressive achievements out of a

false sense of modesty.

You may have heard of buzz words or action

words. Some advisers scoff at these, however,

they are significant and if used properly they can

help your cause. Just be aware that if you use

keywords and phrases then firstly they should be

the kind of things that the employer is looking

for, and secondly you need to use them

naturally, rather than artificially.

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63 64 A good way to see if you have included them

naturally or not is to simply read out your

sentences out loud. If you have not weaved

your keywords into your text properly the net

result is that it usually sounds too artificial. In

which case you need to revise it.

Many people make a point of listing all their job

roles on their CV. And a lot of recruiters (and

especially those who have done no research on

CV writing whatsoever) will advise you to do just

that. However, one danger of including all your

job roles on a CV is that you tend to come across

as someone who is capable, rather than an

achiever. So just remember that well-written

achievements out-trump job roles.

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65 66 Another tip that many recruiters don't seem

to realise, is that you can actually tell the

employer what you do (i.e. your job roles),

but in a more proactive format (i.e.

achievements). Obviously, it is harder to write

an achievement than to simply list a job role,

but there are ways and means of doing this

well, again these are fully documented in The

One Page CV.

Another thing which a lot of advisers (especially

those who haven't done any research on CVs)

don't seem to realise is that the way your

achievements are presented influences their

effectiveness (or otherwise). So for example your

message can come across far more clearly in

neat and legible sentences than it ever will in

long and cluttered paragraphs. So when you

think about selling yourself, you are better off

thinking about selling yourself in a concise

manner.

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67 68 Logically therefore it makes sense to look at

any paragraph in your CV, and to consider

refining it down if necessary. Again, just be

careful how you do this, as you have to strike

the right balance.

Examining other aspects of content, let us now

look at certain sections of the CV. The first one is

usually your contact details. As amazing as this

sounds not everyone includes correct or up-to-

date contact details on their CV. Just make sure

you double-check yours!

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69 70 The next section for most people is typically

the profile or objectives section. Noticeably,

there is no common consensus amongst

advisors on this (and numerous other) key CV

issues/choices. Arguably the main reason why

there is no common consensus on key issues

is because an awful lot of standard CV writing

practices are based on myths rather than

research, logic and rationale. The One Page

CV exposes the myths and gives you the logic

to help you make more informed decisions.

Talking of profiles, remember that your profile is

meant to be concise, try to keep it at five lines

maximum.

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71 72 As with all aspects of your CV, write your

profile with your target in mind. You should

be aiming to whet the employer’s appetite,

so it needs to be punchy, pertinent and

powerful.

Typically the next section is your work

achievements section. A very big tip is not to

underestimate this section, as it is the most

important part of your CV.

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73 74 Most people's work achievements sections

are either too basic or too complicated. You

need to strike the right balance. It helps if you

ask yourself the following;

Is the section too long? If it is then refine it

down.

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75 76 Does it come across as rather basic? If so then

you should wrack your brains to think about

things that you have done that will impress

the employer.

If you get stuck, even just have a think about

what you did well.

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Ask yourself if you have been praised for

anything? If so what?

Have you won any awards? If so consider

including these.

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77 78 Ask yourself if you have been praised for

anything? If so what?

Have you won any awards? If so consider

including these.

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79 80 Some people (including some recruiters) are

under the impression that the most effective

CVs are those which include the longest

achievements section. However, the reality is

very different. So think in terms of quality

rather than quantity.

Never lose sight of the fact that your CV needs to

be of relevance to the employer, this applies in

all areas of your CV including your work

experience section.

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81 82 If your content comes across as a bit too

complicated then consider why. For many

people the problem lies in the way they have

written it. There are pretty much infinite

Another reason why some people end up with

long and complicated work experience sections

is because they are under the false impression

that they need to separate out and include each

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ways of saying anything, so if your content is

a bit too complicated the first port of call is to

try to rephrase things. If you try that and

don't see an immediate improvement, then

you could consider getting professional help.

You would be by no means the first to do so.

Not everyone is a natural writer, and it isn't

easy to write clearly, powerfully and

eloquently on paper. Moreover, you would

be surprised at just how many HR executives

for example engage professional CV writers

to write their CV. Indeed, jobseekers at all

levels and in all sectors hire professional CV

consultants to give them the edge over their

competitors. If you hire a top quality CV

consultant it can frequently turn out to be a

very good investment. Of course, the old

adage ‘you get what you pay for‘ applies so

expect to spend £100-200+. It may sound like

a lot, but a top quality CV can pay for itself

time and time again (although the same

doesn't apply with an average or even a good

CV).

and every job role that they had ever done on

their CV. This just isn't the case. On the

contrary, it is a complete myth. Yes, you may

get the odd lesser recruiter quoting the myth -

if so just remember that the recruiter is just the

middleman, and it is the employer who is the

real decision maker.

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83 84 Fortunately, not all recruiters are stuck in the

dark ages, and some do understand CVs more

than others. So if you are being badly advised

by a particular recruiter, one thing you could

consider is simply use a different one.

Another good alternative is to apply direct to

employers’ advertisements, or via job boards.

If you do this you have the added advantage

of being able to tweak your CV to the job.

Part of tweaking your CV with the employer in

mind includes weaving relevant things and

achievements in to your CV. If you do this, then

just like keywords, remember to do it naturally,

rather than artificially.

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85 86 The next section on a CV is typically the

qualifications section. A particularly useful tip

here is that regardless of what certain lesser

recruiters will tell you, you are under no

obligation to list each and every course or

qualification.

Similarly, you are under no obligation to list

every grade. Again, think about relevancy, and

think about what the employer wants to hear.

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87 88 Another tip is to include professional training

if appropriate. Please note the term ‘if

appropriate.’ There is no value in listing all

your software programming skills if you are

applying for a job as a sous chef.

This leads on to another relevant issue. Try to

keep your CV as jargon free as possible. Many

HR executives do not appreciate jargon.

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89 90 Similarly try to avoid overuse of acronyms,

and in particularly less familiar acronyms.

As mentioned, some standard advice is good

(whereas a lot of it is flawed). Some good

standard advice includes the need to your CV to

be no longer than two pages, and also the

following;

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91 92 Be honest Don't over exaggerate

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93 94 At the same time a lot of standard advice

includes (as mentioned) many myths

including the need to include gender, marital

status, driving ability etc. Other myths include

;

The need to include company profiles (so ignore

this myth).

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95 96 The need to include all previous jobs roles,

each separated out (so ignore this myth).

The need to write rigidly to a set format. If you

do that you will come unstuck, because each

job is different, and you will find that the best

results come when you approach each

application flexibly.

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97 98 Some recruiters will have you believe that

employers are fixated upon every tiny trivial

little thing on your CV, such as whether or not

you include every last IT programme you are

familiar with. However, nothing could be

further from the truth. Employers are

primarily concerned about the big important

things you do include, rather than the tiny

less relevant things you don't. Just remember

that.

Another important thing to remember then is

that before you implement any advice you

should weigh up the consequences, as

sometimes these can be counterproductive.

Advisers with little or no CV writing experience

usually do not understand (or even consider)

the knock-on effects of certain suggestions. So

if you follow some advice willy-nilly you may

end up with a CV that is e.g. too long, too

cluttered, and too confusing to be effective

when put in front of a real employer.

99 100 Remember that this is just a list of 100 tips,

and as such, it can't possibly include

everything. On the contrary, it just highlights

and briefly summarises a fraction of the

things that you really need to know if you

really want to write a fantastic CV. There is a

lot more to good CV writing than meets the

eye. And hopefully this will have given you

some food for thought, but if you want to

know more (and a lot more at that) then...

...The last TOP TIP is to check out The One Page

CV, it only costs a few pounds and should help

you improve your CV beyond all recognition.

You’ve nothing to lose and so much to gain...

...See below for details.

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Click here to check out the book

I hope you found this helpful.

And all the best with your applications

Paul __________________________________________________________________________________

© Copyright Paul Hichens 2013. All rights reserved.

This 100 Top CV Tips eBook has been written with the intention of providing better quality advice to

jobseekers everywhere. This text is subject to copyright and cannot be copied, sold, reproduced or

distributed without prior agreement of the author.

CV.co.uk has been approved by the author to offer this eBook free of charge to its subscribers for

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