What is a CV?

If you're job hunting, you need a CV - but what is a CV, exactly? A CV, or Curriculum Vitae, is simply a summary of your career, skills and qualifications, used by recruiters to decide who to interview.

What is a CV for?

Recruiters evaluate the CVs they receive in response to job adverts, to decide which candidates best meet their requirements. The strongest will then be invited to an interview, or maybe an assessment centre, to assess their suitability for the role further. Essentially, it's your introduction to, and therefore the first impression you'll make on, a potential employer. As a result, it needs to very clearly show why you're right for the role and why you should be progressed to the next stage of the recruitment process. If you're not chose this time, your CV may also be stored in a database in case any suitable roles arise in the future.

How to write a CV

The best way to think of a CV is to think of it as your personal marketing document. Consider the last marketing document you saw – maybe a flyer you received through your letterbox for a roofing company. Your CV needs to take the same approach:

The flyer will have included the company name and details of how to contact them. Your CV needs your name and details of how to contact you.

The flyer will have said exactly what the company does and why you should hire them for the job. Guess what? Your CV needs to say what you do and why you’d be a good hire, too!

The flyer might have listed any industry accreditations and testimonials the company has – that’s the same as you putting your qualifications on your CV.

There’s plenty more detailed advice on how to write a CV here.

What do I do with my CV?

Now you know what a CV is and how to write one, the next step in your job search is getting it seen by the right people! You can email it to hiring managers and recruiters and also upload it to online job boards (such as Indeed, Monster or LinkedIn), where you can apply directly for advertised jobs. If your CV does well, you’ll be invited to interviews and get to work in no time.

What is a CV cover letter?

Often, when asking for a CV, a recruiter will ask for a cover letter too. This should be laid out like any other formal letter. In addition to backing up your main selling points, that you’ve outlined in the CV, it should also explain why you want that particular job, at that particular company. You should highlight any key skills, experience and achievements that are especially relevant to the role. Go into detail but try to leave them intrigued to find out more about you – one page is more than enough for a cover letter.

Where can I get a CV template?

There are thousands of CV templates available online, but exercise caution when deciding which ones to use. Many are over-designed and most aren’t created to perform well with an applicant tracking system. You can download a free CV template from Word Dragon here - it's ATS compatible and created by a certified CV expert with over 15 years' experience.

What if I need more help with my CV? 

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