Candidates

CV Help

Personnel Choice have a wealth of experience in viewing CVs. We have come to see the CVs which have the most impact on their potential new employers.

One of our consultants will be glad to discuss and help you with the layout and content of your CV.

Your CV is a very important part of marketing yourself for a new job. IT may have your hopes and dreams of a new start, a better future, that next step up the career ladder, a better position, more money, new challenges, etc. Your CV therefore has to represent the best you have to offer.

Important CV information

Personal Details -

Your full name, address, home telephone number, date of birth, marital status (put only single or married down on your CV, if you are divorced then put single, if you are separated you are still married - never list any sort of failure on a CV). Put your nationality here also, and whether you have any work permits. (if you are a British/EU national and your name does not sound British include nationality). Do you have a full driving licence? Is it clean?

Personal Profile

This is generally a brief summary of you, and a way of up selling yourself and your motivations in relation to your career. For example, details of learning to improve standards of care, CPD for career, what you enjoy doing and your goals etc. Make sure you speak in a positive manner, as this is your chance to get your personality across.

Education Qualifications -

List your qualifications. If you have a degree you probably will not need to list all your O Levels/GCSEs; just listing the number is probably sufficient.

Professional Qualifications

List your professional qualifications, membership of professional associations and professional ID numbers.

Training Courses -

List any work related training courses which you attended, including company courses and any you attended on your own initiative. (If there is a large list it may be better to place these further down your CV after the work experience)

Work Experience

Start with your most recent or last job and work backwards. For each position (treat internal promotion as a new job and record the dates separately) list your job title (e.g. Manager, Supervisor, etc), the job title of the person you reported to (e.g. Director, Manager, etc) and when you started and finished in each job. Give the name of the company and include a brief description of the service they provide (using the terms they would use to describe themselves). Set out your main responsibilities, achievements, duties, and skills that could be transferred to another employer. Be specific and positive about your skills, e.g. 'good written skills' may be a better description of your abilities rather than 'good communication skills'.

Include your level of responsibility if any, e.g. 'responsibility for departmental budget of £100K and managed 10 staff'. In particular list any achievements you had in each position, including increases in sales/productivity and cost savings made. Quantify your achievements if possible. 'Increased sales by £100K' is more interesting and positive than just saying 'Increased sales'. You should try to include some achievements such as meeting deadlines, budgets, etc, and any information that may be relevant to your next job.

Interests Hobbies

List some of your interests which can include sports, clubs, organisations, responsibilities and achievements.

References

It is common practice to list 2 referees, and it is a good idea to think about the right ones to ask to be your referee. It is common practice for health professionals to give previous supervisors or more senior colleagues within the same profession.

For any more information on CV writing and advice, do not hesitate to contact us.