How to Write a Good CV
How to write a good CV? What CV layout should I use? There is no single way to construct a CV; it is your document and can be structured and presented as you wish but you should adhere to some basic principles. This guide will provide you with some dos and don’ts, useful tips and a template specific to engineering professionals.
What information should a CV include Dos and Don’ts?
Layout
DO: use clear headings; space information out clearly; use a simple standard font; use bullet points
DO NOT: use different colours of text, use hard to read fonts, have large blocks of hard to read text, use tables or text boxes if possible
Personal details
DO Include: The essentials such as; name, address, email, telephone number, DOB, nationality
DO NOT Include: Unnecessary information like; religion, favourite book, children’s names
Education
DO Include: Tertiary Qualifications; Diplomas, Degrees (BEng, MEng etc), Industry Specific Qualifications
DO NOT Include: Secondary or Lower Qualifications or Non Professional
Skills
DO Include: computer programs and proficiency, professional certifications
DO NOT Include: unprofessional certifications or personal skills
Work Experience
DO: list all of your experience in chronological order; list any projects clearly with values and locations; summarise your role and responsibilities for each role; use bullet points to emphasise key achievements or responsibilities; stick to the facts!
DO NOT: Leave unexplained gaps in your CV; have large paragraphs of text outlining everything you have ever done within the company; make any negative comments towards previous employers, state salary earned
Useful Tips
– Hobbies and Interests, if you decide to include these, keep it short!
– Decorative borders are not considered to be professional
– A good CV should ideally cover no more then three or four pages. Aim to ensure the content is clear, structured, concise and relevant.
– Using bullet points rather than full sentences can help minimise word usage and allow potential employers and recruiters to quickly assess your suitability for a role.
– Large rambling CV’s that are difficult with large blocks of text or bad formatting may simply be discarded, hiring managers and recruiters do not have time to carefully read CV’s from front to back so make your experience leap out!
– NEVER USE BLOCK CAPITALS IT IS HARD TO READ AND POOR GRAMMAR
– A good CV needs to be tailored to each job application.
– Check your CV carefully for grammatical errors and spelling mistakes
– Ask an ‘independent’ party to review the whole CV before it is sent out.
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Template
CV of Insert Name
Personal Details
Full Name: Insert Name (As stated on your Passport)
Address: Dubai, UAE (Current Address And/Or Permanent Address)
Nationality: British Date of Birth: 01/01/1978 (If Applicable)
Email Address: Professional@domain.com
Telephone Number/s: +00 0000 0000 0000 (Include Country Code)
Education
University of Engineering, London, UK 1999 – ۱st Class Degree in Civil Engineering (Use the same format for all qualifications – Institution, Location, Graduation Date – Qualification obtained)
Professional Summary
(۱-۳ short paragraphs of text outlining your position, competencies; key areas of expertise; notable projects, qualifications and achievements)
Skills
(Bullet Point list of computer/software/other skills and extra qualifications or certificates)
Languages
(List any languages of competent proficiency)
Work Experience
۰۱/۰۱/۲۰۱۱ – Present (Dates)
Lead Civil Engineer (Job Title)
Big Engineering Co. (Company)
Dubai, UAE (Country)
(Summarise in a short paragraph or bullet points your overall role and responsibilities at the company)
List of Projects:
Project 1 (Name of Project) Location (Location of Project) Value (USD/GBP/EUR etc if known)
(Short paragraph or bullet points highlighting key features or aspects of the project and your involvement)
Project 2 (Name of Project) Location (Location of Project) Value (USD/GBP/EUR etc if known)
(Short paragraph or bullet points highlighting key features or aspects of the project and your involvement)
Etc…
(Repeat for all roles in chronological order ie most recent first)
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This is by no means an exhaustive guide to CV writing and whilst aimed at engineering professionals but most advice applies to anyone in any professional field.
I welcome your thoughts and comments and if you have any extra advice or hints why not leave a comment below!
If you are an engineering professional looking for a new role please do not hesitate to visit the Digby Morris Website.
Henry Thornalley Henry.
thornalley@digbymorris.com
Senior Consultant – Digby Morris Ltd