Good practice: writing a decent CV
In the first of a series of articles to help members
currently looking for a new job, we look at the dos and don’ts of
writing a good CV
Headlines
- 65 per cent of all CVs have spelling or grammatical
mistakes
- The average CV contains at least three lies
- A recruiter will, on average, take 30 seconds to look at a
CV
In one of the worst recessions for decades, the health and
safety professional job market is undoubtedly facing tough times.
Most members will have heard of cutbacks. Just three months ago, a
well known high street food retailer used to employ a
corporate health and safety team of 10. Now, they’ve replaced the
team with just one director. A leading UK charity used to employ a
team of five health and safety professionals – it’s recently been
replaced by a single person.
There are regional differences in terms of what jobs are out
there. For example, in the North East, manufacturing companies are
still recruiting health and safety professionals. On the South
coast, public sector jobs are on the increase while in London a
number of housing associations are looking for health and safety
professionals.
In a challenging market, you need to make sure that you’re doing
all you can to get that all important foot in the door.
What makes a good CV?
Your CV is the most important tool you have when it comes to job
hunting. Many prospective employers will often make a snap judgment
the second they read it and even the most qualified health and
safety professional can find themselves rejected if their CV fails
to come up to scratch. At the moment, there are nearly 17 million
registered online job seekers in the UK and some recruitment
agencies are receiving up to 40,000 CVs a week. So what can you do
to make sure your CV stands out from the crowd?
The basics
Perhaps the most important point to remember when writing a CV
is to tailor it to the job you’re applying for. For example, if
you’ve previously been an on-site health and safety manager for a
construction firm, and you’re applying for a role at a more
corporate level in another industry, make sure the skills and past
achievements you list are transferable and relevant.
Another tip is to use ‘I’ rather than ‘we’ when listing your
past achievements. If you were responsible for improving your
previous company’s health and safety record, then say so. This
isn’t the time to be modest – employers will want to know about
your personal contribution.
Try to keep your CV to no more than two and a half pages. If
recruiters are only taking half a minute to read a CV, then the
information contained needs to be clear, concise and easy to read.
Avoid using long paragraphs – use bullet points instead.
Don’t use italics or decorative fonts. The font size shouldn’t
be too small, or too large – use a standard font like Arial or
Times New Roman in font size 10.
Don’t include a picture of yourself. This can reveal things such
as your race and age – something which, regrettably, could be used
to discriminate against
you.
Have your CV read by three or four other people, such as friends
or relatives, to make absolutely certain there are no spelling
mistakes and that your contact details are correct.
Finally, don’t be tempted to lie on your CV. All job offers are
subject to references, so make sure things such as job title,
achievements and job responsibilities are accurate.
How to structure your CV and its content
Contact details should be right at the top of the first page and
should include a mobile number as well as your home number. If
you’re applying for a position overseas, make sure your contact
details include the international dial code.
Tailor your personal profile and skills to each role. Take time
to read the job description carefully and adapt your profile to
suit. For example, if a job description is looking for key
competencies such as communication and management, be sure to
highlight that your previous role included both written and verbal
communication and that you managed a team of health and safety
officers.
Don’t include school qualifications like GCSEs when listing your
education. Ideally, start with a degree or post-graduate
qualifications and then list professional qualifications after
that.
When listing your employment history, make sure you bullet point
key facts and figures during your time there. For example, most
private sector employers are keen to see evidence of money saving,
so list specific examples of this in your work history. If the role
you’re applying for is in the public sector, for example a charity,
then money saving maybe isn’t the number one priority and you’ll
need to list things such as reducing accident rates or achieving
ISO accreditation.
Use common sense when listing your hobbies or interests and try
to make them relevant to the role you’re applying for. If, for
example, you’re interested in food and you’re applying for a role
in food manufacturing, then you could mention that cooking is a
hobby. All too often, people fall into the trap of thinking they
need to list things such as sport (demonstrates a team player),
reading books (intellectual) and spending time with the family
(work/life balance).
List your achievements and not just your responsibilities.
Recruiters and prospective employers want strong evidence that your
responsibilities resulted in achievements. Be specific about
projects and bullet point key facts and figures wherever
possible.
By writing a decent CV and having a more targeted approach to
your job hunting – and not just applying for all possible roles –
you’ll be more successful in your search and feel you’re making
progress during what’s undoubtedly a difficult time.
What’s next?
In the next issue of Connect, we’ll look at how to
improve your interview skills.
Our thanks to Hays Health and Safety who helped with this
article.
IOSH event
We’ve teamed up with Hays Health and Safety to offer IOSH
members a free, five-hour workshop on Wednesday
9 September at The Grange, Leicester. The workshop will
include more advice on writing CVs, interview and negotiation
skills and how to work closely with recruitment agencies.
Factfile:
- There are currently 17 million online job seekers in the UK,
with 400 specialist job boards on the web
Links: