Writing a CV: My Four Top Tips - Catherine Donaldson

Today is National Writing Day 2022 which encourages young people to start writing, either creatively in your free time or preparing your CV for an application.

Writing is key when presenting yourself to potential employers as it offers a chance to express yourself and show who you are. You have to be creative in the way you talk about yourself to capture the employer’s attention.

The Apprentice Employment Agency is part of the wider Nicholas Associates Group. Our sister company, olano, specialise in creating learning content for businesses. Their dedicated Content Writer, Catherine, has five years of experience in writing and is responsible for blog writing and learning content creation. We asked Catherine for her top four tips when it comes to writing a CV…

 

Be yourself

When writing a CV, remember that you are the focus. Therefore, you need to be yourself! Employers do not want you to hide who you are, but instead get to know you.

Aim to start with a short, personal profile talking about your personality and your best skills and attributes.  If you need to spark some ideas, think about how your friends and family would describe you. Try to write in your own style, like you’re speaking to someone but in a professional manner. Share your skills, hobbies and interests you have in your personal life. These profiles are key to expressing who you are and help the reader understand you.

Be clear

Your CV needs to be concise and straight to the point. Writing too much drowns out the necessary content and the reader will switch off. If you are struggling, two pages is often considered a good length for a CV. Knowing what skills to include is difficult, so write a list and tick each one off as you write. You can go into more detail in your interview, so keep the CV short and clear!

Proofread

One mistake could lose you a potential apprenticeship. Spelling and grammatical errors come across as unprofessional, so make sure you are checking for them. Reading your own work can lead to you missing errors. A second set of eyes could help spot what you might miss, so ask a friend or family member to proofread for you.

Use keywords and phrases

When writing a CV, you need to appeal to the employer. Although it’s important to be yourself, make sure your language comes across positively to them. Read through the job specification and list skills you have that are relevant. Highlight examples that link to the job role and personal attributes that will be beneficial during the apprenticeship.

Also, do not forget to explain your points! Provide evidence in the CV that you can go into more detail about if asked; this will give you something to talk about in your interview.

 

If you found this blog useful but want more guidance with your application, read our Apprenticeship Tips for May.