CV Basics - Format

What should my CV look like?

Your CV should be no longer than 2-3 pages

Two is better than three. Unless you are retired President of the United States, a former Secretary General of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union or the Director General of the BBC, there is no excuse for not getting it onto two sides.

Why the obsession with two pages?

Two reasons:

• It shows you understand what a CV is for, and can order your thoughts and structure Them in such a way as to convey the image you wish and
• No client has the time to wade through pages after page of your personal details. They want the facts and just the facts.

Personal Statements / profiles - should you have one?

That is up to you. Space on your CV is precious. The rule about CVs being about two sides, and certainly no longer than three should be a golden one. Therefore do you want to waste precious space on an area that is unlikely to be read?

However, many candidates feel it gives a useful overall summary of themselves. If you do want to include one there are some factors you must keep in mind. If you get it wrong, you can end up worse off by including a statement than if you had not put anything at all.

If do choose to include a personal statement, it should:

• Be a snapshot of your strongest sector and functional experience
• avoid ‘Flowery' personal descriptions and overstating your achievements - it should emphasise the facts

Structure

Put the information the client needs first. That means your name and your employment history starting with your most recent assignment. Education, your home address, contact details (e.g. email address / mobile etc) and any other information goes at the end.

Layout

For most people, unless you are going after a position in a creative industry, stick to a very simple, clear and straight forward design. Always keep in mind that your CV is going to be scanned.

It must be a Word format without boxes or multiple fonts and logos.

• Font & Size - We recommend using Font Size 10 Arial.
• White space - Allow your text some space to breathe. Do not be tempted to set 1cm margins on the basis you can get more on the page. It will look cramped and unprofessional.
• Consistency - Devise a style sheet and stick to it. Think about the hierarchy of headings - section headings: Profile, if you have to have one, career and achievements, education, other information

Language

• Use bullet points
• Keep sentences short
• Active not passive verbs
• Stick to facts, not opinions
• Use standard job titles, not company specific ones. This will increase your chances of your CV being found in a key word search

Powerwords to use

Accelerated Accurate Achieved Avoiding Awareness Budgeted Building Built Capable Centralising Challenging Clarified Clients Coaching Communicating Completed Conceived Confidence Consolidating Constructive Convincing Co-operated Co-ordinate Cost saving Created Customers Deadlines Decided Delegated Delivering Demonstrated Dependable Designed Determined Developed Devised Diagnosing Effective Efficient Eliminating Enabling Enforcing Engineered Enhanced Ensuring Enthusiasm Established Evaluated Exceeded Exceptional Executed Expanded Experience Finalised Financed Flexibility Forecasting Forming Formulated Founded Gaining Generated Goals Headed Helpful Honest Humour Imagination Impact Implemented Improved Improvised Increased Influencing Ingenuity Initiated Innovated Inspired Integrity Interpreting Introducing Judgement Launched Led Liaised Located Loyal Maintained Managed Marketed Mediated Monitoring Motivated Negotiated Nominated Notable Objectives Obtained Operated Opportunity Organised Oriented Originated Overcome Perceived Perfected Performed Permanent Persuading Piloted Pioneered Placed Planned Practical Prestige Preventing Produced Professional Proficient Profit Progress Promoted Proposed Proved Provided Providing Qualified Quantify Raising Reasonable Recognised Recommend Recruiting Reduced Regulated Reliable Reorganised Reported Represented Researched Resolving Responsible Results Reviewing Satisfied Saving Scheduled Securing Selected Selling Significant Simplified Sincerity Solved Standardising Stimulated Strategic Streamlined Structured Substantial Succeeded Supervised Supported Team building Testing Thorough Thoughtful Tolerant Trained Transferred Transformed Trebled Understanding Upgrading Useful Utilised Validating Verified Versatile Vital Vivid

Contact Impact Executives

Email us at candidates@impactexecutives.com or phone on +44 (0)20 7314 2011