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5 Tips for Writing a Great CV

Writer's picture: EllaElla

Updated: Jul 14, 2019

Having a CV is your first step towards getting work experience. It'll be the first thing any future employer will ask for and, if you're emailing them, it'll be their first impression of you. Your CV could be the difference between getting or not getting a placement. So, we can all agree; CVs are pretty important. But how do you write a good one, let alone a great one? What information is important? And how do you make all of it look nice? All of these are questions that I will answer below. Read on to learn how to write a great CV!


 

1. Do It Yourself

Writing a CV can be super difficult and, to be honest, pretty boring. Because of this, it can be tempting to just ask a friend (or your parents!) to do it all for you. But this is a huge mistake! Writing a CV is a super important skill that you need to learn yourself. Not to mention how embarrassing it would be for someone to ask you to explain something on your CV and for you to have no idea why it's written there. While I would have loved for someone else to write my CV for me, I definitely would have regretted it. Now that I've done it once, I can do it again; something I'll 100% have to do in the future. It's absolutely OK to ask for help, or for someone to read over your CV once you're done, but it should be written by you.


2. Start With a Template

As with any kind of writing, starting with a blank page can be pretty daunting. And with a CV, there's certain formatting and layout that can be hard to figure out on your own. There's loads of great templates you can find online, including on ty.ie, but my favourite website for templates by far is canva.com. It's what I used to make my CV and it made everything ten times easier. I'll attach a blank copy of my CV at the end so you can see what headings I used.


3. Talk About School!

People aren't going to be expecting a huge amount of prior work experience (but if you have any, you should definitely add it!). The best way to talk yourself up is talk about school. Anything remotely academic or interesting you've done should be going on your CV. This can be things like clubs you're in, projects you've done, and awards you've won. If you're having trouble with thinking of things, you can add your CSPE Action Project (RIP cspe btw ♡).


4. Include a Personal Profile

A personal profile is basically a little piece about yourself. Remember to keep it short and sweet; no more than three lines. It should include:

  1. Birthday - some employers don't take people under 16*

  2. Email and phone number - giving people different ways of contacting you increases the chances of getting responses.*

  3. The year you're in - your CV might get mixed up with other people's looking for a full-time job, so it's important to label it clearly to avoid mix-ups.*

  4. Three things you're good at - e.g "I am a hard-worker, experienced in leadership, public speaking, and creative writing."

  5. Something you want to improve in - e.g "I'm excited to learn more about some new fields!"

*You don't have to include these things in your personal profile but make sure you include them somewhere on the CV.


5. Update it Regularly

A great CV is an up-to-date one. There's no point in giving employers CVs with irrelevant information. Any time you win an award, or achieve something interesting, add it to your CV. And remember to add your TY work experience once you've finished it!


Bonus Tip!

Check out my Instagram page @htty_blog for today's bonus tip about the "skills and interests" part of your CV.

 

Blank CV



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2 Comments


Sophie O'Neill
Sophie O'Neill
Jul 14, 2019

❤️

Like

Emily O’Neill
Emily O’Neill
Jul 07, 2019

😃

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