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The 5 Golden Rules of CV Writing
In your search for your next role, your CV is vitally important. Despite this there is often huge variation between the best and rest when it comes to CV’s.
If you follow the 5 golden rules of CV writing you will greatly increase the impact it has.
Rule 1: Think Before You Type
Are you someone who just sits in front of your PC or laptop or are you someone who sits down and plans before they start typing? If you fall into the latter category the first draft you prepare will be so much better.
If this is the case why do more people not plan? Often it is simply down to the fact that it requires a lot more time and effort, which people are sometimes reluctant to invest.
Rule 2: Write Your Professional Profile Last
It might be the first section of your CV but it should be the last thing you write. Once you have completed all of the other sections it is going to much easier to create your professional profile. After all this is your headlines or high level summary.
Rule 3: Summarise Your Responsibilities
You want to give a flavour of your responsibilities rather than listing everything you have ever done. You want to avoid the situation where your CV comes across like a job description.
Rule 4: Make Achievements Your Key Area of Focus
Achievements are what get the attention of recruiters. They need to be written in business benefit language. It is also important to use active rather than passive language.
Rule 5: Write For Your Reader
Those who are recruiting or supporting organisations with recruitment are busy people. They are not in a position of having too much time and too little to do. As a result you have to make it easy for the reader to review your CV; otherwise you are going straight on to the no bundle.
The Bottom Line: Think of your CV as your personal marketing document, tackle it as a project where you have to invest time and you will greatly increase the chances of making an impact.
Duncan Brodie helps accountants and professionals achieve more career success. He invites you to take advantage of his free audio masterclass.
About the Author Duncan Brodie
Since 2006 I’ve worked with in excess of 8,000 accountants and professionals in workshops, seminars and one to one helping them land their next jobs and become better leaders, presenters and business partners. Before that I spent 25 years in accountancy climbing the career ladder from Payments Clerk to FD. I’m a CIMA Fellow, Certified Professional Coach and Team Coach Facilitator.