How To Write a Professional CV for the UK Market

Every country has its rules. For example, in the majority of European companies it is acceptable to include no more than one page of detailed story about your work achievements and personal goals. However, in the UK the size of CV is slightly bigger, about two-three pages. If you are eager to know about other differences, this article will answer your questions.

How Many Pages Should My CV Be? In the United Kingdom the general rule of thumb for writing a CV is to be written on 2 pages. However, it really depends on your current situation. If you are a school leaver or a graduate, your CV needs to be on one page. If you have around 3-5 years of experience than your CV needs to be on around 2 pages, however, if it’s on 3 pages it is still acceptable. In circumstances where the CV goes beyond 3 pages, this will be because of the profession, which in most cases can be within the IT sector, where most CVs range from 2-4 pages.

How Should I Order the Content on My CV? The way to typically create a CV for the UK marketplace is as follows; A Personal Profile / Career Objective / Key Skills Section / Chronological Career History with Key Achievements / Education & Qualifications / Memberships / Hobbies & Interests

Have an Engaging and Positive Personal Profile. Remember, your CV is a sales document that is trying to get the attention of prospective employers, so it’s absolutely vital to ensure that you create an engaging a positive personal profile that is able to showcase your personality, expertise, attributes and transferable skills.

A brief description of your abilities and personal traits has to be included in the CV. Two-four phrases will be enough to talk directly to your future employer and explain how their values correspond with your goals. Use positive language to show determination, reasonable ambitions, and willingness to collaborate with the company. However, don’t try to overrate your experience or denigrate other candidacies or companies where you had been working previously. It will definitely help you to make an excellent impression upon HR manager or the head of department you are eager to work for.

How Do I Write Content on My CV? The best way to write your CV is to have it in mind as if you are telling an engaging and detailed story. It’s very important to talk about your day to day activities, who you report to directly, who you manage, whether or not you work within a team, if your role requires you to travel and if so, where. As well as placing your daily duties, it’s very important to highlight your key achievements. Achievements can be listed in various ways; these can include sales figures, awards won, acknowledgements, processes and improvements established.

Display Your Major Achievements. If you are sure that nobody cares about your achievements, then you are terribly mistaken. A British CV should include some of your career and personal accomplishments. These can include awards, certificates, and other information how you have been praised for an excellent performance. Of course, there is no need to enlist all the good marks you got being in the sixth form, however, college and university accomplishments could also serve you well.

Do I Need a Picture on My CV? There is no need to put a picture of yourself on your CV. In comparison to our international neighbours who tend to add images to their CVs, you can be rest assured that when you’re creating a new CV for the UK, you do not have to add an image.


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