How to write the perfect CV

In my work supporting aspiring psychologists I always advocate to write about everything in the present tense. So rather than say 'Provided, Taught, Offered' it becomes active 'Providing, Teaching, Offering' for example. This is because even though you may no longer be in that role you haven't lost the skills - they're still active.

To write the perfect CV you have to remember the purpose of the CV.. To get you an interview!

It's a piece of Marketing to get your foot in the door. It's there to showcase your skills, experience and to create conversation.

Here're Adams top 5 tips when writing a CV!

1) Keep it concise and to the point, highlight your achievements!
2) As it's all about getting people to contact you, make sure your contact details are clear and right at the top.
3) Put your experience in date order with the latest at the top, employers don't need to see your job from ten years ago at the top.
4) Write an objective, highlighting to potential employers why you're writing a CV.
5) Keep your interests in! As long as they aren't weird they'll create conversation (particularly if the interviewer shares interests!)

My advice would be for mothers returning to work after a childcare break: Don't fall for the outdated advice of emphasizing motherhood on your CV, which I am hearing more and more mums are being told to add by agencies. Your professional skills are timeless. If you were an accountant before, you're still an accountant now. Highlight your expertise, not your parenting skills and if needed express that you can update a knowledge gap as you have been building your network, so you are up to date on the latest market activity in your field

A CV is the first impression you’ll make on a recruiter or hiring manager, so aim for impact!

Do:
• Divide your CV into clear, logical sections
• Write in reverse-chronological order
• Focus on achievements rather than responsibilities
• Align the content with the requirements of the job advert
• Add role- and job-specific keywords

Don’t
• Include personal details such as date of birth, nationality or marital status
• Use graphics, such as logos, photos and skills bars
• Add an objective statement
• Use cliches such as enthusiastic, hardworking and reliable
• Use a generic CV for every application

Include:
• Contact details (name, location, phone number, email and LinkedIn URL)
• Title (current or target role, for example)
• Profile
• Key skills or Core competencies
• Relevant professional experience
• Academic qualifications and professional development courses
• Further details that will help your CV to stand out from the crowd (think volunteering, languages, IT skills…)

Remember the person recruiting for the role you are applying for may receive hundreds of CV's. I see a lot of CV's with academic results first, personally I would recommend putting this last. Instead lead with a section on work experience or if you are a new entrant to the jobs market, put clubs, volunteering experience and activities you have undertaken.
Make sure your CV is tailored to the role you are applying for, employers are typically looking to find people that can fit into a role easily. There is no point handing in a CV that has lots of detail that is not relevant to the job you are applying for. If you are applying for a sale role than make sure your CV has details of when you have used sales skills, or where you have ben part of a team, or had to convince someone to support or do something. Likewise if you are applying for an admin role make sure you provide examples of where you had to process information or apply attention to detail.
Your CV should sell you.