HOW TO WRITE THE PERFECT CV

Sharp Consultancy Supports Yorkshire Children’s Charity’s annual schools day out at Cannon Hall Farm.

On Wednesday, September 11th, half of our staff from both the Sheffield and Leeds offices volunteered to support Yorkshire Children’s Charity. Each year, this charity provides hundreds of children from schools across Yorkshire with the opportunity to enjoy a fantastic day out at Cannon Hall Farm, and they rely on many volunteers to make this happen.This year, over 600 children who might otherwise not be able to enjoy a day trip like this, partook in what turned out to be a brilliant day. Yorkshire Children’s Charity is very close to our hearts here at Sharp Consultancy as not only is it focused on the county we call home, the charity helps children who for a variety of reasons, are in a position of disadvantage. For many of these children, this was their first visit to a farm and possibly their first experience outside their local area. Apart from a brief deluge for 10 minutes at the start of the day and a light shower at the end the day, the rain mostly stayed away. The team from Sharp Consultancy, along with many other volunteers helped get the packed lunches delivered, drinks poured, biscuits distributed and joined the teachers showing the children around the farm – from reptile houses to the pig pens (much holding of noses and retching noises!), tractor rides to see Llama’s and reindeer, sheep racing, ferret racing, meerkats and mongoose. It was a day like no other.No matter how old you are, if you think back really hard, you can probably just about remember the first time you saw a snake or huge monitor lizard in a zoo; or goggled at the size of a shire horse and the amazement you felt – multiply this by 608 children and you might just have some idea how special the day was. And don’t children ask the best questions. I have never been asked so many questions I didn’t know the answer to – ‘Why do snakes put their heads in that position?’ Why are some leaf cutter ants carrying leaves to their nest and some carrying them away from their nest?’ Why is that cow laying down and that one stood up?’ my answer – ‘it must be tired’ – there response ‘what’s it been doing to get tired?’ Or my favourite ‘What can run faster, a meerkat or a ferret?’. The team here at Sharp Consultancy had an amazing day (I think if enjoyment could be measured, we’d have given the children a run for their money!) It was a humbling and enlightening experience and on occasions, very emotional (my word, you really appreciate just exactly how lucky you are and have been). Most of all though it was a delight to meet 608 amazing young people, dozens of teachers and assistants (you really are heroes, and nothing will make me change my mind on that) and all our fellow volunteers and charity employees Annabel and Abbie – join the teachers in our collective hero worship. A day to remember…forever.

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An impressive and relevant CV will make all the difference in determining whether or not you are selected for an interview.

A potential employer must be able to easily see how suitable you are for the role; a poorly constructed CV – no matter how much relevant experience you have – could be your downfall and prevent you from progressing to the interview stage.

To make sure you give yourself the best chance of success, we’ve compiled some of the most common questions asked by candidates on how to compile the best possible CV.

How long should a CV be?

Ideally, your CV should be no more than two pages long. Make sure that you set it out in a clear, logical order, using bullet points and short sentences to keep it punchy and use a font and typeface that is easy to read.

Thoroughly check your CV over for typos, spelling mistakes and grammatical errors and unless the application requests otherwise, save your document as your full name and CV to make it easy to identify by the recipient.

What should I include on my CV and in what order?

A potential employer may have many CVs to sift through; you need to make sure that the most relevant information is included first so that it grabs their attention. Carefully consider what the role requires and tailor your content accordingly to clearly demonstrate where you have the ideal skills and experience that they are looking for.

Make sure that the language that you use is relevant and look to reflect key words and phrases from the role requirements to reinforce your suitability.

What skills and experience should I include?

No matter what stage you are at in your career, ensure that you tailor your skills and experience to be relevant to each role that you are applying for.

Previous roles should be listed in chronological order with your current or most recent position first.

When outlining your skills and experience, it may not be possible to include every aspect from every role that you’ve held so place most emphasis on those which align to the requirements of the job role and person specification. Where possible include relevant examples, results and achievements to illustrate your suitability for the position.

What education details are most relevant?

Much will depend upon the position that you are applying for and how necessary your qualifications are to that role. For example, if you are educated to degree level, your individual results at GCSE level may not be as relevant.

Focus upon the qualifications and certificates that are relevant to the role that you are applying for – particularly if they are listed amongst the essential or desirable selection criteria - and make sure to include any additional training or courses you have completed or are currently studying for whilst working.

Sharp Consultancy specialises in the recruitment of temporary, interim and permanent finance professionals. With offices in Leeds and Sheffield our highly experienced team of consultants recruit for positions throughout Yorkshire and beyond. CONTACT UStoday to discuss your recruitment needs with a member of our team.