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Employment History: A guide to outstanding CVs

by CV/Resume

In our previous blog post, discussed key elements of structuring a winning CV to impress recruiters in today’s competitive job markets.

Through our extensive experience, one aspect that candidates often struggle with is outlining their employment history. Writing this section requires meticulous attention to detail, deciding what to emphasise and presenting your suitability for the job in the most compelling way possible. In this blog post, we will guide you through a step-by-step process to effectively present your employment history and create a CV that stands out and attracts your potential employees.

Formatted structure of your employment history

Organizing and presenting your professional experience accurately and effectively is the initial aspect that catches the recruiter’s attention. It is essential to begin your employment history with the most recent role and do not forget to follow the following structure for each job entry:

  • Job Title: Clearly state your position.
  • Company (and location): Provide the company name and its location.
  • Dates of Employment: Mention the period you worked there.
  • Type of Contract: Specify whether it was full-time, part-time, freelance, etc.
  • Key Responsibilities and Achievements: Do not forget to highlight your contributions and accomplishments, focusing on the value you added rather than just listing duties.

Deciding the content of your employment history

Employment History

When crafting your CV, you aim to highlight the achievements, skills and knowledge that make you the ideal candidate for the job. However, it’s important to remember that your CV is not just a chronological record of past roles. It serves as your personal marketing tool to attract recruiters. To achieve this goal effectively, your CV should be tailored to the job requirements. Avoid cluttering your CV with irrelevant experience that doesn’t demonstrate your suitability for that specific role. Precision and tailoring to the job requirements are key. Curious about how to do this? Here are some useful tips:

  • Review the Job Description: Carefully read the job description and note down the key skills, qualifications, and experience the employer is seeking.
  • Customize Your CV: Adapt your CV for each application. Highlight experiences, skills, and achievements that directly relate to the job requirements mentioned in the description.
  • Focus on Relevant Experience: Emphasize experiences most relevant to the job you’re applying for. Prioritize and showcase accomplishments that align with the role. If you had gaps in employment, explain how you utilized that time. Whether it was job searching, skill development, volunteering, or personal growth activities like traveling, transparency is key.
  • Keyword Optimization: Research keywords relevant to the job vacancy you’re applying for. Incorporate these keywords strategically in your job descriptions to align your CV with the job requirements.
  • Detailed Descriptions: Provide additional details for previous roles that directly relate to the job you’re applying for. Highlight relevant experiences, achievements, and skills that make you an ideal candidate for the position.

The Way Forward

At Careerwrite, we recognize the difficulties candidates face in effectively organizing their work experience on a CV in today’s competitive job market. Our experienced consultants are ready to help you showcase your skills and expertise to ensure you stand out from the competition. Explore our CV/resume writing services and schedule an appointment with one of our career consultants today!

Interested in mastering a winning structured CV? Stay tuned for our upcoming blog posts and subscribe to our newsletter for valuable insights.

CV/Resume

How to structure winning CV

by CV/Resume

In the competitive job-hunting world, your CV is the key to unlocking opportunities. Your CV is much more than just a register of your professional and academic journey, it is your personal marketing document designed to impress recruiters and employers. In this blog post, we will guide you on how to plan and structure your CV effectively.

Think about your career goals

Crafting a document that truly speaks to your goals requires a bit of a detour. Before you decide to immediately start, just hit the break and think: What do you expect from the job opportunity? How do you want to shape your career? What are the skills and expertise you really want to showcase in your CV? Reflecting on this kind of question can make all the difference. So, before you get into the actual writing of your CV, make sure to have a chat with yourself and mull over some questions. Here we will guide you on 7 key questions you should ask yourself before you move on:

  1. Why am I looking for a new role?
  2. What salary and benefit packages am I looking for?
  3. What role would be the most suitable for my long-term career goals?
  4. What are the technical and soft skills I want to develop?
  5. What work culture and environment do I want to join in?
  6. What are the deal-breakers for me?
  7. What am I prepared to be more flexible about?


Once you’re clear on exactly what you’re looking for and what are your expectations, you are ready to start thinking about structuring your CV. But before you do, make sure you read the job description again and identify the keywords and skills that appear most frequently in the ad, so that you can include them in your CV later.

How to structure your CV?

Now you are ready to start writing your CV. To get started, you need to decide on the structure of your CV and map out the blue points of your CV that you need to include. We will guide you through the key sections you should include in your CV to give recruiters and employers a complete picture of you:

  • Provide personal details: You should start your CV by providing recruiters with your personal details, which usually include your first and last name, main telephone number and email address, to ensure that employers can easily contact you. You can also enhance your CV by including links to your current professional online profiles to ensure seamless synchronisation with the information presented in your CV.
  • Include a brief personal statement: Summarise your career story in a few sentences, highlighting the skills that you can offer to the employer.
  • Employment history: Provide details of your work history, including any paid work, volunteer or work experience placements which are relevant to the job opportunity you are applying for.
  • Education and Training: Keep in mind to include your educational background, including your academic background, as well as any relevant courses and training you have covered.
  • Highlight your achievements: Do not forget to highlight your achievements, which can demonstrate your suitability for the role you are applying for and further demonstrate your skills and attributes.
  • Summarise your relevant skills: Be sure to include a short-bulleted list of your technical and soft skills, focusing on those that are most relevant to the roles you are interested in.
  • Show your hobbies or interests: Keep this section as brief as possible. Use the space to showcase how your personality is suited to the role you are interested in.

A Structure-Winning CV Example

To ensure your CV not only stands out but also aligns with Applicant Tracking System (ATS) requirements, it’s crucial to follow a structured format. Below, we’ll provide an example CV format that’s ATS score compliant and enhances readability:

Careerwrite_CV_ExampleDownload

Feel free to customize this example format according to your specific industry, experience, and preferences.

The Way Forward:

At Careerwrite, we understand how challenging it can be to structure and craft a winning CV in today’s competitive world. Our experienced consultants are ready to guide you through this process and help you demonstrate your education, expertise and skills that will make you stand out from the crowd. Check out our CV/resume guide services and book an appointment with one of our career consultants today!

Want to know more about how to create each section of your structured CV? Then stay tuned for our next blog post and sign up for our newsletter.