Most CVs go wrong in the same seven places. Fix each one in turn and the rest takes care of itself. Two universal don'ts first. Then the seven stops.
Get either of these wrong and the rest of the work won't save you. Recruiters notice instantly when one has happened. And the CV goes on the no pile.
If a model writes your CV, your CV reads like everybody else's CV. The pattern is recognisable within seconds, and the moment it's recognised you stop sounding like a person.
Spraying the same CV at every role is a numbers game you lose. Apply for two roles instead, and spend the time you saved restructuring your CV so it lands hard on each one.
Recruiters shouldn't have to hunt for how to contact you: name at the top, contact details right under it, done in seconds.
Include LinkedIn only if your profile is strong and reflects who you actually are. A weak LinkedIn link does more harm than no link at all.
Recorded an introduction video for a specific role? Host it on YouTube and add the link. It puts you in front of the reader before they've even met you. (See Field Guide № 02.)
This is the first thing they read about you: if it sounds like a LinkedIn buzzword salad, the connection is already broken. Some people call it a professional statement. Call it whatever you like. Just make sure it sounds like you wrote it.
Sit this directly under your personal statement. Think of it as a shopping list a busy recruiter can scan in fifteen seconds and conclude: this person has what we need.
One short, clear label. Match the language to the job advert. Client relationship management. Attention to detail. EDI. Stakeholder influencing.
Bold it, set it apart. Whatever helps it leap off the page when someone is scanning. The eye should land on each skill in turn.
One or two punchy lines next to it. What have you actually done? What was the result? Not an essay: real insight, fast.
The skills you lead with should mirror the role you're applying for: different role, different ordering, different emphasis. Same honest you.
Held the top three accounts in our region for four years running. 100% retention, with an average 22% year-on-year spend uplift through one-to-one relationship work.
Designed and ran our blind-shortlisting process. Within a year, candidate diversity at interview stage doubled, and we won the regional inclusive-employer award.
Latest job first. Work backwards. For each role: company, title, dates. Then bullet your key responsibilities, and underneath them, your key achievements.
If you've moved a few times in a short stretch, tell the reader why. If you don't, they'll make up a reason themselves. And it usually isn't kind. Three honest reasons (a promotion, a relocation, a contract ending) read very differently from silence.
Roughly ten years of detail is enough: anything older than that, just bullet the role, the company, and the dates. The reader doesn't need the full anatomy of every job you held in 2008.
People dismiss this section. They shouldn't. Interests are how a stranger reading your CV finds a reason to like you before they've met you: if the reader runs and you run, you've already found your interview opener.
"Trail running" beats "running". "Restoring Vespas" beats "cars".
Don't list things you don't actually do. It comes out at interview.
A team thing, a solo thing, and a creative thing tells a fuller story.
If your personal statement mentions your dog, it can land here too.
People are interesting when they're more than one thing.
A window into your values, not just your spare time.
Three to six well-chosen lines is plenty. Not a memoir.
The best interests make the reader want to ask you about them.
Where, what, when, and. If they're good. What you got. Vague education sections quietly suggest you've something to hide.
Got strong grades? Say so. A first, a distinction, top GCSE results. They belong on the page. Don't make the reader assume.
Add any meaningful training: certifications, short courses, professional bodies: if it's relevant to the role, it earns its line.
The further you are into your career, the smaller this section gets. Three lines is fine for a twenty-year veteran: for a graduate, this is where you make your case. So use it.
This is the move that separates good applications from impossible-to-ignore ones. Take the job spec. Line it up against what you've done. Hand the reader the receipts.
Put it on its own page, or attach it as a separate document. Every line of the job spec gets a matching line of proof from your career.
A great CV alone is rarely enough. These two moves multiply its effect.
If you've pointed someone at your LinkedIn, it has to reflect who you actually are. Same tone as the CV. Same story. A recent photo, a headline that says something, a summary written the way you'd speak. Anything less creates doubt where there shouldn't be any.
A short, well-made video introducing yourself for a specific role puts you in front of the hiring manager before they've even seen the rest of your application: done well, it's the single most powerful thing you can attach. Look out for Field Guide № 02 on producing one.
Take your time on the two you're going to apply for. Make each CV unmistakably yours. Match the story to the role. Tell them why you're moving. Bring yourself to life on the page.
Start at the top.