The importance of your CV

By Oasis Services? ?

CV presentation truly counts! The most important tool at your disposal when applying for a new position, a well-written, professionally presented CV will significantly increase your chances of securing the all-important face-to-face interview with a prospective employer.

During our many years of placing candidates in private service, we have frequently seen excellent applicants miss the opportunity of interviewing with the client due to a CV that was either poorly presented or lacked vital information.

Candidates should bear in mind that an employer will be looking at anything from 15 to 30 CVs for a single position. Time and time again, it is the candidate whose CV stands out above the others that is chosen for interview.

The most common mistake we see is the way a career history is displayed. A basic list of employment dates and job titles rarely persuades a client to interview the candidate ? details are needed!

Clients are far more interested in the recent employment history than what the candidate was doing in 1995 ? hence the requirement for a chronological CV format listing the most recent employment first.

To this effect, more detail should be provided for recent roles than for earlier roles ? not forgetting to place focus on achievements whenever possible.

Your CV should start with an introduction paragraph of 5-6 lines that summarises your professional experience, key strengths and character traits, thus providing the client with an immediate overview of who you are and what you have to offer.

A head and shoulders photo positioned in the top section of your CV is required for private service. As one of the most important elements of your CV in providing the first impression, it needs to be recent in portraying you accurately, and appropriate in attire in presenting you for private service.

Although there are many basic CV templates available to download on the internet, we are yet to see one that we feel is satisfactory. Whenever possible, we highly recommend using a professional CV writer as an invaluable investment in your career and future.