10 Things You Should Always Include on Your CV

Competition for good employment is always fierce, and ignoring a few simple rules will get you passed over without a second look. It’s just a matter of figuring out what works for you and the job you’re applying for. That said, there are a number of things you should consider to make sure you’re really selling yourself. Whether you’re updating a current CV or writing a new one from scratch, you can use the following checklist to make sure you’ve got everything covered.

1. Contact information

Believe it or not, it happens all too often that contact information is left off of a resume. Right underneath your name on the resume should be your mailing address, email address, and phone number. Don’t get cute with your email address. If your email address is BikerChick@emaildomain or BeerPongChamp@emailserver, set up another account with a nondescript address that doesn’t label you in any way.

2. Keywords from the job posting

You’ll want to include (without making it look like you did a lot of copying and pasting) some keywords and phrases from the job posting. This is especially important if the employer uses a resume-scanning system. Many professionals have several versions of their resumes, each emphasizing a different set of qualifications. One version may show strong management attributes, another may focus on sales, another on technical expertise.

3. Skills and strengths

Emphasising your skills and strengths is vital when writing a CV. A strength is something you’re naturally good at. A skill is something you acquire with education and experience. Make sure to demonstrate how your skills and strengths will help you to do well in the job.

4. Accomplishments and achievements

Employers need to know what you’ve done to contribute to the growth of your department, team, and company to determine whether your strengths align with the needs and responsibilities of their company and the job opening, Nicolai says. This section of your resume can say a lot about you. In it, list any awards received, industry seminars attended, and any other achievements that you consider relevant and that aren’t listed elsewhere.

5. Career Summary

“But make sure your story makes for a more interesting read.” We are all the sum of our experiences (and then some), and many believe that our past actions define who we are today. A career summary section should be a descriptive selling point distilled from your past accomplishments that emphasizes your future value to the potential employer. In it, you list key achievements, skills, and experience relevant to the job you’re applying for.

6. Employment history

Make sure to include the jobs that are relevant to the position you are applying for. If you haven’t had much relevant experience, however, you may want to include your whole work history.

7. Good spelling and punctuation

There’s no room for poor spelling and punctuation in either your cover letter or your CV. Keep sentences short to avoid confused punctuation and, if you can, give it to a friend to check it over. Spell check should be the very last thing you do before sending it off.

8. Metrics

“Employers need numbers to be able to fully evaluate the scope of your bandwidth,” Nicolai says. “No position is exempt from measuring results. And metrics help employers determine if a person is capable of leading a team, managing clients, or growing the business.”

Metrics are also a great way to back up your achievements.

9. Relevant URLs (If You Have)

Depending on the field or position you’re applying for, it may be useful to include links to your work (articles you’ve written, websites you’ve designed, photographs you’ve taken, etc.). Use your ideal career position as your touchtone and write to that, she suggests. “Accentuate the skills, abilities, metrics, and leadership abilities that make the best case for you being in that next position, and minimize the rest.”

10. References

You don’t have to include references in your CV and leaving them out will save you space, but make sure to state at the end of your CV that they are available on request. References should be from someone who has employed you in the past and can vouch for your skills and experience. If you’ve never worked before you’re OK to use a teacher or tutor as a referee. Try to include two if you can.