How should I prepare for writing a CV

1. Work out the simple messages
   

   Before you ever write any kind of application take time to pause, take out a clean sheet of paper and write the title: What do I want them to know about me?

   Put your personality aside for the moment, it will be important in the job but doesn’t look so strong on paper. Anyone can say they are enthusiastic, tenacious, good at teamwork and kind to lost kittens, but they can’t substantiate that with work-related evidence!

   At this stage, don’t try to lay this down into sentences; simply note down the most important messages that would impress someone who might recruit you.

2. Translate these into recruitment language
   

   Try to think like a journalist writing an article or report, in your work life what would the key headlines be. Remove the personalisation such as “I”, “my”, “our” and “we” – and phrase things objectively.

   Write down the important buzzwords or factors that recruiters in your industry will be looking for in a checklist, and aim to tick these off in your CV.

3. Back up each key headline
   

   Once you have picked your key headlines overall about you and in each job you have worked in you can now elaborate and evidence these, ideally using bullet points when describing key aspects of your jobs. Try to write these to build a connecting story which ticks off the buzzwords and key qualities you previously identified.