What should you include on your CV, and why is it so important?

​You’ve filled in the application, you’ve sent off the CV, but what happens next?
​Usually an employer is going to have many many more applications than they have positions, so the first thing they’ll be doing is a paper sift to get down to the half dozen or so people they’ll actually invite for interview.
So what’s in their mind when they are sifting?  Obviously  they’ll be wanting someone that actually wants the job and has the skills already, or can demonstrate the ability to learn. But what else do they want? Speaking from experience, I want it to be easy to see those things, I’ve a lot of CV’s to get through!
 The personal profile is where it all starts,  it needs to sell me the picture of the applicant - what they are, why this job is right for them & why they’re right for the job. Hook me in, but make sure any claims can be backed up later in the document.
From there I’m asking three things when I look at the job history:

• What was the job? I’m not just talking about the job title, I want to know what the job was about; did they lead a team, work with customers, manage a budget? How many, how often, how big? Every organisation has different job titles, so what does their’s mean?
• What did they actually do? If I now know what the job was, then what did they do in that job; what specific tasks did they perform?
• So what? Written down it looks harsh, but I want to know what makes this applicant special, what makes them stand out from the crowd. So it’s really a chance to shine, to back up those claims in the personal profile, to tell me what extra they bring. Did they sell more than everyone else, have happier customers, make better widgets or do things in half the time (but just as well, or better)?

My view is that an interview should be a conversation, the CV can be seen as your opening line. Use it well & you’ll be able to guide me to the story you want to tell.

written by Ian Nicholson - experienced employer and volunteer for Works for Us.