Your CV is one of the most important tools you have to impress your potential employer. An impressive CV is your best chance of progressing to interview, and not ending up in the “no” pile.
There is no one right way to write a CV: each one will be unique to its author. Knowing what to put in and what to leave out can make writing a CV a daunting task. That’s why I have complied my top tips to best showcase your skills and experience.
Above all else, aim to keep your CV to no longer than 4 pages. It should be a succinct summary of your experience and capabilities. You don’t want your reader to lose interest with a very long CV. It should include 7 sections:
1A. Content
We live in a time where we are easily contactable and have a multitude of ways we can be reached. Avoid the temptation to provide all of them: one contact number and one email address is sufficient. Ensure you have a clear and professional voicemail set up for the number provided. It is also a good idea to include the URL for your professional online profile, such as LinkedIn. There is a strong chance the hiring manager will look you up so send them to the appropriate location.
1B. Executive Summary
Your executive summary should be a compelling introduction to your CV which tells employers why they should hire you over anyone else. Think of it as a ‘30 second elevator pitch’. You want to compel your audience to keep reading, to learn more about your experience and skills. So, keep it short and avoid being generic: they already know you’re a professional looking to enhance your legal career.
1C. Key Capabilities
Choose 3-4 key capabilities which highlight your main strengths and demonstrate your suitability for the position. This is an opportunity to sell your area of expertise and capture the attention of the audience by explaining any specialties and the industries you’ve worked in.
Exceptional technical legal capabilities: developed across a range of industries including FMCG, retail and operations.
1D. Career Summary
A career summary allows the reader to quickly glance through your work experience to see the roles you have had at different companies. It is a quick timeline snapshot, outlining the roles you have had with which companies, and the dates that you were in these roles.
Senior Legal Counsel (contract), ABC Pty Ltd Aug 2019 – Aug 2020
1E. Work History
This section should make up the bulk of your CV. It allows you to showcase your experience and achievements in past roles.
Senior Legal Counsel (contract), ABC Pty Ltd Aug 2019 – Aug 2020
ABC Pty Ltd is an international playing in the FMCG industry. They have more than 2000 brands and are present in 189 countries worldwide.
Advised 15 companies across the Asia Pacific region on a broad range of legal and commercial matters, particularly in relation to director’s duties, risk management, financing and consumer law.
1F. Qualifications and Memberships
All academic qualifications and memberships relevant to the position should be included at the bottom of the CV, listing the name of the qualification and the name of the institution where you studied.
Content is key to a good CV but how you present that information also plays an important role in making a good impression and holding the readers’ attention.
2A. Formatting
Use a clear font such as Arial or Times New Roman. Consider where you could use bullet points to make reading easier (such as when presenting your achievements). It highlights the most important skills and work experiences. Providing a dense block of text can be overwhelming and your specific details can be lost.
2B. Pronouns
Your CV should be written in the first person. The reader knows that you are the author, and this should be reflected in the wording.
2C. Consistent Branding
Be consistent with your branding and ensure your names are matching. For instance, does the name of your email address match the name on your CV? Pay close attention to ensure the information is the same to avoid confusion.
2D. Header and Footer
Consider using a Header for your contact details, as this will take up less space on your CV. You also want to ensure your contact details are clearly visible to the reader. Including page numbers and your name in the footer will be useful to the hiring manager.
It is important to make your CV stand out for the right reasons. Here’s what to avoid.
3A. Graphics and colours
Adding extra graphics, colours and different fonts can be very distracting. Being a legal professional, you want the reader to focus on your experience and achievements.
3B. Headshots
Avoid including a headshot. Most companies use applicant tracking software to collect CV’s and adding pictures and images can distort the software and jumble your CV. In addition, by not providing a headshot you can prevent unconscious bias from the reader.
3C. Hobbies
Hiring managers are looking for people who fit in with their company. Before putting hobbies down, aim to get a handle on whether or not the company would appreciate seeing them on the document. Research the company to find out about the company culture. If you decide to include hobbies, only include 2-3, and be sure to include them at the end of your CV. Avoid listing generic hobbies such as reading, traveling and socialising.
3D. References
There is no need to provide the details of referees or to state ‘References are available upon request’. Before your referees are to be contacted, you can provide the appropriate details then. This just takes up extra room on you CV.
3E. Personal details
Unfortunately unconscious bias is something to be mindful of. Personal details such as date of birth, race, nationality, marital status, religion, sexual or political preferences are unnecessary when writing a CV.
3D. Other things to avoid
Your CV is your chance to demonstrate to a potential employer that you have the right skills and experience needed to perform the advertised role. Be sure to personalise your CV and demonstrate why they need to choose you ahead of the other applicants.
Always stay honest with what you include in your CV and make sure it stands out.
*
If you’re interested in joining Orbit, contact Greg Monks for a confidential conversation on how Orbit can work for you.
Greg Monks
Head of Orbit
Email: [email protected]
