Building Your CV/Resume

Everyone has to make a CV at some point, some make it right during or right after University or trade school for their first time and others are making one for the first time in 20 years.  As with any candidate there are some important tips to remember as you initially make your CV. A CV is an employers first impression of a potenital employee and only spend about 20 seconds glancing at it before deciding whether to trash it or look through it more carefully.  At Diamond Global Ireland, we have composed a list of the most common errors made on CVs to help you build a great one for yourself.

• Make sure your name is listed clearly at the top
• Sections to include: Education, Employment History, Qualifications, Volunteer Work, Personal Activities/Hobbies, and References
• Do not use unusual fonts, do not add pictures, and do not  add colour or fancy designs
• Use a standard font size (normally 12 is a good size)
• Using bullet points under the headings is the clearest way to display information
• Under the appropriate headings, list all education, employment, volunteer work, etc in chronological order with the most recent work at the top
• Keep the CV brief; a general rule to follow is 1 page per 10 years of experience
• Cater the CV for the company you are applying instead of making a general CV (this is so you only include relevant information)
• If able, list your accomplishments instead of or before what your responsibilities included
• If able, include numberical statistics or information about accomplishments
• Do not use slang or abbreviations throughout your CV
• Maintain consistency throughout the CV; keep the same verb tense, formatting style, font and size
• Be sure to include any license or certifications you have recieved
• Remember all the basic information and make it easy to locate: name, professional email, and phone number
• Keep in mind that using a few strong words is better than using many meaningless words
• Always remember to spell/grammar check!!