CV/Resume Writing Tips
Format & Length
Unless you are applying for a senior management position, your resume should be no longer than two pages in length.
Do not attempt to use format to "stand out from the crowd". Use a simple format and let your experience and qualifications speak for themselves.
- Never use decorative borders or cover pages
- Avoid the use of frames (text boxes)
- Use a consistent font throughout. You may use a larger font for your name, however, a consistent font size should be used throughout the rest of the document
- Make sparing use of text effects such as bolding, highlighting and underlining
- Symbols are almost never appropriate
- Use bullet points where appropriate, but keep each point relevant and concise
- We do not recommend the inclusion of a narrative introduction which attempts to describe your character, achievements and/or career goals. Anything which is not a statement of verifiable fact is very likely to be discounted by a discriminating reader
Personal Details
In many countries, concern over discrimination has fostered debate as to whether or not it is appropriate to include certain personal details (for example, age, race and religion).
You should state (only):
- Your full name.
- Your nationality.
- Your date of birth (if you have fully disclosed your academic achievements and employment experience, your age can be easily inferred in any case).
- Your gender if it is not obvious from your name (e.g. if your name is uncommon, unisex or in a language other than English).
Contact Details
The following information should be included:
- Your full address.
- Your contact telephone number(s) in international format (e.g. +1 (345) 949 1345).
- Your personal email address.
Qualifications & Education
Your professional qualifications are the most important details on your resume. It is critical that they are properly presented. You must state:
- The correct designation (e.g. CA, ACA, ACCA).
- The correct full name of the issuing institute (double check this by reference to your certificate, mistakes are incredibly common).
- The year you achieved full membership status (if applicable).
- Membership status (e.g. "full member in good standing").
Next, you should state other academic qualifications in reverse chronological order (most recent first):
- The full title of your designation (e.g. BA Hons.).
- Your GPA, or class of degree obtained.
- The correct full name of the higher education institution.
- The year graduated.
If you have a degree or professional qualification, do not list high school exam results unless you achieved straight A's. Otherwise you should list all examination results, stating clearly the examination type (e.g. GSCE or XCE) with subjects, grades and year obtained.
Employment Experience
Your experience should always be presented in reverse chronological order (most recent first). It is generally appropriate to give the most detail about your current or most recent role. You should reduce the level of detail for each previous role, unless a past role is especially relevant to the target job.
For each role you should provide:
- The correct full name of the employer.
- The city or town in which you were based, with country, if appropriate.
- If the company is not a household name, you should also provide a short description of its services (or products), size, industry focus, and any other relevant information (you may also wish to provide a web address).
- The department(s) in which you were employed (if applicable).
- Your job title(s). Provide dates if you held more than one position within the company.
- A short list of duties and responsibilities, with a focus on achievements.
You should clearly identify and explain any periods without employment.
Technical & Other Skills
IT professionals should provide a chart listing all software applications and programming languages with which you are familiar, along with your level of experience (in years) and relevant qualifications in each.
Other candidates should list all software applications with which they have experience along with their level of expertise (advanced, intermediate or basic).
You should mention any foreign language skills in this section if you are conversationally fluent.
Hobbies & Interests
In the context of an overseas job application, the final section is likely to attract a little more scrutiny than it usually would.
Employers may use this section to assess your compatibility with the lifestyle in their location. For example, if your interests are West End musicals and mountain climbing, they may worry that you will not last long in the Cayman Islands which has few West End musical productions and even fewer mountains!
Emphasize sporting interests and achievements. Involvement in sports is an excellent way to meet people and establish a social network in a new place. A keen interest in sports also reflects well on a candidate's desire to challenge themselves and succeed.
Remember to mention any special accomplishments or awards.
References
You should provide the names and contact details of two references, at least one of which representing a current or former employer. Referees should be professionally qualified individuals that have known you for at least three years.