If you’re currently on the hunt for IT jobs, the first thing you MUST get right is your CV.
Your CV is an ESSENTIAL marketing device for your skills and experience. It is your foot in the door and the catapult that will propel your career forward.
You may not have looked at your CV for years, especially if you’re in the process of leaving or have just left a position you have been in for a while. Therefore, it is important to update it and take time to ensure that it clearly conveys your key attributes.
How To Write The Perfect CV For IT Jobs
Here are 10 tips from the consults in Crimson’s IT recruitment agency that will help your CV to make the maximum impact:
- Keep things concise. Use short sentences. A good CV should be no more than 2 sides of A4.
- Start with personal information, name, contact details at the top but avoid unnecessary detail such as children's names and so on.
- Put your career history and education in reverse order starting with the most recent.
- Include a personal statement. Don't assume your qualifications will be enough to secure you an interview. Employers want to get a picture of who you are as an individual.
- Pay attention to detail. Some CVs end up in the bin simply because of a spelling mistake. Take the time to make sure yours is word perfect.
- Be honest. Employers are skilled at spotting exaggeration and lies so it is never, ever worth trying to include misleading information.
- Include specific skills, such as software, programming, strategy, management, or design, in a separate section in your CV. Don't re-list them for every job you've used them in.
- Make sure the layout is professional. Use bullet points and don't cram too much into the two pages.
- Don’t write in the first person nor refer to yourself in the third person. That means don’t write “I was promoted, I worked as etc” nor “Andrew did this’” etc.
- Be careful with tenses. Use the present tense for your current job and past tense for previous ones.
Once you have perfected your CV, make sure your LinkedIn account reflects it. IT recruiters are constantly scouring online resources looking for the right candidates. If your LinkedIn account is up to date that could be you.
Crimson is an IT consultancy, an IT solutions provider, an IT recruitment agency, and a Microsoft Gold Partner with offices in Birmingham and the City of London.
