They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression so make sure any CV you send out is saying positive things about who you are and what you are capable of.

We are going to look at different parts of your CV in this series.

There is no one fits all CV, there are different templates for different sectors and career stages. Unless you've been lucky enough to secure work experience of any kind, paid or unpaid, as a student you'll be probably using a reverse chronological template (most recent info first) with the emphasis on your academic experience and skills. Your career service will be able to steer you to what is right for you but the areas we will cover will be included in all of them in some shape or form.

Personal details section -  7 Dos and Don'ts

This will be the first thing a recruiter will see so make sure this is concise, well laid out and professional looking. I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly of CVs and I can't stress enough how important it is to present a professional vibe on your CV:

1.     Full Name:  Write this in the body of your document, not the header area as some applicant tracking systems won't read it. Your CV is the equivalent of your business card so make your name the largest thing on your CV. Use large font for your name, 3 or 4 font sizes larger than any other font on your CV. Your name should stand out. Announce yourself, don't whisper- you've a lot to say about yourself!

2.     Email address: include a professional email address that includes your full name. You can set one up just for applications, so you don't have to give up personal fun or quirky ones you use with your friends. An unprofessional sounding one will not help you present yourself as an aspiring professional!

3.     Mobile number: Include a mobile number so a recruiter can easily contact you.

4.     Professional Online Presence: Include links to your LinkedIn profile, a personal website if you've got one or any other online platform where you want to showcase projects. This is all part of your professional personal brand, so it is important to think about what you link and keep it professional.

5.     Address: You don't need to include an address on your CV

6.     Protected Characteristics: Don't include any protected characteristics like D.O.B, age, nationality, religion, gender etc. on UK CVs. N.B. This is different for some other countries so if applying abroad, always check what that country's protocol and etiquette is.

7.     Photo? In the UK never include a photo on a CV! - This will automatically get your CV binned and brand you as unprofessional and out of touch with current recruitment practices. The only exceptions to this are model's and actors CVs. N.B. If applying outside of UK, check what that country's requirements are as some other countries require photos.

Some recruiters may use blind recruitment where they remove personal info like name, email address, university name, location, and other identifying elements from applications to reduce any recruiter unconscious bias. The thing is you won't usually know which employers do this, so,  to be on the safe side, follow the above advice to make a professional first impression!

Suggested resources:

Online resource: Some example CVs
Blog post: Personal details on a CV
Video: How in depth do your personal details need to be?

By Anna Gordon - Certified Business Coaching Psychologist ABP CBCP