CV Preparation

Overview

At Primary Source Legal we appreciate the importance of a strong CV – it is often the tool that allows us to make a formal introduction & set up those all important face to face interviews.

But having seen thousands of CV’s we also appreciate that many candidates either: -

• Have limited experience of CV writing
• Are too busy
• Or just take for granted for what they do in their every day work

Below are a few pointers in regards to CV preparation but please bear in mind that we are here to help. If you register with us we will help you at every step of the way and strongly believe in getting CV’s absolutely right before they are put in front of clients – we will work with you to make sure your CV does you full justice.

Length

• The 2 page rule for CV’s is outdated
• 3 or 4 pages is perfectly acceptable, 5+ is too long
• The trend being towards slightly longer CV’s with strong experience sections – employers increasingly want more comfort that you could do the job they are looking for
• Ideally the experience section for your latest position should be no less than three quarters of a page

 Layout

• Leave a reasonable amount of white space on each page so the CV doesn’t look too cramped & difficult on the eye
• Use bullet points rather than lengthy paragraphs
• Use sub-headings to break up your experience
• Latest position should go first
• The description for your most recent position should be the longest with each subsequent job description decreasing in size

 Content

• Put yourself in the shoes of the person receiving the CV
• Focus on what makes you stand out from other candidates
• Tailor your CV to the position you are applying for
• Use examples – especially of particularly difficult or unusual matters
• Where possible try and give an idea of a £’s value of the work you are dealing with
• Where possible, within the bounds of confidentiality, give as much information about the quality of clients you are dealing with (name if possible – generic description if not i.e. blue chip transport company)
• Think of any value added skills that you may have – for example it is often worth having a marketing/business development section on your CV