How to Write a Great CV: The Complete Guide

WOW Recruitment

Are you preparing to start applying for jobs but your resume needs some polishing? Perhaps you’re ready to gain work experience with your first casual job, or you’re a recent school leaver looking for something more substantial to start your career. Either way, your CV is the first point of introduction for employers, so it’s crucial that it highlights your skills, strengths, leadership abilities and attention to detail.

We recently hosted an online workshop to give our candidates a coaching session on how to write a solid CV and we’d love to share some of the wisdom from that session with as many people as possible. Read on to find out how to write a CV, what to include, what to leave out and the major mistakes to avoid.

Nail Down the Structure of Your Resume

An example of a good CV structure follows this outline:

• Contact Information (your full name, phone number and email address)
• Professional Summary
• Key Skills
• Key Achievements
• Work Experience (if applicable)
• Education
• Volunteering (or notable extra-curricular activities, if you’ve done any)
• References

While some of these sections may not apply to you, they provide a good starting point for structuring your resume. Make sure every section you’re including has a clear heading in bold font, to make it easier for the recruiter or hiring manager to read at a glance.

Showcase Your ‘Soft’ Skills

Before we get into the finer details of resume writing, it’s essential you understand what employers are looking for when they’re reading through job applications and interviewing people.

Although there are many types of technical skills relevant to specific jobs, there’s also a broader range of ‘soft’ skills. These are sometimes referred to as ‘transferable’ skills because they apply to virtually every job and industry in some form. Some examples include:

• Reliability: Punctuality, honouring promises to carry out or finish something.
• Leadership traits: Showing initiative, the ability to work independently and unsupervised, working within a team or lead a team.
• Attitude and mindset: Positivity, patience, a can-do attitude and being approachable.
• A strong work ethic: Showing sustained commitment to an activity or task for a long period of time.
• Strong communication skills: Excellent writing and verbal skills.
• Signs of maturity, dedication, and commitment: Your overall willingness to learn new things and apply what you’ve learned.

Whether you’ve had previous work experience or not, it’s possible to have many of these skills through a variety of life experiences, such as your education, hobbies and community activities. Have a think about what you’ve learned from informal work such as babysitting, gardening, volunteering, or your involvement in a school program.

You can also mention your excellent grades, a leadership role you had at school or your perfect school attendance record, to name a few examples.

Demonstrate Your Technical Skills

In contrast to soft skills, technical or ‘hard’ skills are easily quantifiable or measurable. Examples of technical skills can include office software (Google G Suite, Microsoft Office), or specialist platforms (Adobe Photoshop, HootSuite). Driving a vehicle, counting cash and balancing money, operating specific tools or machinery are other examples.

Think about what physical, technology, mathematical or other technical skills you have that are relevant to the job you’re applying for, and include them on your CV.

Include a Professional Summary

The Professional Summary is a snapshot of who you are – think of it as your 1-minute elevator pitch, or what you would say to the head of a company if they asked, ‘tell me about yourself and why should I hire you?’

Crafting a Professional Summary is also good practice for writing cover letters. You can use key points from it in future job applications that require a letter.

Here are a few tips to help you produce a winning summary:

• Write a maximum of 4-5 sentences summarising your key attributes, skills and experience. There’s no need to write your full autobiography here – only include the highlights of your professional history.
• Break it down into four sections: 1) Your current situation (e.g., work or study), 2) your experience, 3) your key skills and 4) why you’d be an asset to the business.
• Ask your peers or mentors for advice – People who know you well can help you describe yourself in new and honest ways.
• Read it out loud to make sure it flows and makes sense. It should sound natural and like you are speaking directly to the hiring manager.

Describe Your Skills and Achievements: Do’s and Don’ts

Do:

• Use bullet points: These make the best impact and keep your resume tidy.
• Include between 5-7 key skills: Be sure to highlight skills that relate to leadership.
• List specific achievements: Between 1-3 is enough. Achievements can include awards, short courses, employee of the month or similar recognitions.
• List any roles with leadership you’ve had: E.g., sports captain, school captain or prefect, and any promotions at work.

Don’t:

• List skills and achievements in just a couple of words. You should briefly explain them with a sentence.
• Include jokes or information that might be confidential. Doing either of these will make you look unprofessional.
• Include anything untrue. It should go without saying – don’t make things up. You’ll get found out quickly.
• Overcomplicate your expertise. Remember: core skills are simple and transferable.

List Your Work Experience

To outline your work experience, list each position in reverse chronological order, with your most recent job or volunteer role at the top. Include the month and year you started and ended each role, including any changes within each role, such as promotions or changes to your job title.

For each position, write a brief description of what duties and responsibilities you had, and your key achievements.

List Your Education and Qualifications

This section is relatively simple: list each certificate, diploma, degree and any other qualifications you have in reverse chronological order, in this format:

Bachelor of Commerce
University of Western Sydney, Penrith, NSW
Completed May 2021

Higher School Certificate
Glenwood High School, Glenfield, NSW
Completed November 2019

As you acquire more qualifications, add your most recent and relevant education to the top of the list. It’s unlikely an employer will be interested where you went to high school a few years after you’ve completed a degree, diploma or apprenticeship.

Include References

We recommend including two professional references (a current or former manager, principal or coach) and one personal reference. For each referee, only include their full name, job title or relationship to you, and their telephone number.

Another key CV tip: Make sure you’ve sought permission from each person to confirm they’re willing to be your reference!

The Final Review of Your CV

Now that you’ve got the structure and content of your resume worked out, there are a few final tips to run through:

• Include your full name and current contact information at the top of the first page. The correct phone number and email address are essential so people can get in touch with you easily.
• Proofread your resume. Preferably more than once to avoid any errors in spelling or grammar.
• Space out the body text with 1.5 spacing to prevent it from looking cluttered.
• Keep your whole resume to 1-2 pages maximum. Anything longer than this is unnecessary for just about everyone.
• Use bullet points.
• Use clear, readable fonts. Calibri Body or a similar font is easily readable on most devices. Also, make sure the font size is consistent – size 11 or 12 is best.
• Don’t be afraid to include types of work or study experience with short durations. If you’re new to work or have just finished studying, add emphasis on your foundational skills over technical skills.

Summary

Writing out a full CV can feel daunting at first, but it will get easier with more time and work experience under your belt. Your resume is a living document you’ll be updating for your entire career, so remember to keep all information current and edit it to include new roles, skills and achievements.

A good CV is one that presents the best version of you in a professional way, without lies or exaggeration. It’s important to understand your strengths, be confident and own the experiences you’ve acquired so far.

Are you looking for more tailored resume advice and help with getting job interviews? Get in touch with our team of business services, sales, marketing and digital recruitment specialists using the form below. For more practical job search tips, keep an eye out for our next live session!

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Stop the Revolving Door: Practical Strategies for Retaining Your Best People

By Daniel Tonkin • 16 Apr, 2024

Retaining top talent is more crucial than ever for Australian businesses. With the evolving expectations of the workforce and the constant threat of competitors poaching your best employees, you might be wondering how to increase employee retention. That’s where a strategic approach to employee retention is essential. Fortunately, there are plenty of proven strategies that you can implement to create a work environment that fosters loyalty and minimises turnover. These include building a positive work environment, offering competitive benefits packages, actively engaging employees in meaningful ways, and demonstrating strong leadership. Why Are Your Employees Leaving? Employees can exit a business for any number of reasons, but often a desire for better compensation, clearer paths for career progression, and a healthy work-life balance come out on top. Dissatisfaction with leadership or a negative company culture can also be significant drivers of employee turnover. Given that Australian job seekers in particular are highly mobile, with research from SEEK indicating that 37% were considering a move within the last 6 months of 2023, it’s important to create a work environment that prioritises competitive remuneration, professional development opportunities, well-being initiatives, and strong leadership. Quiet Quitting A common result of dissatisfaction in the workplace is a phenomenon that’s emerged over the last couple of years called ‘quiet quitting.’ Quiet quitting refers to employees who stick to their core job duties but withdraw from going above and beyond. They limit their efforts at work, consciously avoiding extra tasks that exceed their defined responsibilities. This shift often stems from feelings of being underappreciated, undercompensated, or burnt out. As workers seek better work-life balance and mental health, many are opting to ‘quietly quit’ rather than overextend themselves or leave their positions outright. This trend underscores the importance for employers to foster supportive and engaging workplaces. How Do You Retain Employees? Talent Retention Strategies that Work According to our recent Job Satisfaction and Wage Trends Report , what matters most to employees are their salary and benefits, their ability to make a positive impact, and achieving a good work-life balance. We also discovered that employee retention is closely linked to job satisfaction—those who express their love for their job are overwhelmingly more likely to have been in their role for three to five years, while those ready to quit usually want to leave sooner than that. To significantly reduce employee turnover and retain top talent in your business, here are some of the most successful retention strategies to try. Create a Positive Work Culture The foundation of employee retention is undoubtedly a positive work environment. This encompasses not just the physical space but also the culture, the values, and the way people interact within an organisation. A positive work environment is characterised by mutual respect, open communication, and a sense of belonging. You can create a positive work culture by: Encouraging Open Communication Create channels for open dialogue to ensure employees feel heard and valued. This could be through regular town halls, anonymous feedback systems, or open-door policies with management. Promoting Work-Life Balance Show understanding and flexibility towards employees’ needs outside of work. A recent report from the University of Melbourne found that 75% of employees under the age of 54 reported that they would leave a job that didn’t allow for flexibility. Flexible working hours, the option to work remotely, and mental health days are examples of practices that contribute to a supportive work environment. Recognising and Rewarding Contributions Make sure employees feel appreciated for their hard work and achievements. Recognition programs, whether through awards, bonuses, or simple shout-outs in team meetings, can boost morale and loyalty. Offer Competitive Benefits To attract and retain top talent, offering competitive benefits is key. However, competitive does not only refer to salary. While fair and attractive compensation is essential, today's employees look for benefits that enhance their quality of life and offer security for their future. Consider offering some of the below to increase talent retention: Tailored Benefits Packages Employees have diverse needs, and that’s why you should be tailoring your benefits packages to suit different life stages and priorities—from health insurance and superannuation to childcare support and education allowances. Professional Development Opportunities Investing in your employees’ growth not only benefits them, but it also benefits your organisation. Consider offering access to training, courses, certifications, and pathways for career progression within your company. Wellbeing Programs Employee wellbeing directly impacts productivity and satisfaction. Initiatives like fitness memberships, wellness apps, or even in-office health and wellness activities can make a significant difference to the productivity and longevity of your employees. Engage Employees in Meaningful Ways Engagement is the emotional commitment an employee has to their organisation and its goals. Engaged employees are not just there for the paycheck; they believe in what they are doing and are committed to the organisation's success. Engaging your workforce in meaningful ways involves: Empowering Employees Empowerment can boost your employees’ investment in their work and the company. Be sure to give them a sense of ownership and responsibility, encourage innovation, and allow them to bring their ideas to the table. Building a Strong Team Culture Team-building activities, social events, and collaborative projects can help strengthen bonds between employees, making them feel part of something bigger and fostering a sense of community within your organisation. Communicating a Clear Vision Sharing successes and challenges openly can help employees see the impact of their work, increasing their engagement and loyalty. It’s also important to ensure that every employee understands how their work contributes to the company’s objectives. Demonstrate Strong Leadership Leaders play a pivotal role in employee retention. Leaders who are approachable, empathetic, and supportive can inspire loyalty and dedication and can identify and address issues before they lead to dissatisfaction. Here’s how strong leadership plays a crucial role in talent retention: Inspiring Trust and Confidence Leaders who are transparent, ethical, and consistent in their actions inspire trust among their team members. When employees have confidence in their leaders, they’re more likely to feel secure and committed to the organisation. Providing Support and Development Exceptional leaders are committed to the growth and development of their employees. By offering mentorship, feedback, and opportunities for professional development, leaders can help employees advance in their careers without looking elsewhere. Creating a Vision and Purpose Strong leaders articulate a clear vision for the company. By aligning individual goals with the company’s purpose, leaders can foster a deep sense of belonging and dedication among employees. A Happy Employee is a Loyal Employee Now that you know how to keep employees happy, you can create a dynamic workplace that attracts and retains top talent. Remember, happy, engaged employees are more productive, creative, and less likely to leave for greener pastures. A successful retention strategy is an ongoing process. By actively listening to your employees, adapting your approach, and creating a truly positive work environment, you can turn your company into the ultimate dance partner, attracting and retaining top talent for the long haul. Let's not forget, a strong employer brand also goes a long way. Positive employee experiences translate into positive online reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations, making it easier to attract new talent in the future. WOW Recruitment is a recruitment agency that’s passionate about helping Australian businesses build successful teams. We offer a range of services, from talent acquisition to employer branding, to help you create a workplace environment where top talent thrives. Contact us today to find out more.

Bridging the Renewable Energy Talent Gap: Why Recruitment Partners Are Essential

By Daniel Tonkin • 12 Apr, 2024

Partnering with a specialised recruitment agency in Australia helps you unlock a multitude of benefits that put your renewable energy business front and centre.