Careers Toolkit

Regardless of your work experience, writing your CV can be a surprisingly stressful task.

Particularly if you are starting from scratch. While there is no one-size-fits-all way to write a CV, generally, it should be clear enough to stand out, easy enough to read and always tailored to the role you are applying for. 

If you've mastered the basics of CV writing, check out [OUR BLOG] on Five Essential Figures for your CV. However, if you're not sure where to start, Meridian's recruitment team have put together the following basics. 

The essentials

While every CV is different, there are a few things that they should always contain:

1. Personal details. 
   Obvious, but you'd be amazed at how many CVs our team has come across that forget to include name, email and contact number. 
2. Work experience
   This section should include your work history/experience, starting with the most recent first and working backwards. Make sure to include your job title, the name of the company you worked for, how long you worked there, and your key responsibilities. The latter should really demonstrate your ability to fulfil the role you are applying for. Try not to make them a tick list of what you do, cover your key achievements, and put positive metrics in where possible to demonstrate how great you are. 
3. Education
   Don't forget to cover your education in your CV. Education should include the course you studied, the type of qualification and/or the grade you achieved. Where your education falls in your CV is depending on your work history. For example, if you are a recent graduate, you may want to put more emphasis on your education than if you were a ten-year veteran in your chosen career path. You may also want to include any courses or accreditations you received through work. Not only are you showing off your hard work, you'll also be showing a dedication to continuous learning, which is a desirable quality in a candidate. 

Now you have an idea of what sort of information to include in your CV, head over to our blog on 10 tips to get your CV shortlisted.