The Ultimate Guide to CV Templates & Cover Letter Writing

This is unnecessary since your name is already on your CV and other parts of your application. It is a weak opening and you’re already on the back foot. A better way to start your cover letter is to open by stating that you have a qualification relevant to the job opening.

Beginning with “I’m a marketing professional with 15+ years of healthcare industry experience” is far better than “My name is Jane Doe.”

It is a total waste of time and paper to turn your cover letter into another version of your CV.   Remember it actually attached your CV!

Your cover letter is your opportunity to show an interest in the field, curiosity and your  personality.

Always Google the hiring company and don’t be afraid to throw in a historical fact or two related to the company’s past. For example, tech professionals could talk about how thrilling it is to be part of the industry’s transformation and perhaps mention a recent change that altered the field.

This should be an obvious point and it also applies to your CV. You may think it can improve your chances of landing the role but in reality, it’s very likely your deception will be uncovered. These days, companies take no chances and are extremely thorough when performing background checks.

These days, companies take no chances and are extremely thorough when performing background checks.

All it takes is one ‘white lie’ to be uncovered and your chances of being employed are finished. Worse still, word might get around and other companies will be reluctant to hire you also.

References are irrelevant when it comes to cover letters and are a waste of valuable space. From the hiring manager’s point of view, all you’re doing is including the names of people that mean nothing to them.

The reader of your cover letter is only interested in current information and isn’t too concerned about why you were laid off or even why you quit your last job. In fact, bringing these issues up in your cover letter could set off alarm bells in the mind of the hiring manager. They may believe that you still have unresolved issues and are unable to move forward. The interview is the time and place to discuss these matters.

As you probably know, CV stands for Curriculum Vitae.  Bear in mind it is not the story of your life.  Instead, think of it as a sales brochure which is a summary of your experience, skills and education written to convince employers that you are the best choice for their vacancy.

The best CVs are concise and contain nothing but information that will get you an interview. A general rule of thumb is to keep your CV to two pages and ensure it is well spaced out with subheadings.

However, individuals with little experience or education may find that a single page is sufficient for entry-level jobs. On the flip side, a manager with decades of experience could conceivably write a CV that’s three pages long.

There are different types of CVs. The conventional version is best used if you have reasonable experience and a decent educational background. However, a different approach is required if you have little experience. Below, we provide two CV samples for job applicants with a shortage of real-world work experience.

There is no reason to ever go beyond two A4 pages when writing a CV. Remember, hiring managers tend to ‘skim’ the content and have to read a host of applications. If he/she is confronted by a CV spanning several pages, it will end up in the bin.

Your CV is an opportunity to show a company that you tick all the right boxes and the goal is to get an interview. As a result, you have to keep things relatively short and sweet. You can let your personality shine through in your cover letter.

Think of your CV as a sales brochure. The product you are selling is you! 

A staggering number of CVs sent to employers have at least one spelling and/or grammatical error. This is cause for immediate rejection.

In other words, meticulous proofreading will immediately increase your chances of being called in for an interview!

Other potential errors to watch out for include providing the wrong contact information (phone numbers and email addresses) and getting the dates in your education and employment history wrong. Double check everything!

You wouldn’t believe how many people apparently skim the job description only to create a completely unsuitable CV. Always read the job description from start to finish and highlight keywords. Try to find out the aspects of the job you can satisfy and those you can’t.

You don’t need to be a 100% perfect fit in order to have a good chance of getting an interview for the role.

If you find there are a few areas where you’re not strong, compensate by adapting your existing skills. This process will be a lot easier if you have a number of ‘transferable’ skills. By carefully reading the job description, you can avoid wasting time by applying for jobs you have little chance of getting.

The person reading your CV wants to know if you can do the job and if you are a good fit for the company’s corporate culture. A good CV should answer both these questions conclusively.  and involves making the most of the Skills and Interests sections. Include key skills relevant to the role; they may include Teamworking, Problem Solving and Communication skills.

To do that make the most of the Skills and Interests sections. Include key skills relevant to the role; they may include Teamworking, Problem Solving and Communication skills.

Take a moment to consider how you’ve grown your skills. You don’t necessarily need to have gained them in a working capacity. You may have gained Leadership skills by running a volunteer scheme for example.

When it comes to your Interests, avoid being generic and adding things such as ‘watching TV’. Such hobbies may make you seem unsociable and the reader may even perceive you to be lacking people skills if your interests are all solo endeavours. Add examples where you worked as part of a team. For instance, you may have worked for your college’s newspaper or been involved in a local GAA team.

You should focus on your most recent 2-3 positions unless you have older jobs relevant to the position you’re applying for. When describing your employment history, try and be as specific as possible when listing responsibilities, duties, skills and achievements.

It is always best to include details of how you managed to help your employer. For example, in your role as manager you could outline how you increased productivity by 20% or saved the company money by eliminating inefficient processes. When talking about your experience, you need to forget about showing how amazing you are and concentrate on how you can be a fantastic acquisition for the company.

You need to keep your CV updated on a regular basis and add new experience or skills as you achieve them. For example, don’t neglect to add details of a new project you’ve just worked on. Employers are always seeking people who are constantly looking to improve their existing capabilities.

This is a tricky one. In a lot of cases, you could get away with adding ‘references available upon request’ but in some instances, employers will specifically ask for them.

Try to get your references from past employers as they can back you up when it comes to skills and experience. This is why you should always look to leave your current workplace on good terms.

If you haven’t worked before, use a teacher or a tutor as your reference. Most employers want two references.

An increasing number of people are applying for jobs through online sites. In this instance, you need to include keywords specific to the industry and the role you’re applying for in order to ensure the search engine picks you out from the crowd.

For example, if you’re applying for a marketing position, you could include terms such as digital marketing and SEO. Go online to find out the keywords best associated with the job title.

If there are clear gaps in your CV, employers immediately become suspicious. First of all, don’t try and change the dates of past jobs to make everything ‘fit’ as employers can just ring up past employers and uncover your deception.

A better tactic is to try to ‘reframe’ your absence from the workforce as a positive. An example would be to mention any volunteer work you did and mention that it helped you develop soft skills such as project management and teamwork.

Good font choices include Times New Roman, Arial or Garamond and size 11 or 12 lettering is ideal. You should also use bold font when starting a new section to separate it from the rest and make it easier to ‘skim’.