CV Advice

Constructing an informative, concise and professional CV is of vital importance. Beach Baker will provide impartial and objective advice on writing the finished article to all who require it. We can also advise on the format, order and relevance of the content.

Prepare In this order:

Personal Information – Write your name in big bold letters with professional qualifications written after, for example, MRICS, MRTPI, CAAV. Please also give address, phone numbers, email address, driving licence and any other personal information you would like to include.

Profile – This enables you to write an introductory statement which summaries your career history and highlights your intended career goals. It is a useful tool to put particular information when targeting a specific role but keep this brief and to a maximum of five or six lines.

Education and Qualifications – This should be presented in chronological order with the most recent education and qualifications first. Please include the name of the educational institution, the location, the dates, the course, and grades (where relevant). Also include any professional qualifications in this section.

Career History – This again must be written in a chronological order with the most recent first as this is the most relevant to a future employer. Please state the company name, location, dates of employment and the job title. Pull out areas of responsibility, achievements, clients and successes, especially ones that are most relevant to the targeted job. Also explain what the organisations you worked for do and their successes.

Skills & Memberships – This is an opportunity to list additional courses or clubs attended and any other relevant skills, for example, APC assessor, CPD seminars, languages, management courses and so on.

Interests - This is the area to put your hobbies and interests and any personal awards or achievements.

References – Before putting anything here, check with referees that they are happy to give a reference and a suitable one. You can then either list your referees at the bottom of your CV or write "available on request". Two references are normally required with the two most recent previous employers usually regarded as best.

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