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I looked at a CV recently from somebody I know is brilliant at what she does. I’ve worked with her. I’ve seen the quality of her work first-hand. I’ve also heard other people rave about her. If somebody asked me whether they should hire her, I’d have absolutely no hesitation recommending her. Then she sent me her CV. And if…

I tell people all the time that their CV needs achievements. Then I see what some CV advice has taught them to do and immediately regret it. Apparently every bullet needs a number. Every action needs a dramatic result. Everything you touched needs to have improved by at least 37%. So we end up with CVs saying things like: “Improved…

A CV isn’t a form you complete. There isn’t one universal list of sections where, once you’ve filled every box, you’ve officially finished your CV. It’s a document designed to help somebody decide whether they want to speak to you about a job. That means the useful question isn’t really “What am I supposed to put on my CV?” It’s:…

Two pages. Apparently. Ask how long a CV should be and that’s the answer you’ll hear constantly. Never go over two pages. Recruiters won’t read it. They’ll throw it away. The third page will apparently burst into flames the second it reaches an Applicant Tracking System. I’ve worked in recruitment for more than 20 years and I can assure you…

If you Google how to improve your CV, you’ll find hundreds of tips. Change the font. Add keywords. Remove keywords. Make it one page. Make it two pages. Add a skills section. Remove the skills section. Use colour. Don’t use colour. You can spend an entire weekend “improving” your CV and end up with basically the same CV in a…

There is no perfect CV. I’ve worked in recruitment for more than 20 years, reviewed thousands of CVs and seen people get interviews with one-page CVs, three-page CVs, colourful CVs, boring CVs, CVs made in Canva and CVs that look like they were created in Microsoft Word in 2003. I’ve also rejected plenty of beautifully designed ones. Because the thing…