Generic CV Template

It’s time to strut your stuff, and to show prospective employers just what you’ve got! Your CV is a crucial part of the application process, and can make all the difference between getting a call back or being put in a discarded pile of CVs. In order to show off how great a candidate you are, Fish4jobs has put a general CV template together to increase your chances at success.

General CV template

Full name

Address

Phone Number

Email Address

Tip: Don’t include date of birth, marital status, children, national insurance number, gender or any other personal data that is unrelated to your ability to do the job (unless required to on an application form). 

Personal statement

Tip: This is a brief overview of your career history, areas of expertise, key skills and type of roles you are seeking. Your personal summary is the ‘hook’ to encourage the recruiter to continue reading so make sure it includes the right keywords (skills, experience, qualifications etc.).

Example:
An articulate and self-motivated customer service professional with three years’ experience in banking and financial services sectors. Demonstrable skills in telephone handling and online customer service. An adaptable and dependable team player with a proven track record of service excellence, winning ‘Outstanding Service Award' in Q3 2011 and Q1 2012.

Core skills

Tip: Ensure you include skills that are relevant to the jobs you’re applying for. Look at job descriptions and list the skills you have that match.

Example:

My core skills include:

• Shorthand and touch typing (60 wpm)
• Excellent customer service skills
• Staff management: teams up to 20 staff
• IT skills: Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• Language skills: Bilingual in English and Spanish

Employment history

Tip: This should read as a chronological flow with gaps accounted for. Start with your most recent job and scale back the information you provide for each job the further back you go – employers are most interested in your most recent work experience. List as per below: 

Job title, company name, dates
Responsibilities: List key responsibilities as bullet points to make it easier to read; make sure they are relevant to the job you’re applying for.
Key achievements: List 3-4 bullet points outlining key achievements such as revenue generated, cost savings, awards, promotions etc.

Example: 

Customer Service Advisor, Goliath National Bank, Jan 2011 – present

Responsibilities include:

• Managing customer interactions using the CRM database
• Responding to and triaging customer calls
• Providing pre and after sales support to customers by phone and email
• Training new customer service advisors
• Promoting customer service best practice throughout the team

Key achievements:

• Achieved on average 115% call targets
• Awarded employee of the month, January 2012
• Promoted to Senior Customer Service Advisor after 6 months

Repeat this layout for all jobs you’ve had in last 10-15 years (unless prior roles highly relevant).

Education & qualifications

Tip: Remove dates if education and qualifications received more than 20 years ago.

Example:

• BA (Hons) English, Grade 2:1, Northampton University
• NVQ Level 2 in Engineering Maintenance, Highbridge College
• GCSEs: 8 grades A-C, Wimbledon High School

References available on request

Tip: Don’t include names and contact details on a CV. Always seek permission from a reference before passing their details on to a recruiter or potential employer.