When you’re applying for a health care job, you’ll need a strong CV to stand out from the crowd. Here are our tips for making your CV more effective.
Have a clear and concise CV
As a rule of thumb, we recommend that your CV is no more than two pages long. When an interviewer is faced with hundreds of applications for one job, reading lengthy CVs will be off putting, and more likely to make them put it aside in favour of something more concise.
Think about your layout
Fitting everything on to two pages doesn’t mean shrinking the font size until it squeezes in. Cut out any waffle and lengthy paragraphs, and make sure you only get the key points in your CV.
If an interviewer is faced with an A4 sheet of dense text, they won’t want to read it. You’ll need to make sure your wording is spaced out, use bullet points to summarise where you can, and bold headers to distinguish each section.
Another key point in your layout is the font style. Curly script may want to appear like handwriting, but it’s also hard to read. A nice plain font is best, and reasonably sized as well.
Prioritise your content
Generally, most CVs begin with a personal statement, so this should be where you prioritise your content. Make sure this covers the essential information – who you are, what you bring to their company and your career goals.
But you also need to make sure it’s unique. Refer back to the job description and tailor your statement to the role. Pick up your skills and emphasise the most outstanding. Getting your personal statement right will make sure the interviewer wants to read on.
A few other essential pieces of information that your CV should contain are:
- Your name and contact details
- A short summary of your previous work experience
- Your key qualities
- Any qualifications you hold – e.g. NMC qualified
Back up your claims
If you have added any key skills, tailored to match closely to the ones in the job description, then make sure you back up your claims. Add a simple point that explains the situation, outlines the task and how you achieved the results.
Read, read and read again
Finally, before you send your CV onward, read it through carefully. Look for any typos or spelling and grammar mistakes. With spelling and grammar checkers available as standard on software such as Word, or available free from Grammarly, there is no excuse for glaring spelling mistakes. An employer reading a CV that has clearly not been checked may well toss it aside unread, as it shows a lack of care.
When you are applying for a job in health care, make sure your CV demonstrates the very best of your skills, and you’ll make a great impression from the outset.