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As the world begins to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic after a long 17 months it’s time to start thinking about going back to work or getting your first job.

There is a process in order to get a role when it comes to any job and many of these start with submitting a CV. This stage can be seen as the first point of contact between you the jobseeker and the employer, so it’s important to make a good first impression. Take a look at O’Neill and Brennan’s 5 tips below to help you get a job in the construction industry.

1. Structure

A CV with clear headings will be a good place to start your CV plan no matter the industry. Employers want to read CV’s that are easy and not too long. A good CV structure would be:

  1. Personnel Summary. This is your introductory paragraph, say who you are, what your ambitions are and some skills that will help you in the job.

  2. Education & Certificates. Show the employer that qualified or have some credentials that could help you with your application.

  3. Work Experience. List of some projects you’ve been involved in or show that you have somewhat relevant experience, employers prefer jobseekers who have experience.

  4. It will be no harm to include your hobbies, this gives the employer a better picture of who you are.

  5. Contact Details. Here you should include your name, address, phone number and email.

Before even writing a word you’ll be off to a great start just make sure to choose the right headings that will be relevant to the job application.

2. Only include relevant information

So by this stage you will be hopefully writing your cv. As mentioned in part 1 employers want a CV that are short. The ideal CV will be 2 pages max. A good way to do this is by cutting out all the filler and unnecessary information. For example say you’re applying for a carpentry apprenticeship as your first job saying you worked in the local supermarket won’t score you points with the employer, but saying you did wood work in school will. Only having the bare minimum will stress some out because the page won’t be full. If that’s the case use different font sizes for headings, bullet points and/or increase the line spacing, this will also make it easier to read.

3. Watch your language!

An employer will more than likely through away a CV if there is little as one word spelt wrong. To avoid this write up your CV slowly or even better again write a few drafts before you settle on the final CV. It always goes without saying that shouldn’t be any curse words or slang within any CV. This doesn’t paint a good picture of yourself to the employer and will result in your CV being thrown in the bin.

4. Include a picture

Less text means your CV is easy to read. One of the easiest ways to do this is by adding a picture. This doesn’t just make your CV easy to read it also shows the employer who you are and that you are confident. A picture also makes your CV stand out as not many people include one and by the time of your interview comes the employer already knows your face.

5. Have multiple CVs

If you’re applying for many jobs be sure to have more than one CV. Different jobs with different companies may have different needs and requirements even though the job title might be the same. It will be no harm to tweak your original CV so that it’s more in line with the new role you are applying for and not the previous one.

So there you have it O’Neill and Brennan’s 5 tips to help you improve your CV. Following these simple tips will no doubt improve your chances of getting an interview. After you’ve gone and completed making your CV be sure to check out our jobseekers page as we may have a role that you

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