Whether you’re thinking of applying for your first role or
continuing your career in engineering – making sure your CV stands out from the
crowd is key if you want to catch the eye of the best employers, regardless of
the position you’re applying for!
Your CV is the first tool at your disposal to market
yourself to employers, and help you get to that all-important interview stage.
You’ll want to make sure your CV is well presented and clearly structured with section
headers, highlighting your best qualities concisely. There isn’t a specific
recipe for success but focus on a clean and tidy format with the most up to
date and relevant information near the beginning.
Generally, your personal details should be on the header of
your CV, making it as easy as possible for the employer to get in touch with
you. So, remember to include your name, telephone number, address, and email
address.
Below your personal details you can begin listing your
employment history, starting with your most recent employment, and working
backwards (unless you are a recent graduate, in which case perhaps start with
education first then experience). Give thought about the job you are applying
for, and the skills and knowledge required, as you can link this to your work
history, providing insight into the relevant experience you’ve gained.
Following your career history and achievements, this flows
nicely into listing your education and qualifications. List your education,
starting with the most recent, including dates, full title of the
qualification, place of study and results gained. Don’t forget to add any
specific modules or projects of relevance.
Hiring Managers are keen to learn about your hobbies and
interest to find out more about the type of person you are. It should be kept
short and to the point, but can include any extracurricular activities you
enjoy, whether that’s going to the cinema, playing PS5, channelling your inner
Mary Berry, or heading out for a friendly game of whatever sport you enjoy.
The engineering sector is built on attention to detail,
innovation, and collaboration amongst many other things, so highlight what
transferable skills and experiences you can offer whether from personal or
professional experiences.
At the end of your CV, you may want to include the contact
details of your references. However, unless they have been specifically
requested, you do not need to include these. A simple ‘references available on
request’ should suffice to close.
When you think you have finished with your CV, and you have
read it so many times that you can recite it off by heart and backwards whilst
balancing on your head, make sure you ask somebody else to read it for you as
they will help uncover any errors or highlight areas to improve.
One final point to remember is that your CV is likely to be
the framework for any interview you may attend. Be prepared to answer any
questions or elaborate on any information provided, so be comfortable with your
application before submitting it. Make sure the contents are honest and
accurate.
So, if you’re ready to start applying for some of the UK’s
most popular engineering jobs, then don’t hesitate and click here to view
the very latest opportunities!