Writing a CV can feel overwhelming and finding the right information to describe your whole career can be difficult. It’s incredibly easy to overlook small details.
However, we regularly see CVs with avoidable mistakes that can hold candidates back, even when they’re a strong fit for the role.
Here are 4 straightforward tips to help you present your experience clearly and give yourself the best chance of success:
1. Make Sure Your Information Is Accurate and Complete
You’d be surprised how often we receive CVs with missing or incorrect contact details.
Before sending your CV, always double-check that it includes:
- Your full name
- A current email address
- A working phone number
- Your location (at least town or city)
If recruiters can’t contact you easily, or don’t know where you’re based. You are likely to miss out on opportunities, no matter how strong your experience is.
This is one of the simplest fixes, yet one of the most common issues we see.
2. Give Your Experience the Detail It Deserves
We see this time and time again, where candidates only provide one or two sentences describing an entire role.
This doesn’t give employers enough insight into what you actually did.
As a guide, each role should have at minimum:
- 4–6 bullet points outlining your key responsibilities
- 1–2 achievement-focused bullets where possible (results, improvements, targets, or projects)
This helps hiring managers understand your day-to-day duties, the scope of your position, and the value you brought to the business.
If your experience is recent or highly relevant, you can include more detail. Older roles can be shorter.
3. Put Your Latest Role First
Your current or most recent role should appear first, followed by previous positions.
We often see CVs starting with someone’s very first job, which makes recruiters work harder to find your relevant experience.
Lead with your most recent role so employers immediately see where you are now and what you’re currently doing.
4. Be Honest and Consistent
Make sure your job titles, responsibilities, and dates are accurate and consistent throughout your CV.
Over the years, we’ve seen CVs where candidates have removed previous roles or changed details to make their experience appear stronger. While this might seem harmless, inconsistencies are often easy to spot.
Recruiters regularly cross-reference CVs with LinkedIn profiles, and differences in dates or missing roles quickly raise questions. Once trust is lost, it can be difficult to rebuild, even if the rest of your experience is strong.
It’s always better to be honest and explain short roles or career gaps than to leave them out or alter details. Transparency builds credibility and helps employers feel confident in your application.
Final Takeaway
Your CV doesn’t need to be fancy or complicated. It does need to be clear, accurate, and detailed enough to reflect your experience properly.
By checking your contact information, providing meaningful role detail, starting with your most recent position, and keeping everything honest and consistent, you give yourself the best chance of making a strong first impression.
If you’d like support with your CV or career search, our team is always happy to help. Feel free to get in touch.
