Why do you need a CV?
A CV is an essential part of your job search because it gives recruiters and employers an idea of who you are as a person - both professionally and personally - and it demonstrates the reason why they should interview you over other applicants. A good CV will highlight all your relevant qualifications, skills and experience so that when someone reads through CVs for one role, yours stands out as being particularly suited for them!
We'll look at how to write an effective CV that will help you stand out from the crowd and get noticed by recruiters and families.
Creating
Crafting an effective CV is key to standing out from the competition. Here are some tips for formatting and designing your CV:
- Use a font that's easy on the eyes, such as Arial or Times New Roman.
- Use bold and italics sparingly; they're great for highlighting key words or phrases, but don't overdo it.
- Keep paragraphs short - no more than 4 lines long.
- If you have many similar roles, describe your duties for the last 3 roles and then include bullet points for further roles. Your CV ideally should not be longer than two A4 pages.
- Include the dates of employment (month and year) so potential employers can easily assess how long you were employed in each position.
- Additionally, you want to provide the reader with as much information in a concise and easy to read way, this will allow potential employers to understand better what you can bring to their family.
- Make sure to demonstrate your skills and abilities; if you are a qualified nanny, for instance, include information about planning activities based on age/stage of development of the individual child in your care. This demonstrates your knowledge of the 7 areas of learning and development as set out by the EYFS curriculum guidelines.
Layout
The layout is the first thing employers will see, so it needs to be clear and easy to read. Here are some tips for creating a winning layout:
- Put your name at the top of each page - this makes it easier for recruiters to find where they left off if they have multiple CVs in front of them at once.
- Make sure that all sections are clearly labelled with headings and subheadings so that readers can easily scan through what you've written without having to stop and think about what section they're looking at or why it matters.
- Start with your name, contact details, and include a professional email address. When we confirm a job offer, we provide your new employer with all the documents you have shared with us, including your contact details. You don't want to be sharing an amusing email address you created as a teenager!
- Write a summary of your experience, the age range you have experience and enjoy working with, clearly highlight your ability and what you can do for families. Keep it concise and try not to waffle. Sometimes this section is all a family will read - so make sure it's good!
- Maternity nurses usually have many years' experience working with many families so will have a lengthy CV, in this instance it is best to list your competencies such as twin experience, tongue tie, prem babies, administering meds, colic, reflux, sleep training etc at the beginning of the CV and list your employment, stating dates and ages of the children. This will ensure your CV isn't extensive and families can clearly see your skills.
- Next, list your qualifications, starting with the most recent. Then any courses you may have attended. Add further skills and abilities such as languages spoken, including CEFR level.
- Detail your employment history. Again, starting with the most recent. Including the dates employed (month/year), location, live in or daily position, the ages of the children and the hours / days worked. Add your duties, highlighting your ability to plan activities based on age and stage of development, plus any nursery duties you were responsible for.
- Finally, references. It is OK to state at the end of your CV "References available upon request". As an agency we cannot register you without having contact details of recent families that you have worked for. You must obtain permission before handing out reference contact details. For this reason, we recommend you do not add the contact details or names of your previous families if you are uploading it to a public job board.
Formatting
Formatting your CV is an important step in creating an effective document. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Font: If you're using a word processor, make sure to choose a font that's easy on the eyes and easy to read. Times New Roman and Arial are two popular choices; they're both sans-serif fonts (meaning they don't have any extra flourishes or embellishments).
- Size: When formatting your CV, it's important to remember that size matters. The general rule of thumb is to use one or two sizes smaller than what you typically would for body text (for example, if your computer's default setting is 12pt, try using 10 or 11pt instead)
- Margins: Use 1" margins all around so there's plenty of white space around each line of text--this makes it easier for reviewers who may be skimming over many CVs at once.
- Save the document in either a word or PDF format.
Design
- Colours: Keep your CV simple and avoid multiple font colours - We suggest you keep it black.
- Images: Do not use images or illustrations - they can be distracting and, in our opinion, makes your CV look unprofessional.
- Graphs/Charts: There isn't a need to add charts and graphs to your CV.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
When you're writing your CV, it's important to avoid these common mistakes:
- Typos. Make sure that you proofread, and spell check your CV before sending it out. If there are any typos or grammatical errors on the document, recruiters will assume that this is how you work in general. Get a friend to read it.
- Grammar mistakes. Your grammar should be perfect at all times; otherwise, employers may think they can't trust you with their clients and projects because of poor communication skills or other factors related to language use (e.g., if someone has an accent).
- Incorrect formatting/layout of information on the page (e.g., headers not aligned properly with text) - this can make it difficult for recruiters or hiring managers who have limited time available during busy periods such as recruitment drives when multiple CVs come through every day!
- Don't add a language you are learning, qualifications/courses you started but did not complete.
Finally
It is important to keep your CV simple, informative, and organized. Achievement-based details such as awards and qualifications should take centre stage. However, don't forget to showcase the roles that demonstrate your capabilities and experience, such as previous jobs or community initiatives. Additionally, include relevant activities outside of work (e.g., having volunteered for a local charity). Don't overload the page with too much information—instead focus on quality over quantity.
Good luck with your job search!
