Ten top tips for CVs and cover letters

Starting your job search on the right foot begins with creating a dynamic and contemporary CV, along with a strong cover letter.

As the community’s leading employment and business support organisation, at Work Avenue we help thousands of people each year with this process.

Here, Work Avenue employment adviser Richard Linden shares his experiences and 10 top tips to create that perfect CV.

1. Match your CV and cover letter to the role

Highlight the skills and experiences you have that are most relevant to the employer’s needs – tailoring them to the specific job description/person specification.

2. Use a professional template

Choose a contemporary and elegant template with a professional font and layout that is easy to read. You can find these in Microsoft Word, Adobe Express and various free online tools.

3. Use AI to help you

Use a chatbot to assist in creating, adapting, and improving your CV and cover letter. AI can also help make your CV ATS-compliant – to help pass the automated scanning software used by some recruiters and employers. However, remember to always ensure the final document reflects your personal style and voice, so it sounds authentic and true to you.

4. Keep things concise, clear and to the point

An employer will often spend less than one minute looking at your CV. Use bullet points, strong action verbs (such as ‘achieved’ and ‘developed’), and concise language to make your CV easy to read and understand.

5. Quantify your achievements

Wherever possible, use numbers and data to demonstrate the impact you made in previous roles. For example, talk about how you “managed a team of five” or “increased sales by 15%.”

6. Proofread carefully

Ensure your CV and cover letter are free of grammatical errors, typos or spelling mistakes. Ask a friend, family member or one of our Work Avenue team to read through it for you.

7. Tailor your cover letter

Each cover letter should explain why you’re the best fit for the role and why you want to work for that specific organisation.

8. Showcase your personality

While professionalism is key, let your personality shine through in your CV and cover letter to make a memorable impression. If relevant and interesting, include details such as volunteering, hobbies and interests.

9. Avoid irrelevant/detrimental information

Omit details such as date of birth/age, marital status and any other information that could potentially discriminate against you or negatively impact your application.

10. Let us help you

Get in touch with me or any member of the Work Avenue employment team to help create or update your CV and cover letter, and to start preparing for the next steps in your job search.

Click here to sign up to our employment workshops.