CV writing

More so than any other form of employment, the temporary and contract market relies heavily on a comprehensive, well written CV. The fast moving nature of interim positions may mean that submitting your CV will be the only stage of the recruitment process required to secure an assignment.

It is therefore imperative that your CV makes an immediate and positive impact. It will take potential employers 2 minutes to decide from the information you present whether you will be called for interview or, indeed, offered the position.

CV Content

Your CV should be a professional, concise document providing relevant and complete information.

The structure of a CV broadly breaks down into 4 sections, which are, in order;

Personal Information

Name
Address/Telephone Numbers/e-mail address
If applicable, whether you are eligible to work in the UK or require a Work Permit
Foreign language capability and standard.
Education/Qualifications

Details of academic qualifications. This should include dates, the name of the School or University, which qualifications were achieved, including subjects and grades.
This section should also include professional qualifications and date achieved
Eg - Sept 1998 - Admitted as a Solicitor.

Employment History

This information should be presented in reverse chronological order, detailing dates, the name of the company/firm, your title, and an explanation of your experience. Eg;

May 2001 - June 2003                           LAW Absolute
 
Position                                              Interim Solicitor

Concise explanation of responsibilities

• Outline the responsibilities you had in each position. If the position was on a temporary/contract basis, detail who you were covering for (eg partner or senior assistant). Give examples of tasks performed and particular achievements.
  
• Keep the information factual and where possible, quantitative. For example 'Dealing with a full residential property caseload, from initial instruction to post completion matters for high net worth individuals. Properties ranged in value from #800 - #10million'. 
  
• Interim Solicitors and paralegals will often have worked on a number of different short-term projects. If this is the case and you feel the assignments are too numerous to outline fully in the CV, breakdown your experience, and ask the reader to refer to an appendix stating a full list of the dates and names of firms/companies attached to the back of the CV.
  
• Do not leave any gaps on your CV. If you have been travelling, or out of work for a period of time, say so! 
  
• Be honest, and do not exaggerate information. Temporary and contract roles are often offered to candidates purely as a result of information provided in the CV - you will quickly be found out if the information is not a true reflection of your skill base. 
  
• Keep the CV concise. The finished product should be no more than 2-3 pages long.

Interests

This section should be no more than 1-2 lines long. Be prepared to elaborate on anything you include in this section, and if in doubt, don't include it!

Please make sure the final CV is spell checked and proof read. Sloppy grammar and spelling will ensure your CV goes to the bottom of the pile!