Find the answers you need to commonly asked questions
Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of a CV?
Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a Latin expression and can be loosely translated as “course of life”. More commonly outside of the UK, CVs are referred to as résumés, French for “summary”.
Your CV is the story of your life/career and it is your marketing tool, selling yourself to potential employers. It’s a snapshot of who you are, clearly outlining your career. Its aim? To get you an interview.
When do I need a CV?
When don’t you need a CV?! Actually, there are some professions where a CV isn’t required, such as teaching, however, many move out of these professions so at some point, the majority of people will need one.
- Students applying for weekend or summer roles
- Graduates seeking their first role
- Those who are changing career
- Employees wanting a promotion
- Anyone who feels it’s time to move onwards and/or upwards from their current company
- Directors seeking a NED role
How long does it take to write a CV?
If you’re not used to writing a CV it can take hours and hours – there’s lots of searching online or reading books to do in order to discover best practice, work out what ATS is, learn how to tailor your CV, recognise the importance of keywords, decide on the best layout, etc.
An experienced CV writer will spend hours on our CV, but not as many. We don’t use a CV template and change a few words, nor do we have a standardised format – your CV will be 100% unique to you with a tailored personal profile, keywords, and compelling achievements.
We will be transparent with you in terms of how long it will take and as an example, a full CV write can take up to 5 working days following the 1:1 consultation – it can be quicker in many cases.
What should I include on my CV?
We can discuss all of this with you and tell you what to include and exclude. We can discuss the pros and cons of including certain information such as hobbies and interests – again, each situation is different and that’s why we love to talk to you, to ensure your CV is the best for you and your situation.
Do I need a cover letter and LinkedIn profile?
We would always recommend both of these. Not as an upsell, but a strong, tailored cover letter and optimised LinkedIn profile will work wonders for your job search.
A cover letter is a synopsis of your CV and should entice readers to look at your CV. It’s also a good place to explain in more detail anything you can’t get across in your CV that is relevant to your particular situation.
After reading your CV, the first thing many hiring managers and recruiters will do is search for you on LinkedIn. You need an up-to-date profile, one that is optimised to the type of role you’re looking for, and then you must engage on the platform. As CV writers, we can help you with all of this.
Why do I need a CV writer?
It can be hard to be objective when writing about yourself. It’s also time-consuming. That is where the role of a CV writer comes in. A good CV will open doors for you and help you find the job that you really want.
Collectively we have over 50 years of experience writing CVs and backgrounds in HR and recruitment. Take advantage of our knowledge – it will save you from hours searching the massive amount of (often conflicting) information that is available, and make completing online job applications much easier and more successful.
What will my CV look like?
Using a CV layout that works in the UK, at the top of your CV will be a professional, engaging profile that tells the employer that you are the one for the job.
We’ll use keywords that match your ideal job profile, ensuring your CV is picked up in the recruitment process, either by the human eye or by Applicant Tracking Software.
Don’t worry, your CV will create a great first impression of you, as we pay meticulous attention to grammar, spelling and presentation (not using Canva or anything fancy), ensuring your CV is set out in a logical manner and easy to read.
You will receive your CV in Microsoft Word and PDF.
What kind of CVs have you written?
We’ve written CVs for virtually every industry and at all levels from school students to CEOs and so much in between. Here’s a taste of some of the roles we have written CVs for:
- Administrator
- Barrister
- Business Analyst
- Business Development Manager
- Care Worker
- Charity Director
- Civil Engineer
- Customer Service Manager
- Director/Business Owner
- Graduate
- Groundworker
- Headteacher
- HR Consultant
- HR Director
- IT Manager
- Marketing Manager
- Non-Executive Director
- Personal Assistant
- Police Sergeant
- Preschool Supervisor
- Project Manager
- Retail Store Manager
- Sales Account Manager
- Sales Director
- Sales Support
- School Leaver
- Secretary
- Security Manager
- Solicitor
- Teacher
- Test Analyst
- Training Manager
- Transport Manager
- Undergraduate
- University Lecturer
Do you offer CV writing tips and advice?
During our time working together, we will offer you plenty of advice and answer any of your CV-related questions. You can also follow Laura on LinkedIn where she posts advice including dos and don’ts when writing or updating your CV, links to useful documents, articles, new services, and views on current relevant items such as using ChatGPT to write your CV.
I need a CV, what should I do?
Firstly have a look around the site.
Then get in touch and we’ll have a chat to find out what you need and how we can help. You can ask any questions about the process and we’ll talk through the options, process, prices and timescales, as well as who’ll you be working with.
You can then make a decision and get booked in there and then, or take some time to think, maybe speak to some other CV writers (it’s so important that you work with the right person), then come back to us.
We look forward to speaking with you and starting your journey to a new job or promotion!
0118 9472488
contact@cavershamcvwriting.co.uk
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