Tips for writing a standout CV

Your CV is the first thing employers see’s when you apply for a job, it’s important to get it right! We look at some simple tips for ways you can structure your CV to make a good first impression.

Tips for writing a CV – Structure

The reality is that an employer can sometimes receive hundreds of applications for one job. So when reviewing CV’s, they may only scan them before deciding whether to read properly, or click delete and move on to the next one. One of the first things you can do is to make sure your CV is structured properly. Put the most relevant information at the top, rather than hidden further down, or in long paragraphs. It’s always best to start with your name, location and contact information.

You may then want to follow this up with a personal statement. This is an important section, so make sure that it is spell checked. Use capital letters and punctuation in the right places, and that it’s not rushed! It should be no longer than a paragraph and is a great place to showcase your desirable characteristics. Give the employer a little information about who you are and what you are looking for. Here’s an example:

I am passionate about educating children and developing young minds through using the early years foundation stage framework. I am looking to find an employer where I can build on my career in childcare and use my skills and experience to contribute to the continued growth and success of the business.

What comes next depends on what stage of your career you are at.

Education

If you do not have much experience, you may want to go with an education section to showcase some results you are proud of. Always put the most relevant qualifications at the top. So in this case if you hold an NVQ, NNEB or CACHE in Childcare or Children’s Learning and Development, put this first. Include any supporting certificates you have such us paediatric first aid, safeguarding, or SEN. After this you can list your non industry-related academic achievements. If you are educated to degree level, maybe just put this and then your A Level results. If you only hold GCSEs then state how many you hold and the grades. Don’t go any further than this – they don’t need to know what primary school you went to for example!

Work history

Alternatively, if you are already established in your career, or if you are already a room leader or a deputy manager, then you will probably want to go with a work history section first, to highlight your biggest strengths. Make sure your most recent job is at the top! You can put a brief description of what the roles and responsibilities are. There is no need to repeat yourself. Use bullet points to make it easy to read. Make sure you include any other selling points and additional responsibilities you’ve had, for example:

I cover for the room lead regularly when they are not available

I’ve been trusted to open or close the nursery in the managers absence.

Be sure to include all relevant experience, but employers will be interested in your most recent role and your last 5 to 10 years’ experience, so perhaps don’t go back too far. You can always put something like:

I held several non-childcare related positions before beginning my career in early years. More information on these are available on request.

Skills, about me or additional information

Finally, you may or may not wish to include skills, about me or additional information sections. Again, you should remember to use these to sell yourself. If you have any extracurricular certificates, this is the place to include them. Tell them if you are or were a member of any clubs, or if you’ve done any charity or volunteering work. If not, and you just want to write a short paragraph on yourself, remember that they have not met you, so think about how things will sound. For example “I like socialising and going to the pub with friends” may not create the right impression. Keep it relevant to early years!

Tips for writing a CV – Appearance

Use a large enough font size (12 is perfect). Do not use any fonts which may make the CV difficult to read. We always advise against using a picture of yourself when applying for a childcare or nursery job. Keep it professional and relevant! Templates are OK but some of these can be a little confusing to the eye, so we would advise against any which have information in borders or tables – it’s what’s in the CV that counts. Finally try and keep the CV to no longer than 2 pages. You can always include any extra information in a covering letter, or use some of the tips above to cut out any information that might be outdated or irrelevant.

These are a great place to start. Hopefully by following these tips you can get more interviews and ultimately make sure you get the childcare job that’s right for you! If you’re really struggling, or you don’t have any one at home who can read through your CV for you once it’s done, contact us and one of the team will be happy to look it over for you.