Make your CV stand out (for all the right reasons!) with our top tips. Whether you’re fresh out of university or college, making a career change or have 20 years’ experience, a stellar CV is necessary to help you find the perfect job. 

Title

The title should be your name, don’t waste valuable space writing “CV” or “Curriculum Vitae”.  After your name write your job title, or preferred job title, followed by your contact details. If you are particularly active on LinkedIn and have a well crafted profile, you may also wish to include a link – however in the energy industry there aren’t any other social networking sites that are relevant or merit inclusion. 

Personal Profile

Use this as a very brief introduction to your CV, this should be tailored for each job you apply for to highlight your key skills, achievements and career goals. 

Employment and Experience

This should form the main part of your CV, outlining your employment history and experience. Listed in reverse chronological order with your most recent position first, state your position, the employer name, the dates your worked and a sentence or two summarising the role. Bullet point your key duties, skill and achievements relevant to the role you are applying for. 

Education and Qualifications

As well as any university or school-based qualifications, be sure to include professional accreditations as well as health and safety qualifications relevant to the role. Certificates that qualify you to work at height or offshore, specific software or hardware accreditations, or engineering certifications show your expertise and abilities. 

If you are skilled in specific software, hardware or systems, list these under “Key Skills”. 

Key Skills

Only include this section if you have relevant skills to the job you’re applying for. List any professional skills or areas of knowledge that aren’t mentioned elsewhere, and keep to a maximum of five or six. 

References 

It used to be standard practice to include two references on your CV, with contact details for each. This is no longer the case, a reference is needed at the end of the recruitment process and a CV is a tool at the beginning to get you an interview – so save space and don’t include references. Writing “References available on request” is also unnecessary, an employer or recruiter will ask for a reference when they are ready to, and will assume you have suitable references. 

Find more advice about CV writing, cover letter tips and more on our resources page. Ready to apply for your next job? Send us your CV now! 

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