CV help & tips

Find out everything you need to know about writing the perfect CV with our expert CV help and CV tips. Whether you’re trying to figure out what words to include, if you should talk about your hobbies and interests, or you just need help getting to grips with layout, structure, or length – we’ve got a range of useful CV writing tips to help you get started.

How to: Write a CV

Writing a CV can be stressful, especially if you’re starting from scratch. To help inspire you, here are our tips on how to write a CV.

Hobbies and interests: Should I include them in my CV?

Not sure whether you should include your hobbies on your CV? Not even sure you have any hobbies? Here’s our advice…

What words should I use on my CV?

It can be tempting to use the same phrases and adjectives when writing your CV. Learn how to say something different, and set yourself apart.

CV layout examples

Writing a CV is tough, but finding the right layout can be even harder. If you’re looking for something a little more unique, here are 13 creative CV layout examples:

Which parts of my education should I include in my CV?

Confused about which parts of your education you should include in your CV? Here’s our advice…

How to: Explain a gap in your CV

To help make sure your career break isn’t holding you back, here are a few tips on how to explain a gap in your CV – and examples to suit your situation.

Ask James Reed: how to write a stand-out CV webinar

Find out how to craft a winning CV and land the interview.

How to: Explain a gap in your CV

To help make sure your career break isn’t holding you back, here are a few tips on how to explain a gap in your CV – and examples to suit your situation.

Five great retail skills for your CV

Looking for retail skills to help sell your suitability for the role? Here are just five that you should definitely be adding to your CV.

Five personal qualities valued by employers

To make sure you’re highlighting your attributes as well as your skills, here are five personal qualities most valued by employers.

How to make your CV stand out during COVID-19

Want to make your CV stand out against the competition during COVID-19, and ensure recruiters remember your application? Here’s our advice.

Five CV skills employers look for in every jobseeker

We’ve already revealed five lines that are killing your CV, but here are five CV skills employers look for in every application (and our advice on how you can demonstrate them effectively):

Five organisational skills to add to your CV

To help you add value to your applications, here’s what you need to know about organisational skills (and how to include them in your CV).  

Tailoring your CV: What you need to know

To help you understand the importance of tailoring your CV, here’s everything you need to know, and how you can use it to stand out.

Seven types of jobseeker: Which one are you?

Here are seven of the most common types of jobseeker, courtesy of James Reed’s best-selling book, The 7 Second CV: How to Land the Interview.

What to do when you have a long career history

Worried you have too much experience? To make sure you’re only sharing the most relevant information, here’s what to do when you have a long career history.

Hobbies and interests: Should I include them in my CV?

Not sure whether you should include your hobbies on your CV? Not even sure you have any hobbies? Here’s our advice…

How to: Write a CV

Writing a CV can be stressful, especially if you’re starting from scratch. To help inspire you, here are our tips on how to write a CV.

How long should a CV be?

In today’s competitive job market, the length of your CV can be crucial in determining whether you get the job. Learn how to keep your CV short, and get straight to the point.

What are soft skills?

Not sure what your skills are? To find out how to make the most of them, here’s our guide on soft skills – and how they could help land your next job.

Five of the best hobbies to include in your CV

Are you making the most of your hobbies? Here’s how to effectively include hobbies in your CV, and some of the top activities you can use to stand out from the competition.

Four ways to help recruiters find your CV

Here are our top tips to help you optimise your CV for search, and ensure you get headhunted for your perfect position.

Five ways to tell if you need a new CV

Has your CV reached its expiry date? To help you figure out if yours is out of date, here are five ways to tell if you need a new CV:

How to: Use job descriptions to land your dream role

To make sure you’re making the most out of the clues they could give you, here’s our guide on how using job descriptions effectively could help land your dream role: 

CV layout: dos and don’ts

Even the best CV in the world can be let down by poor presentation. To help yours stand out, here’s our list of CV layout dos and don’ts…

Six ways to make your CV stand out from the crowd

Found a job you like? Excellent. Now it’s time to write the perfect CV. Here are five of our top tips to help yours stand out…

Four tips for optimising your CV for ATS

ATS’ don’t mean you have to slip through the cracks. We’ve already covered what an ATS is, but here are our top tips to teach you how to make them work for you:  

Common grammar mistakes to avoid on your CV

Not only should your CV be informative, it should also be professional, compelling and well-written. Here’s our list of the most common grammatical mistakes to avoid on your CV.

Job application forms: What you need to know

Not sure how to make your application stand out? To help you get started, here are some of our top tips on how to write a job application form.

Does your CV pass the seven second test?

Studies show that recruiters spend somewhere between five and seven seconds on average looking at a CV. Time to find out if yours would pass the test…

FAQs

How can reed.co.uk help you write your CV?

We’ve got lots of advice on how to write a CV – from CV examples and samples, right through to free CV templates for every stage of your career. So whether you’re updating an old one or starting from scratch, we’ve got you covered. 

What words and phrases do we recommend using on your CV?

Some lines could be killing your CV, without you even knowing. We recommend using positive, action-orientated phrases, and ditching the clichés. Examples of some words you should be using on your CV include planned, implemented and achieved – but there are many more other proactive phrases to choose from. 

What’s our advice to explain a gap in your CV?

If you’ve been out of work for a while, knowing how to explain a gap in your CV may be daunting. Our advice is to be honest, and address any gaps early on. You don’t need to apologise – just be proactive. If you’re struggling, our career break CV template will help get you started.

What’s the best way to make your CV stand out?

There are lots of great ways to make your CV stand out from the crowd. The best way to start is by finding your USPs and tailoring them to the job description. You could also try using some creative CV layout examples, to ensure your application is up-to-scratch.