CV Writing: What to Include in your Introduction

Whether you like it or not - your CV is the most important part of the job application process. While, of course, an interview is imperative in order for you to get the job, making sure your CV is good enough so that you stand out from the crowd to secure a lucrative interview is vital. 

In such a busy job market, particularly in a post Covid-19 world - your CV is going to need to make the initial paper-sift to get to the interview stage, and it’s going to be more competitive than ever.

With businesses strained to hire the right people and competing job-seekers desperate to find work, the introduction of your CV needs to catch the attention of your prospective employer immediately.

Here’s what to include. 

Short, snappy introduction 

It’s a great tip to include a super-brief introductory sentence right up top below your contact details so that prospective employers immediately get a flavour for who you are.

Think of it like your LinkedIn bio, you want something short, snappy and precise that will immediately let those hiring know whether you’re suitable for the job role. One or two sentences is absolutely enough. 

Avoid buzz-words like ‘presentable’ and ‘dependable’ and skip straight to the good stuff. Are you passionate? Innovative? Award-winning? Tenacious? What will you bring to the table? Tell them!

Think about what makes you different - and bear in mind that they might be reading hundreds of CVs to shortlist for your role.

With that in mind - it’s also important that you change this CV for each individual job that you apply for to give you the best chance of being shortlisted.

Read the job description thoroughly and look at what the employers want. Be the solution for that in your opening sentence and you’re on to a winner. 

Clear contact details 

You may think it's a relatively standard procedure to pop your contact details up top, but make sure that you are absolutely easy to get in touch with. You wouldn’t believe how many candidates either forget to put their contact details on their CV, or bury them towards the end so that they’re difficult to find.

When your introductory sentence has drawn them in and your wealth of experience has made you a viable candidate, your prospective employer is going to want to secure an interview with you quickly to see if you are indeed as promising as you look. Make sure this is a super easy job for them by making sure your contact details are prominent and clear.

Experience up top 

Once you’ve provided an introductory sentence, get straight to your experience and let your work history backup your claims. Start with your most recent job and work your way backwards, but make sure you’re not just listing your day to day activities in a bland manner.

Think about what you’ve achieved. What KPIs have you met? How have you impacted the business? What ideas have you brought to the table and developed? Try and lace your skills and experience with solid examples where the proof is in the pudding. 

These 3 tips will help you to level-up the introduction of your CV and to ensure your name is in the mix when it comes to candidates that employers simply must see.  

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