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Frequently Asked Questions for Candidates

HR CV Guide

Name

  • Ensure this is in an easy to read, large font so it stands out.
  • Choose a business like font such as Times New Roman or Verdana

Contact Details

  • Contact details need to be at the top of the CV so they are easily accessible

What contact details should I include?

Telephone
Don't include your work number unless you are happy to be contacted there. Double check to make sure the correct number is on the CV.

Email
 Ensure this is appropriate for your job search - the quirky email address you had as a student may not make the best first impression!

Personal Statement

How should my personal statement be written?

  • Often referred to as the Elevator Pitch, your personal statement is the first thing that a potential employer will read.
  • Short, sharp and punchy - don't regurgitate your CV here!
  • Make it commercially focused and concise - about 50 words.
  • Include a brief summary of your key skills and motivations. Tell your audience what you can do for them and what you are bringing to the table.   

Example Personal Statement:
 An independent, results-driven Human Resources professional with a proven track record of establishing and building upon long term business relationships at all levels.  A strong HR generalist with particular strengths including: performance management, change management and internal consultancy.

Education

  • You can either place your education after your personal statement or after the employment section.
  • Think about how relevant your education is for the role you are applying for: if you are a recent graduate, for example, or have a degree from a prestigious university, put the education first. If your experience is more important than your education, put the education after experience.
  • Don't forget to list qualifications you are currently studying for and expected graduation/completion dates

University, Course Completed, Grade Achieved
College, Course Completed, Grade Achieved
School, Qualifications Achieved (eg. 10 GCSEs graded A-C)

  • Include the name of the establishment, the qualification gained and the grade achieved.
  • Do not include short term courses you have completed within a company (eg. HR Management 2 day course) leave these for the Professional Development section.

Professional Development

Institution, Course Completed, Qualification Gained (CIPD for example)
Institution, Course Attended

  • As with education, think about how relevant your professional education is.


Overview of Employment

Dates of Employment, Employer - Location
Job Title

  • Start with your most recent position and work backwards.
  • If it is a smaller company, it is worth briefly describing the company size and the work they do.
  • As the structure of the Human Resources function varies from company to company, it is important to quantify your role. Explain the purpose of your role and how this fitted into the organisation as a whole.
  • If you held various roles within one company, treat each one as separate. List the individual job titles, with details of specific responsibilities and achievements.
  • Ensure the CV follows a continuous timeline. If you have taken a career break for whatever reason, always mention this in your CV to avoid confusion.
  • Avoid using jargon in your CV that may not be widely understood.  Remember, terms that are familiar to you and your current colleagues might be used daily, but may not be familiar to those outside your company.

HR Interim Contractors: 

  • For those HR professionals who have undertaken HR interim contracts, it is often preferable to detail your dates as a contractor, then list specific projects.
  • Be selective when detailing projects. Highlight and expand only on projects that would be relevant for the role you're being put forward for.

Responsibilities

  • Bullet pointing your responsibilities and achievements makes the information easier to digest, particularly when skim reading the CV which is what most employers will do initially. Ensure each bullet point is concise (no more than 2 or 3 sentences).
  • Provide details of key responsibilities undertaken that are relevant for the role you are applying for, or have contributed to your skill set. Try not to make this section longer than half a page. If you are detailing an interim role, make this a maximum of 3-4 sentences.

Achievements

Provide a list of the key achievements made in your position. Using action orientated sentences helps to quantify your role. For example:

  • Designed and delivered a cost reduction programme to improve the profitability of the business, reducing expenses from £48 to £21m over twelve months
  • Re- aligned and strengthened the HR team to support changes in business objectives. Developed new policies in order to facilitate this.
    Improved the credibility of the Human Resource function within the business.


Additional Information

Interests & Hobbies

  • Include things like voluntary work here
  • Assess how relevant your interests are for the role you are applying for, whilst still giving the reader an insight into your personality.

References

Available on request

  • It's better not to provide details of references on your CV. This way, employers cannot contact references without your permission first and there are no issues with confidentiality.