Design and Construct your C.V.
A C.V needs to grab attention and allow employers to learn about you, ultimately judging whether you are the right candidate to progress to the interview.
Some things that ACB Group HR looks for from our candidates are that:
- Your C.V is easy to read and easily scannable
- Effectively summarise your skills and accomplishments
- Highlight your relevant experience in a clear and concise manner
- Include your Education in order of most recent
Here are the best tips we can give you when tailoring your C.V for a position with ACB Group, or any other employer.
- Use Keywords from the Job Posting
Use the keywords that we are looking for. For example, if you were applying for a job in ACB’s design department, we may like to see the keywords, “Revit”, “Navasworks”, “BIM”, and “BIM360 Document Management”, for example.
Similarly for the commercial department, use keywords that will stand out to the hiring manager such as “claims conscious”, “adjudication”, “Construction Contracts Act”, and so on.
Using Keywords helps your C.V to stand out and get noticed in the crowd.
- Format your C.V Professionally
What do we mean by this? Try to use either Calibri (Body), Arial, or Times New Roman, 12-point font.
Keep the white space to a minimum to ensure those reading your C.V are concentrated on the content on the page, rather than looking at blank space.
Use Headings and Subheadings to separate your sections, therefore stressing the different sections to the reader. It may also be helpful to Underline or BOLD key points within these sections.
- Use ‘Active Voice’ Language
It is important to use active voice in your C.V in order to grab the reader’s attention and not bore the reader.
In other words:
“Earn the reader’s attention using power words and short sentences”.
The first sentence is 22 words. The second is 10 words. Same message, but is more concise.
Using power words like “earned”, “achieved”, “accomplished”, “completed”, and “nurtured”, you get the idea, which leads to better writing and more enjoyable reading.
- Be Proud of your Achievements
Highlight your important achievements and experience gained working on projects in college. List the top 4 or 5 learnings you have achieved across your 4 years of coursework and applied experience gained. Also, include part-time jobs and explain how you developed and what duties you carried out.
Tell us about specific metrics maintained or achieved, behavioural achievements, or personal goals you hit. ACB Group believes that individuals achieving their goals is a significant contribution to overall team success – let’s celebrate them!
- Proofread and Edit
Make sure to spell-check and grammar-check your C.V. Use tools like Grammarly to ensure that you are using the correct phraseology and spelling. Ask for a 3rd Party to read over it (a mother, father, partner, or friend), they’re usually the most critical, but most importantly, want the best for you.
- Write a Great Character Blurb
Read the job description carefully. Are ACB or other companies giving you a tip on what to say? Let’s look at the ACB job specifications ‘ACB Group Overview’ section.
An example of your ‘About me’ could read:
I am a dynamic, organised individual with X years of experience (who has just obtained my Level 8 Hons in [course name]). I have a passion for innovating customer solutions using modern methods of construction and applying my learnings to support ACB Group as the business continues to grow to deliver successful external envelope projects internationally.
- Include Key Contact Details [you wouldn’t believe the number of C. V’s we get with this missing!]
Include your key contact information. Your student and personal email, personal phone number, address, and LinkedIn profile information. Give us the best opportunity to follow up with your great C.V.
Attend our Careers Fair Webinar
Sign up HERE to attend the careers fair where CEO Georgina Quigley and Head of People Mark Butler will speak about the ethos and values of ACB Group and how your career will look like with us.
