In today's fiercely contested UK jobs market,
is your CV good enough to get you short-listed?
"Putting time and effort into your CV and effectively addressing an employer's
selection criteria while passing bot-screening can put you ahead of
other candidates. That's something I can expertly assist you with."
~ Elle Bradshaw, Owner of Midlands CV Writer
Please complete this form if you'd like a 15 minute chat prior to making a commitment to purchase my CV writing services. I will contact you to confirm a precise time and date.
These are genuine reviews that are obviously anonymised. I can provide referees upon request.
In the UK, a CV is a brief 1 to 3 page document summarising your knowledge, education, personal qualities and experience. It should demonstrate your strongest qualities and differentiate you from other candidates.
In highly technical roles and academic settings an expanded CV (curriculum vitae) is typically required in the UK. This includes expanded credentials relevant to science, academia and research, such as publications, presentations, and referees. CV is Latin for "the course of one's life/career".
It's essential to read the employer's application notes and get advice on the best approach from a professional CV and job application specialist. Making the wrong choices will almost always exclude you from the shortlist.
Need some advice? Phone me: 07537-133-488, Txt me: 07537-133-488 , Facebook me, or Whatsapp me.
If your needs are urgent, the best approach is to phone or text me.
In the UK, your Cover Letter (sometimes Covering Letter) customises your CV for the job you're applying for. This is the employer's initial filter and if you don't pass it, your CV will be headed for the nearest wastepaper basket. A Cover Letter is a way to introduce yourself an employer in a 'narrative form' to accompany your CV. This gives you an opportunity to show and highlight the qualities you possess that best match an employer's selection criteria.
You should use a Cover Letter to describe your experience, skills and qualifications as well as your interest in both the company and the job. Since the key purposes of a CV and Cover Letter are to 'sell' you to an employer, always keep the employer’s recruitment needs to the fore.
Remember, each job application must include a unique Cover Letter. This is not optional. Failure to craft a unique Cover Letter for each vacancy is the #1 reason why people fail to get to interviews.
Need some advice? Phone me: 07537-133-488, Txt me: 07537-133-488 , Facebook me, or Whatsapp me.
If your needs are urgent, the best approach is to phone or text me.
Think of Linkedin as Facebook for Job Seekers. It's the world's largest and fastest-growing professional social network for the career-oriented. A well-written Linkedin profile can attract headhunters, recruitment agents and direct opportunities. Linkedin also has many built in tools to help you build the connections to find and land your next career move.
Linkedin is also where employers verify your credentials; and any discrepancy between what you claim on your CV and your Linkedin profile and activity. Beware of this trap.
Use Linkedin if your ambition is to build a career path.
Need some advice? Phone me: 07537-133-488, Txt me: 07537-133-488 , Facebook me, or Whatsapp me.
If your needs are urgent, the best approach is to phone or text me.
I have consulted to, or been employed by organisations in these sectors in the UK, Australia and the USA, among others:
Google 'CV template' and you will get thousands of examples. Unfortunately, most of these CV templates have been created by designers and others with no experience in successful job interview procurement.
While it's tempting to think that cloning a CV format or passages of CV or cover letter text from documents written by others or relying on AI is a good idea, it's generally a recipe for getting nowhere. It certainly doesn't help you create a unique and precisely targeted application for a job with very specific selection criteria.
Remember that robots read CVs before they're passed on to humans (see my ATS FAQ). CVs with duplicate or recycled AI text will inevitably be filtered out. This also applies if you get an AI robot to write your CV text via one of the many "CV or Resume Builder" apps that are a Google search away. Write it yourself or get a professional CV help.
Nothing is more challenging in a job application than seeing a long list of Selection Criteria. Too many people skip over or overlook selection criteria and submit a generic CV. This is a key job seeker error..
Government jobs, professional appointments and big-business roles ask you to 'address' (answer questions about) key selection criteria (KSC). These selection criteria are the skills, knowledge and work experience you need to be filtered into the 'interview' pile rather then the waste bin.
Look at this from an employer's point of view. They are about to invest in you, and a wrong decision is expensive for both parties.
There's no short cut. To address the selection criteria, you need to convince an employer, in some detail, how you meet each one. To be even considered for interview, you need to prove that you meet the 'essential' criteria. Most times, additional 'desirable' criteria will be listed and you should respond to these as well as you can.
The standard practice for addressing selection criteria is the STAR Approach - (Situation or Task, Action Taken, Results Achieved), and this acts to discipline your thinking and structure your responses.
Need some advice? Phone me: 07537-133-488, Txt me: 07537-133-488 , Facebook me, or Whatsapp me.
If your needs are urgent, the best approach is to phone or text me.
I am a founder-member of the UK-based CVRA, which professionally certifies and educates CV and Resume Writers worldwide.
An increasing number of employers and their recruitment agencies and labour-hiring firms use software to pre-filter CVs. Known as Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), the they use robots to scan through CVs, Cover Letters and supporting documents. Your CV is only viewed by a human if the system discovers keywords and phrases that match the CV to the job ad or selection criteria. The others are destined for the digital abyss.
An ATS is programmed to scan for information such as former employers, experience and qualifications and keywords. They are designed to weed out candidates in order of potential interest to an employer. Imagine a Google Search of your personal history: an employer may want to preference those from a particular school, university, or past-employer.
The bad news is that UK CVs and cover letters are rarely designed with this in mind and the wrong document layout, structure, format and words can automatically exclude you from an interview shortlist. Yes, even for a part-time job at Tesco.
Need some advice? Phone me: 07537-133-488, Txt me: 07537-133-488 , Facebook me, or Whatsapp me.
If your needs are urgent, the best approach is to phone or text me.
Recent events have precipitated structural changes in the job market. Securing a job interview with little or no direct experience might seem daunting initially, but it is crucial to focus on demonstrating 'transferable skills' in your CV. This involves showcasing how your knowledge, experience, qualifications, and personal attributes are pertinent to a new role. This challenge is common among all job seekers endeavouring to shift their career direction, and I am here to assist you throughout the CV crafting process.
People are returning to the workforce in increasing numbers or are being asked to reapply for their existing jobs or new roles within their firm or organisation. Many have not needed a CV in many years.
Stay-at-home-mum (or dads) are classic examples. When it's time to get back into the workforce, employers are unfortunately more likely to hire unemployed people returning to work after a lay-off than parents who took time off to raise children.
It's equally hard when faced with having to apply for a job within your own firm due to downsizing or redundancy.
The answer? Extra effort is needed to market your qualities to get noticed by employers.
Need some advice? Phone me: 07537-133-488, Txt me: 0419-049-237 , Facebook me, or Whatsapp me.
If your needs are urgent, the best approach is to phone or text me.
You'd be surprised at how many people write 'War & Peace' and present it as a CV. Senior people are no exception. An effective CV is a succinct 'pitch' with two purposes: to get you shortlisted for interview and position you as a contender.
What's the value to you of landing a job in the UK? Tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands of pounds. For the price of a half-decent night out, a professional CV could well be your best-ever investment. You don't get a seat at the table unless you're invited!
I'm Leicester born and bred & started my business 3 years ago, after a 15 year career helping match people to the specific needs of employers. I've seen every CV writing error, and many CV writing triumphs: from entry-level to the boardroom, and on three continents. Check me out on Linkedin and see my motivational website to learn more about me.
To get an interview for a well paying job, you also need succinct cover letters and sometimes statements that address, precisely, the job selection criteria (what an employer wants from you) and a Linkedin profile that matches your CV. This can be crucial as employers' will first screen for relevance to their needs and then check out your online credentials.
Contact me if you have questions. Or select and order a CV package (button below) and within 24 hours I will contact you by email or phone. We will work together to create and refine your CV until you are 100% satisfied. You can then opt for extra services should you need them. Zoom, video or phone meetings are included with most CV packages.
Straight out of university, I was advised to retain a CV Writer by my father. It got me the interview that got me the job that launched and shaped my career. As a working class lass from a small Leicestershire village, not much was expected of me. I beat the odds, and now I help people to do so! His advice was (and still is) invaluable, God rest his soul.
| A bespoke hand crafted CV that addresses with precision, a prospective employer's selection criteria. | |
| No AI generated CV creation (that makes you sound generic) or templates that don't pass an ATS. My goal is to get your CV read, and differentiate you from the pack. | |
| I am fluent in plain speaking and will present your case in a way that will resonate with British employers. |
| Personal service by me; not a CV mill that doles out work to an unqualified employee, agent or contractor. | |
| You deal with me personally via phone and/or Zoom meeting(s) and we work together to produce the documents. No faceless, mechanised processes. | |
| If I can't meet your deadline for a CV or I feel you're unlikely to qualify for an interview for a job role, I will tell you. |