As a vehicle technician, you probably feel more comfortable with your head under a car bonnet than trying to put together a CV. However, with so many applicants for jobs right now, it is really important that you spend time writing a high-quality CV that stands out from other job applicants.
If this is your first job application for a vehicle technician role, or you haven’t applied for a new job for some time, you might be a bit outside of your comfort zone but we have all of the support and advice that you should need. Here are the key points to cover:
A professional format
CVs for all types of industries require a professional format that is easy to read and includes all of your key skills, qualifications and experience. If you are not sure about the type of structure that you should be using, it is a good idea to use a CV template, so that you are covering all of the required areas off and that the format looks professional.
Text should be broken up
One thing that really puts recruiters off a CV is seeing one big block of text without headings and bold to break it up. By breaking the text up into shorter paragraphs, recruiters will be able to easily read it and quickly pull the key information out. Again, using a CV template will show you how to break your text up effectively.
Lead with a profile
A strong CV should always start with a profile that summarises your experience in just a few sentences (no more than around 5 lines). This is the area of your CV that sets the first impression and catches attention, so it is definitely worthwhile spending some time on this and it may take a few rewrites before you get it just right.
Try to include your most relevant experience for the job, addressing anything related to the main points in the job description/specification. The trick in this section is to get as much important information across in a very direct, concise way.
Roles should be well structured
The person reading your CV is probably going to be looking at a large number of CVs so they might start by quickly scanning your CV to see if you have the kind of experience they are looking for. This is why it is really vital that you structure each of your previous roles in a way that they can easily see the key information. Start with a bold heading that details the employer, dates, and role title – this will allow recruiters to easily skim read your career history. Then, follow with an outline of the role and bullet pointed responsibilities and achievements to quickly show your impact
Before you send/upload your CV
It is always good to get a second person to look over your CV and give you any feedback and spot any errors that you might have missed. Make sure that you perform a spellcheck and that you read over it several times before you send it, as even one small error can put employers off.
Andrew Fennell is the founder of CV writing advice website StandOut CV – he is a former recruitment consultant and contributes careers advice to websites like Business Insider, The Guardian and FastCompany.
