Our guide to CV and cover letter writing

Woman at desk reading

 

Ok, so you’ve got the qualification and skills to go for the job you really want – so how do you make a great first impression?

You might be wondering – what is my first impression? Is it speaking to a recruiter? The interview? No, it’s your CV and cover letter – the list of all your attributes, experiences, and skills. It’s the very first thing a recruiter or potential employer will look at. Making sure it’s the best it can be means you’ll get put into the interview pile, rather than the shredder.

So, how do you make the best CV and cover letter possible?

Stand out – in a good way

First things first, you do not need multiple fonts and colours, “funky” layouts, or other over the top decorations. You need it to be smart and professional, easy to read, and highlighting the exact things that the job description calls for.

Make sure you include your name and contact details! It might sound obvious, but it’s an easy thing to forget when you’re listing all your qualifications and skills.

What to include?

You need to show that your career background and experience matches the job that you’re applying for. If you’re going for a high level accounting position, you might not need to highlight that you worked as a paper delivery person when you were 14.

Start with your most recent job – list out your duties and the skills you used. Then list the next job, with the same detail. If you’ve not had many jobs, don’t worry. You can write more about the skills you learnt on one or two jobs.

If you have any gaps in your employment history, explain them. If you don’t, recruiters may wonder why, and come up with all sorts of reasons. So if you were a stay at home parent for a couple of years, list it – ie: 2005-2007 Stay at home parent. Or 2015-2016 volunteering in South Africa. Or even 2012 Illness – any of these are legitimate reasons for a career gap.

Add your qualifications – starting with the most recent. And don’t forget any professional qualifications, short courses, academic qualifications, and anything else you think is relevant to the role you’re going for.

Language is important

Make sure that you’re always professional – don’t use slang or acronyms that are job-specific, unless they are well known in the sector you’re applying to. Don’t use excessive jargon, and don’t use cliches. Everyone lists “good work ethic” or “fast learner” – you need to have examples if you want to use these. For example: “I started a new role and had to learn an extensive amount of technical knowledge within two weeks.” – that’s an example of fast learning, rather than just the words that don’t really mean anything.

Use active words when describing your work. Say that you developed something, or organised, or created something. It’s much more impressive if you can demonstrate that you actually achieved something in a role.

Hobbies and interests

You do not have to include these unless they demonstrate something that would be relevant to the role. For example if you play Saturday football, that’s not something you should include. But if you’re the treasurer on the committee of a local theatre company, then that’s relevant to an accounting role and you can include it.

Proofreading

Check it, check it again, and get someone else to check it. One simple spelling mistake can rule you out of the running if there are lots of other great candidates. Check that you have your dates right, that everything makes sense, and that it puts you in the best light possible. If you can show it to teachers, mentors, colleagues, and even family members – the more eyes that see it the better. They can help you make sure it’s selling you properly. They might even suggest other areas that you’re great in that you may have overlooked.

10 don’ts

  • Don’t provide irrelevant personal information
  • Don’t bury important information
  • Don’t forget to proofread – spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors are a no-no
  • Don’t forget to explain career gaps
  • Don’t put any false or misleading information
  • Don’t add references to your CV – you don’t need to provide them at this point
  • Don’t go on too long – two pages for a professional CV is plenty
  • Don’t go crazy with your formatting or layout
  • Don’t include a meaningless introduction – get to the point
  • Don’t waffle

Cover letters

Cover letters can be tricky, as it may seem like you need to put your CV into essay format – but this isn’t the case.
A cover letter is your best chance of getting the attention of the HR person or hiring manager and an important opportunity to distinguish yourself from everyone else.

To write a good cover letter you have to make a new one for each role you’re going for. A good recruiter will spot a copy and paste job a mile away.

Do your research – find out more about the company and the specific job you want. Read the company’s social media, press releases, “about” section on their website – anything to make you more familiar with what they do and who they are.

Focus on the future – your CV is what you’ve done in the past, your cover letter should be about what you want to do going forward. Think of it as a link between the past and future, explaining what you want to do next, and how you think the company will be able to facilitate this move.

Make a strong opening – a lot of people will start with “I’m applying for the job of…. That I saw on your website” – don’t bother with that. Start with something punchy like “I’m an accounting professional with 10 years’ experience in forensic accounting, looking for an opportunity to grow my skills in new ways, and I’d love to bring my experience and enthusiasm to your company.” Then include a couple of sentences about your background and relevant experience, but don’t just rewrite your CV.

Showcase your personal value – use the research you did on the company, and show that you know what they do, and the challenges they face. Then talk about how your experience has equipped you to meet their needs and help solve problems – give some examples of times when you’ve done this. You want to provide evidence of the things that set you apart.

Enthusiasm – make it clear why you want the job, and that you’re really excited about the prospect of working for the company. It might seem a bit sickly, but something like “I’d love to work for your company. Who wouldn’t? You’re the industry leader, setting standards that others only follow.” is something that really appeals to hiring managers. They wouldn’t want to employ someone who isn’t excited about some aspect of the company or role.

Be authentic – as much as enthusiasm is important, it’s crucial that you don’t go overboard. You want to come across as professional and keen, but not desperate. You also don’t want to “suck up” too much to the hiring manager – it will just come across as insincere.

Short and sweet – ideally no more than a page, otherwise it will be overwhelming and go unread. You do have to cover a lot of ground, but you should do it succinctly.

Feedback – ask a friend, former colleague, or mentor to review your letter, and ask them to read through it. Ask them for specific feedback, such as: can they tell what your main points are? Are you selling yourself in the right light? And ask them if there are any bits that you could cut, especially if it’s getting a little long.

Top tips for cover letters

Do:

  • Have a strong opening statement that makes clear why you want the job and what you bring to the table.
  • Be succinct – a hiring manager should be able to read your letter at a glance.
  • Share an accomplishment that shows you can address the challenges the employer is facing.

Don’t:

  • Try to be funny – it often falls flat.
  • Send a generic cover letter – customise each one for the specific job.
  • Go overboard with flattery – be professional and mature.

Need more help and advice about CVs and cover letters?

If you’re an Eagle subscriber we can help you with a 15-30 minute phone consultation with a dedicated mentor for any career, interview, or CV advice you may need. Just get in touch for more information.

We also have a large number of helpful blogs with hints and tips about career progression, different accountancy roles, and plenty of advice no matter what stage you’re at.