CV Checklist
Layout & Design
1-2 pages
Dont use tables (difficult to edit and move information around)
Clear, sans serif font (good examples: Calibri, Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Century Gothic)
Easy to read text size: 10-12pt
Clear headings that stand out: ~14pt, underlined across the page or bold
2 spaces before each heading, one space after
Single spacing go to Paragraph menu; make Before & After 0pt; and select Single line spacing
Good balance between text and white space
Specific bullet points, NOT long sentences/paragraphs
Even margins (2 2.5cm)
Consistent design throughout: even spacing, same font, dates aligned, same bullet points, same
indents)
If longer than 1 page, the second page starts in a logical place (e.g. not half way through a list)
Score: ___ / 12
Heading & Contact Details
Your name should be the main heading at the top, 16-20pt font (middle names are not necessary)
Accurate contact details underneath name: address, phone, email
Professional email address (typically - [email protected])
Linkedin URL if you have a profile
Score: ___ / 4
Personal Statement / Career Objective
If you have this (optional), make sure it is brief (1-3 sentences), and says specifically what you are
looking for and gives a summary of what you bring. E.g:
o Bad: I am a hardworking and reliable person who is capable of achieving targets and I am
committed to adding value to the company. (too general)
o Good: Recently graduated with a Graduate Diploma in Computing at Unitec, and am seeking an
entry-level role as a Software Developer. I have completed a 3 month internship for an Auckland
company in IT, and have 2 years experience in customer service.
Score: ___ / 1
Skills
Approx. 8-12 bullet points
Start with industry specific / technical / most relevant points
Further down the list, add more general, transferrable / soft skills, personal attributes and traits
Mention what you can do (skills); what you understand (knowledge/theory); as well as how good you
are at particular skills [see sentence starters document for ideas on wording]
Unitec Student Career Centre
www.career.unitec.ac.nz | 0800 10 85 10 |
[email protected]For some of your points, give a brief example of where you used
skill/strength or how you developed it. E.g:
o Bad: Customer service skills
o Good: Experience in customer service gained from 2 years work in hospitality
Include a couple of points about what makes you unique and stand out from the crowd
Steer away from clichs or statements that are too general and could be talking about anybody
that
Score: ___ / 7
Education and Work Experience
Put education first if most recent and/or relevant; otherwise put work history first
For jobs and qualifications, put most recent first, then go back in time
Dates should show month and year e.g. Feb 2014 present or July 2013 June 2014
Put dates over on the right hand side, otherwise put them underneath the organisation name
Make sure there are no unexplained gaps (more than a few months) in the dates if possible
Locations if in Auckland, just put suburb; if elsewhere in NZ put town; if overseas put town, country
Education
Qualification title first (full name), then institute name (full name) and location underneath
List a few recent courses &/or projects completed (grades optional) underneath your qualification if
they are relevant, and if you havent got much industry experience yet
(you can select the list and make it 2 columns to save space)
If you are in your final year/semester of your qualification, write e.g. Expected completion date: Nov
2015
List any short courses, certifications or professional development under a subheading (could be in a
bullet pointed list)
Work
Job title first, then organisation name and location underneath
Write approx. 2-8 bullet points for your job tasks/responsibilities (or put no points if the job was
irrelevant or points would be repeated from more recent jobs)
Start each bullet point with an action verb e.g. Assisted with Performed Coordinated
Be specific, not general, and dont ramble saying unnecessary wording. E.g:
o Bad: Responsible for general administration and daily tasks as required
o Good: Managed office administration including updating databases, answering phone calls and
coordinating mail
Include voluntary work / community involvement, or if you have more than 1-2 things, put them in a
separate section (alternatively, this could go in Interests section)
Score: ___ / 15
Achievements
Put achievements either in a section of their own (if you have 2 or more), or as a subheading under the
corresponding job/programme of study
Use action verbs to begin with, e.g. Awarded Achieved Participated in
Be specific and quantify your achievements with numbers, %, $ or other measure of success or
improvement if possible. E.g. Improved accuracy of financial reporting by 15% by developing a new
database, saving $2000 per month
Score: ___ / 3
Unitec Student Career Centre
www.career.unitec.ac.nz | 0800 10 85 10 |
[email protected] Interests
Write a brief list of approx. 2-4 points
Include any interesting sporting, cultural or creative interests which may help you stand out from
other candidates or show transferrable skills
Dont put anything too general or irrelevant (NOT spending time with friends and family)
Score: ___ / 3
Referees
You can write Available on request and supply referees later when asked (saves space); OR
Put 2 referees details: full name, Job Title, Organisation name, phone and email
Ensure your referees are not friends or family. They should be current or previous employers /
supervisors or lecturers
Ask referees for permission before you give their details
Score: ___ / 3
General
Completely free of errors in spelling and grammar
Irrelevant personal information is deleted (e.g. no gender, date of birth, nationality, marital status)
Avoid personal pronouns such as I and My
CV has been spell-checked and proof read by someone else
CV is relevant and appropriate to the prospective employer (imagine you are them as you read it)
Key skills, strengths and achievements are easy to find
(employers may only spend 10 seconds skimming your CV)
All details are up to date, honest and factual
Customised to you and your situation, not copied
Avoid jargon or obscure abbreviations that may confuse the reader
Score: ___ / 9
Total Score
45 52 points:
Well done! You have put a good effort into updating your CV! We encourage you to send your CV to the
Career Centre for checking so we can give you extra tips on enhancing and tailoring it further.
33 44 points:
Your CV needs some further work and development. Pay close attention to the details of this checklist, as
well as using templates and examples available on the Career Centre website under Resources:
www.career.unitec.ac.nz.
0 32 points:
Your CV is not likely to get a second glance from future employers. See above advice.
Unitec Student Career Centre
www.career.unitec.ac.nz | 0800 10 85 10 |
[email protected]
