Writing a CV for a private household role

The importance of a good CV

It is vitally important to remember that your CV is your personal ‘marketing tool’ – the opportunity to show your skills, experience, potential and talent.  In most circumstances, your CV is the first contact with a prospective employer and therefore it is key to make a good first impression.

What makes a good CV?

A concise and professional format

A clearly structured, professional looking format, with a suitable sized font (12 points), in either Times New Roman, Cambria, Georgia, Calibri or Helvetica. The font should be black (on a white background) – nothing colourful or fussy.

It must be adaptive

Each different job requires slightly different skills – you should be able to marginally adapt your CV to include the skills and experience relevant to the duties and needs of the role and the client.

Proof, proof, proof!

Take time over your CV, the importance of a well-written CV cannot be underestimated. It can often be seen to reflect your attitude as a candidate. If it’s put together in a rush, an employer might question your approach to the role. As recruiters we can’t stress enough how vital this is.  Spelling errors, poor grammar, messy or half-hearted presentation will instantly set back your chances of being selected to interview.

Essential information to include in your CV:

  • Contact information: make sure both your email address and contact telephone number are clearly written at the top of your CV (it’s surprising how many candidates forget to include this)
  • A summary (around 4-5 sentences): outlining your professional experience, skills and background
  • Professional experience: in reverse chronological order, include your job title, organisation name, start and end date and list all key responsibilities in bullet points. If you have many years of experience, you can reduce the detail of old or irrelevant roles. For extra points, use the STAR method – situation, task, action, and result – to explain what you did in a role, and the results of your actions (try to quantify where possible)
  • Highlight your achievements and skills: Do you have any culinary skills? Do you ride or sail? Or do you speak any specific languages? It’s always beneficial to list these, as it gives the employer more of an idea of your background and interest areas
  • Education and training: Include any information on relevant training courses, such as health and safety or first aid
  • Your file name: when creating and saving your CV, make sure you include your name and CV in the title i.e., ‘Joe-Smith-CV’ rather than simply ‘Document1’
  • A professional headshot: Whilst it is not a legal requirement, putting a smart, professional head shot photo of yourself on your CV does help. It puts a face to a name and brings your CV to life a little.
Writing a CV for a private household role