Are you looking for part-time work but need help creating an impressive, effective CV? Not sure how to successfully present your skills and strengths? CVapp.ie can help! Creating a great CV is essential in attracting the attention of potential employers, and with the right tips and tricks, we can bring you closer to the job of your dreams.
How to level up your professional prospects
What makes a great CV? We’re glad you asked! Before you started writing, let’s review the necessary elements of every great CV:
- The CV header
- The CV summary
- The employment history section
- The CV skills section
- The education section
We’ll start with choosing the right CV header for your CV:
Header & Formatting: Start off strong
A good CV should be professional, presentable and provide potential employers with key details about an applicant. At CVapp.ie, we'll make sure your CV is all of the above! A well-formatted, attractive CV can drastically improve your chances of gaining the attention of employers, whereas a poorly-formatted CV can completely slash through your chances of landing the job. Boo! Fortunately, we’ve made our professional templates accessible to all our users. With a range of professional, modern, creative and simple templates, we have something for everyone. Simply browse our CV library, choose your template and input your information to turn that boo to a woo!
Once you’ve chosen your template, you’ll be prompted to fill out your header details. In this section, you should include important contact information, such as your name, email, phone number and any links to professional networks or websites you’d like employers to have access to. Just remember: any links you include in your header should always show you in favourable, professional settings.
Professional Profile: Summarising your professional potential
Your professional profile acts as a powerful marketing tool, encapsulating your immense professional potential and highlighting the unique blend of attributes and qualifications that position you as the ideal candidate for a specific job role. In 3-5 sentences, you'll want to showcase your most relevant strengths and demonstrate why you're the best candidate for the role! You can expand upon your skills, professional experiences and career goals. By elaborating upon your professional potential, you can radically differentiate yourself from other candidates and increase your chances of landing the job role.
Here’s our example of a great professional profile:
Recent graduate with over five years retail experience seeking a part-time job before continuing studies at the postgraduate level. Highly experience in assessing customer desires and requirements and generating service that successfully meets customer needs. An analytical thinker who works collaboratively to get the job done.
Employment History: Optimise your professional journey
The employment history section of a CV is typically considered the most important section of a CV for potential employers. In this section, you should provide clear and detailed information about any previous jobs you've had. Start by listing the most recent positions you have held, including the job title, company name, employment dates, and location. Within each job entry, highlight your specific responsibilities and duties. Be concise yet specific, emphasising the key tasks you performed and any significant accomplishments or projects you were involved in.
Need some inspiration? Check out the example below!
Sales Representative, Penneys, Galway
January 2023 — June 2023
- Researched competitive products and services and developed strategies to capitalise on their weaknesses
- Cultivated strong relationships with clients to ensure customer loyalty
- Developed and implemented a customer feedback system to improve customer service
- Processed customer orders and returns, ensuring customer satisfaction and timely delivery
- Analysed competitor pricing and product offerings to ensure market competitiveness
Retail Assistant, World Market, Galway
June 2019 — November 2022
- Responded to customer inquiries and complaints in a professional manner
- Assisted in the training of new retail staff
- Collaborated with other retail staff to ensure all customer needs were met in a timely manner
- Organised and maintained the store, ensuring a clean and safe environment for customers
- Conducted inventory audits to ensure accurate stock levels and identify areas of loss prevention
Skills: Convey your professional strengths
Your skills section should showcase any strengths, talents and qualities that may help you fulfil the requirements of the job role you’re applying for. For example, if you’re applying for part-time work as an accountant, you’d want to list skills such as financial analysis and knowledge of taxation and budgeting practices. The skills you list will depend on the job role you’re applying for – that’s why we recommend thoroughly reading over the job description and doing additional research on the company. Where possible, do your best to match the skills required in the job description with skills you already possess!
- Communication
- Skills
- Customer Service
- Effective Time Management
- Leadership Skills
- Problem Solving Skills
- Time Management
Education: Highlight your scholastic excellence
In the education section of your CV, employers will be looking to see what formal education or qualifications you may have. Start by including your highest level of education first. For instance, if you possess a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT), you may choose to omit extensive details about your Leaving Certificate. In this section, highlight the relevant degrees, certificates, or qualifications you have obtained. Provide the full name of the institution, such as GMIT, and the specific degree you earned. You may also include additional information that demonstrates your academic achievements or specialisation within your field. Additionally, you can also include any important academic projects, research work, or honours received during your education. This can help employers understand your dedication and expertise in a particular subject area.
What's important to remember is that not all employers expect you to have undertaken rigorous study. Depending on what industry you're looking for part-time work in, some employers won’t expect an extensive educational background at all.
Here’s our example of a great education section:
Bachelor of Arts, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Galway
September 2018 — June 2022