CV advice

When applying for a job, there are a few basic rules to follow to make sure your resume makes the first cut. Here are some do’s and don’ts:

Send a brief covering letter detailing the position you are interested in and give some compelling reasons why. Add a summary paragraph highlighting which of your skills would be particularly relevant to the role in question
Make sure your name and contact details are on the resume itself
Have a sober and professional sounding email address, fun ones are only for your private use among friends
List your career in reverse chronological order, with the most recent job first
State your education and degrees earned and the institutions involved. Dates are preferred
Give a concise but accurate description of your duties for each job and your functional title
Mention any career highlights such as major headline deals you have worked on, or major projects you completed
Put in any specialist areas you have been exposed to or specific specialist products you have dealt with (for example derivatives or private equity or funds)
Include a recent deal or transaction list if your work is transaction based
Spell and grammar-check and proof read the final document! Spell checks are human too! (I would be deleted to meet you!)

DON’T

Use coloured or decorated paper or email background
Be over-wordy
Leave out jobs, make sure chronology is seamless
Overstate your abilities or inflate your title
Use a “candid” picture as the accompanying photo. If you use a photo, get a formal portrait or passport photo in appropriate attire