How to Write a Great Cv

• A. Reads every word carefully from top to bottom
• B. Scans quickly for relevant keywords and job-related experience ✓
• C. Checks the candidate's hobbies and personal interests
• D. Looks at the photograph to assess appearance

Why: Recruiters often spend only a few seconds on an initial scan, looking for evidence that the candidate matches the role's key requirements and keywords.

• A. Any job the candidate has ever held, regardless of field
• B. Experience that directly demonstrates skills needed for the target role ✓
• C. Only full-time paid employment in a corporate setting
• D. The number of years the candidate has been working

Why: Employers want evidence that a candidate can perform the specific tasks of the role, so experience that shows the required skills is what matters most.

• A. Numbers make the CV look longer and more detailed
• B. They provide concrete evidence of impact and results ✓
• C. Applicant tracking systems can only read numbers
• D. Employers are legally required to see statistics

Why: Specific figures such as percentages, revenue, or team sizes give employers clear, credible evidence of what the candidate actually accomplished.

• A. To make the CV longer so it looks more impressive
• B. To highlight the skills and experience most relevant to that specific role ✓
• C. To hide gaps in employment history
• D. To use the same wording the candidate used for previous jobs

Why: Tailoring shows employers that the candidate understands the role and has the specific qualifications it requires, improving the chances of progressing.

• A. A perfectly designed graphic layout
• B. Evidence of soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and adaptability ✓
• C. A long list of hobbies and interests
• D. References from family members

Why: Employers consistently value soft skills because they affect how well a person collaborates, communicates, and adapts within a team and organisation.

• A. Functional CV
• B. Chronological CV ✓
• C. Combination CV
• D. Infographic CV

Why: A chronological CV lists work history in reverse date order, making it easy for recruiters to see career progression and employment continuity. It is the most widely used format.

• A. Chronological CV
• B. Functional CV ✓
• C. Reverse-chronological CV
• D. Targeted CV

Why: A functional CV emphasises skills and achievements grouped by theme rather than by job dates, which helps downplay gaps and highlight transferable abilities relevant to a new field.

• A. It removes all dates from the document
• B. It highlights key skills at the top while still showing a chronological work history ✓
• C. It is only suitable for creative industries
• D. It replaces the need for a cover letter

Why: A combination (hybrid) CV leads with a skills summary to catch the reader's attention, then supports it with a dated employment history, blending the strengths of both main formats.

• A. ATS software cannot read tables, columns, and graphics reliably ✓
• B. ATS software only accepts handwritten CVs
• C. ATS software requires a photo on every CV
• D. ATS software ignores all text in bold

Why: Many applicant tracking systems parse documents as plain text, so complex layouts with multiple columns, text boxes, or images can scramble or lose information. A clean, single-column layout improves readability for both software and recruiters.

• A. Hobbies and interests
• B. References
• C. Professional experience, starting with the most recent role ✓
• D. Education from primary school

Why: For experienced candidates, recent professional experience is the most relevant evidence of suitability, so it is placed prominently and listed in reverse-chronological order.

• A. To list every job you have ever held in chronological order
• B. To give a recruiter a quick, compelling summary of your skills, experience and career goals ✓
• C. To explain why you left each previous job
• D. To include your full list of hobbies and interests

Why: A personal profile is a short introductory summary that quickly tells the reader who you are professionally, what you bring, and what you are aiming for, helping them decide whether to read on.

• A. One sentence only
• B. Around 2 to 4 lines or roughly 50 to 80 words ✓
• C. Two full pages
• D. At least 300 words

Why: Recruiters skim CVs quickly, so a profile of about 2 to 4 lines or 50 to 80 words is concise enough to read at a glance while still providing meaningful detail.

• A. I am a person who likes working with people and computers.
• B. Objective: To find a job where I can grow.
• C. Results-driven marketing specialist with 6 years of experience growing B2B brands and increasing lead generation by 40%. ✓
• D. I have been looking for work for some time and would be grateful for any opportunity.

Why: Option C is specific, uses a professional descriptor, quantifies achievements and signals value immediately. The other options are vague, focus on the candidate's needs rather than the value they offer, or use outdated objective-statement phrasing.

• A. Specific achievements and measurable results
• B. Clear references to the target role
• C. Generic clichés such as 'hard-working team player' without evidence ✓
• D. Keywords relevant to the job advertisement

Why: Generic clichés like 'hard-working team player' are used by almost every candidate and carry little weight. Strong profiles back claims with evidence, achievements or specific skills instead.

• A. Use the exact same profile for every application to stay consistent
• B. Remove all mention of your experience so the recruiter focuses on the role
• C. Adjust the wording to reflect the job description's key skills and requirements ✓
• D. Write a completely different profile that does not match your CV's experience

Why: Tailoring the profile to mirror the key skills and requirements in the job description helps your application match the role and can improve how applicant tracking systems and recruiters assess your fit.

• A. Listing the tasks you were responsible for in your role
• B. Describing a measurable result you delivered, such as increasing sales by 20% ✓
• C. Stating the number of years you have worked in a field
• D. Copying the job description from the employer's advert

Why: Achievements show the impact of your work with concrete results, whereas duties only describe what you were expected to do. Quantified outcomes are especially persuasive to recruiters.

• A. Skills, Tools, Analysis, Results
• B. Situation, Task, Action, Result ✓
• C. Summary, Target, Application, Review
• D. Strategy, Team, Advice, Requirements

Why: STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result. It gives a clear narrative: the context, your responsibility, what you did, and the outcome achieved.

• A. Responsible for managing customer emails
• B. Helped with the company website
• C. Redesigned the customer onboarding process, reducing drop-off rates by 15% within six months ✓
• D. Was a hard-working team member who did many things

Why: This bullet uses a strong action verb, describes a specific contribution, and includes a measurable result with a timeframe, making it concrete and credible.

• A. Because employers prefer CVs that are longer than two pages
• B. So that the most relevant accomplishments match the requirements of the specific role ✓
• C. Because recruiters only read the first line of every CV
• D. To avoid ever repeating the same wording across applications

Why: Highlighting the achievements most relevant to a particular role helps recruiters quickly see that you match the job's needs, improving your chances of progressing.

• A. Omit any numbers and use vague adjectives like 'many' or 'significant'
• B. Use reasonable estimates, approximate scale, or comparisons such as 'managed a team of 8' or 'served around 200 clients monthly' ✓
• C. Invent precise statistics to make the CV more impressive
• D. Leave out the achievement entirely

Why: Reasonable estimates and scale indicators add credibility and specificity without fabrication. Inventing figures is dishonest and risky, while vague language weakens impact.

• A. Listing 'Good with computers' with no supporting detail
• B. Stating 'Proficient in Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables and VLOOKUP, used to produce monthly sales reports' ✓
• C. Writing 'Hard-working and dedicated' at the top of the page
• D. Including a long paragraph describing every software you have ever opened

Why: Specific skills backed by a concrete example or application are more credible and memorable to recruiters than vague claims. Option B names the skill, the level of proficiency, and how it was used.

• A. To fill up empty space on the page
• B. To quickly show recruiters that you have the abilities the job requires ✓
• C. To list every hobby you have ever had
• D. To replace your work experience section

Why: Recruiters often scan CVs quickly, so a skills section helps them match your abilities to the job requirements at a glance. It complements, rather than replaces, your experience and hobbies are usually only relevant if they support the role.

• A. Use the same CV for every application to save time
• B. Mirror relevant keywords and skills from the job description that genuinely match your experience ✓
• C. Add skills you do not possess so you appear more qualified
• D. Remove all technical skills so the CV looks more general

Why: Aligning your language with the job description helps your CV pass applicant tracking systems and shows the employer you fit the role. Adding skills you lack is dishonest and can backfire at interview.

• A. Ability to name every programming language
• B. Strong communication and active listening skills, demonstrated with examples such as resolving complaints ✓
• C. Experience in deep-sea diving
• D. Knowledge of ancient history

Why: Relevant transferable skills such as communication and listening are central to customer service. Demonstrating them with examples makes your claim believable and directly relevant to the role.

• A. Hidden at the bottom in very small font
• B. Clearly listed with the qualification name, awarding institution, and date obtained ✓
• C. Only mentioned in the cover letter
• D. Described in full detail with every module you studied

Why: Qualifications should be easy to find and verify, so listing the name, institution, and date is standard practice. Excessive detail such as every module studied takes up space that is better used for more relevant information.

• A. Adding as many skills as possible to your CV
• B. Carefully reading the job description to identify key requirements and keywords ✓
• C. Rewriting your entire CV from scratch
• D. Sending the same CV to multiple employers to save time

Why: Reading the job description helps you identify the skills, qualifications, and keywords the employer values, so you can highlight the most relevant parts of your experience.

• A. Keywords make your CV look more colourful and visually appealing
• B. Many employers use applicant tracking systems that scan CVs for relevant keywords ✓
• C. Keywords replace the need to describe your experience in detail
• D. Recruiters prefer CVs that copy the job advert word for word

Why: Applicant tracking systems often filter CVs based on keyword matches, so including relevant terms from the job description helps your CV get seen by a human reviewer. Keywords should still be used naturally and truthfully.

• A. Your hobbies and interests
• B. Your education from primary school
• C. Your professional experience and skills relevant to the role ✓
• D. Your references

Why: Placing the experience and skills most relevant to the target role near the top makes it easy for the recruiter to see you are a strong match quickly.

• A. Include all of your experience in full detail regardless of relevance
• B. Remove your entire work history except for the current job
• C. Focus on and expand the most relevant experience while summarising or condensing the less relevant parts ✓
• D. Lie about your experience to make it match the job

Why: Emphasising the most relevant experience and condensing the rest keeps your CV focused and concise, which makes it easier for employers to see your suitability for the role.

• A. Using one master CV for every application without changes
• B. Adjusting your personal statement, skills, and achievements to match each specific role ✓
• C. Writing a longer CV so that it covers every possible job
• D. Using a template with no personalisation

Why: Tailoring means adapting key sections such as your personal statement, skills, and achievements so they speak directly to the requirements of each particular role, rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all document.

• A. It helps you memorise your work history for interviews
• B. It helps you catch awkward phrasing, missing words, and sentences that don't flow naturally
• C. It is required by most recruitment software to validate the file
• D. It shortens the document so it fits on a single page

• A. Changing the font to make errors stand out
• B. Printing the CV in colour
• C. Reading the CV backwards, word by word, or asking someone else to proofread it
• D. Running the document through a word counter

• A. They cannot open PDF files
• B. They may miss context-specific errors, such as using 'their' instead of 'there' correctly spelled but wrongly used
• C. They always delete formatting
• D. They prevent you from saving your work

• A. Using the same font size for every heading and bullet point throughout the document
• B. Using a different colour for each job title
• C. Making every section exactly the same length
• D. Including a photo on every page

• A. Because recruiters only read the first and last words of a CV
• B. Because a wrong company name or job title suggests a lack of attention to detail and can cost you the opportunity
• C. Because applicant tracking systems require capital letters for company names
• D. Because the job title must always appear in the first line of the CV