Our top tips and tricks for securing that next interview

As an employment agency, we have seen our fair share of CV’s. From Directors, Operations/ Contracts Managers, to Groundworkers and Labourers, it is crucial to have a well-formulated CV, especially if you’re keen to grow your career and take your next steps. In the built environment, there are often two different viewpoints: either someone who has found what they are good at and wants to stick to it, like a phenomenally skilled groundworker, or someone who wants to grow through the industry and advance themselves; both are very positive places to be.

Often in this industry, especially for temporary or short notice roles, you may not meet your employer face to face until your boots are on site. Though even for permanent positions where you’ll typically meet the hiring manager beforehand, that first impression is still shaped just as much by how you communicate along the way. This is why it’s so important to represent yourself well through every touchpoint: phone calls, emails and especially your CV.

Here are some tips and tricks that we have picked up on along the way.

1. Keep all relevant information on the first page

When listing experience, start with the most recent work you have done at the top and work backwards. When writing a CV, you want the first page to match the job role you are applying for as much as possible. Therefore, you want to keep your most relevant experience at the top. Try not to leave unexplained gaps. When going through the job-finding process, honesty is key.

2. Lead with a short and punchy personal statement

Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be too long. Keep it 4-5 sentences long. You want the employer to understand you and what you enjoy. Skip the generic stuff. You don’t need to let them know that you are a reliable, hardworking individual. Your references will do that for you! Keep it as an overview of your experience.

Example

Skilled Groundworker with 5 years’ experience working on residential and commercial projects across Bristol. I possess a valid CSCS Card and a CPCS Blue Dumper and Roller ticket. Looking for long-term work in the Bristol area and happy to travel up to 20 miles. Starting as a Groundworks Labourer in 2021, I have worked my way up to gain extensive knowledge of housing projects, and I am skilled at ducting, drainage, and curbing. I am looking to progress my knowledge and skills and aim to be a qualified site supervisor in the next 5 years.

This lets them know at first glance what you are good at, what you enjoy, what you are looking for and what progression looks like to you.

3. Tickets and qualifications

Keep these between your personal statement and experience. You want them to stand out and not be difficult to find. Keep it short, keep it relevant, but keep it seen. Don’t worry if all you have is a CSCS green card. The longer you are in the industry, the more these will build. Ensure you also include expiry dates and remove any out-of-date qualifications.

4. Keep the format simple and clear

Ensure all key details are clear as day. Each paragraph of experience should be outlined with the key details at the top and listed in reverse chronological order, your most recent role first, working back to your earliest. Include the company name, start date and end date, the job role you fulfilled there, what project and where it was.

Example:

Company | Project
Job role
Dates

This will ensure that the employer reading your CV knows what you have done at first glance rather than having to pick through a whole paragraph to find out the basics.

Following that, go into a little detail about the skills you utilised and tasks/ responsibilities you completed.

5. Include your references

It is overly common to have References included upon request. However, this is just delaying the process in the long run. You want to be proactive and give the employer all the information they will ask for. Having your references for your 3 most recent jobs will really be useful to both you and the employer. If they like the look of your experience and skills, they can immediately reference-check your skill level, reliability and work ethic, which allows you to skip ahead in the process and stand out from the crowd. |It also shows you have confidence in your work.

6. Keep copies of your tickets and employment details in a PDF document with your CV

It shows organisation and proactiveness. If you’ve worked for agencies before, you’ll know what they typically ask for, and again it’s about being ahead of the curve, which helps you stand out. This applies just as much to permanent positions or any employer; in fact, it helps put you ahead of the rest by saving them time asking for documents, and saving you time having to send them from scratch every time. On separate pages following your CV, you want to add all of the following:

Photos (front and back) of all tickets
Right to work documents
NI Number
UTR number (if applying for Contract/ Freelance Roles)
Email
Address
Phone number
If you have any unspent convictions
A passport-style picture of yourself
Date of Birth
Nationality

Understandably, this is a lot of information to send out to companies; however, it is great to have it all in one place should an initial conversation be promising. So we would suggest having two different PDFs: one with this additional information and one without.